Social Investment Project Manager and Analyst - VSO

Appointment of
Social Investment Project Manager and Analyst
Information for Candidates
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CONTENTS
Introduction from Global Director for Corporate Engagement and Social Investment ......................... 3
What does VSO do ................................................................................................................................ 4
Job Description........................................................................................................................................ 5
Person specification ................................................................................................................................ 5
Skills, Knowledge and Experience required ........................................................................................ 5
Competencies ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Equal Opportunities ................................................................................................................................ 7
Terms and Conditions ............................................................................................................................. 7
How to Apply ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Introduction from Global Director for Corporate Engagement and
Social Investment, Sarah Wilson
I am delighted that you are interested in working for VSO and specifically the position of Social
Investment Project Manager and Analyst.
For over 50 years, VSO has been the answer to an urgent call on behalf of the world’s poor, a call for
people to help communities build a brighter future.
Since 1958 we’ve sent 44,000 international volunteers to over 90 countries. We are recognised as
the leading international development charity that works through volunteers, fighting poverty in
Africa, Asia and the Pacific. By bringing people together to share skills and knowledge in a
coordinated way we create sustainable change.
Our volunteers work with local organisations that serve poor people. They help give children a
future through education, improve the standards of care in hospitals, train poor people in the skills
they need to make a sustainable living – whatever needs to be done to break down the barriers that
trap people in poverty. In doing so they create what we call a ‘ripple effect’: the knowledge and the
skills they share will be passed on from one person to another, so one volunteer’s contribution
spreads far and wide.
Our new global strategy, People First, challenges us to reach more poor communities and to increase
the range of support that we can provide to our partners in developing countries. As part of this, we
are working on how we can engage with the impact investment sector, and exploring alternative
financing mechanisms that can deliver both social and financial returns for poor communities. To
take full advantage of the opportunities, we wish to appoint a Social Investment Project Manager
and Analyst who will report to me and lead both our analytical thinking on how VSO should engage
with the social investment sector and our participation in an exciting cross-sector project exploring
a specific concept in this area.
If you are excited by this challenge and have a knowledge and understanding of social investment
and impact investing; an awareness of the development context within which these tools can be
used; an ability to network and to influence senior stakeholders; and a passion and appetite to build
the capacity of poor communities in developing countries, then this is a great opportunity for you. I
look forward to meeting you.
Sarah Wilson
Global Director for Corporate Engagement and Social Investment
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What does VSO do
VSO is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through
volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries.
VSO's high-impact approach involves bringing people together to share skills, build capabilities,
promote international understanding and action, and change lives to make the world a fairer place
for all.
We work with the most marginalised people in those communities – the people with the weakest
voices in society. This includes women, children, people with disabilities, young people and people
living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
We are expert in four key areas of development:
• Health. We work to increase the quality and availability of health services in the poorest
communities, and to the most marginalised people.
• Education. We work to increase the quality and availability of education in the poorest
communities, and to the most marginalised children and young people.
• Secure livelihoods. We help families and communities to become more resilient
economically and less likely to be forced into poverty by, for example, drought or political
unrest - including through increasing their access to markets.
• Governance. We help to strengthen the voices of the poorest people so that services
providers/governments are more accountable and create services which meet the needs of
marginalised communities.
We also address far-reaching issues that span all of the above, including gender inequality, climate
change, increasing participation and youth empowerment.
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Job Description
Position: Social Investment Project Manager and Analyst
Staff Report to Post Holder: none
Reporting to: Global Director for Corporate Engagement and Social Investment – VSO International
Location: London (Kingston)
This is a full-time fixed term contract – for 12 months.
Key purpose of the post:
The roleholder will lead:
• analytical thinking on how VSO should engage with the social investment sector;
• VSO’s participation in a cross-sector project exploring a specific innovative concept in this
area.
Responsibilities will include:
Providing expert analysis and advice to VSO in the area of social/impact investment – ensuring that
VSO is up to date and that connections are made between this aspects of development thinking and
other aspects of our livelihoods / enterprise based development work.
Providing expert project management, most particularly to lead and co-ordinate VSO’s participation
in a proposed INGO-sponsored impact investment facility.
To engage senior VSO stakeholders on social investment; to be VSO’s liaison point to deepen
relationships in this sphere with key INGO peers; and to confidently manage the input of technical
experts in financial markets, law and regulation.
To network within the social / impact investment community within the UK
Person specification
Skills, Knowledge and Experience required
Essential
• Knowledge and understanding of social investment and impact investing, and an awareness of
both the development context for such work and the formal (legal, financial, regulatory) issues
associated with operating in this space.
• Experience of planning and managing large project with many stakeholders, delivering in
challenging contexts to deadlines, and managing project budgets and risks;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
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• Ability to build strong working relationships, inspiring confidence and credibility with colleagues
and a wide range of external stakeholders; strong influencer at senior level; ability to work
effectively in a global dispersed team.
Desirable:
• Familiarity with the VSO ethos, its areas of work and the NGO working environment
• International working
Competencies
The successful applicant will be able to display the following competencies:
Working together:
Able to proactively enable and encourage teamwork in others.
Communicating and influencing
Can inspire others by advocating plans and ideas within and outside VSO; maintaining a wide,
influential network.
Managing knowledge
Ability to proactively seek out new knowledge sources (people and data); uses and shares
knowledge effectively.
Striving for excellence
Ability to set and measure challenging objectives for self and others; gives evidence based feedback
that helps others to excel.
Managing resources
Will leads others to pursue significant or innovative funding opportunities; finds creative ways to
allocate funds and people on complex or inter-related projects.
Leading for the future:
Ability to build confidence and excitement in VSO’s work and vision both internally and externally;
leads innovative projects.
Thinking strategically
Able to make decisions based on a range of internal and external factors and long-term impact;
consults widely across disciplines.
Delivering results
Ability to effectively lead complex projects, generating a goal-oriented, problem-solving team
mentality and ensuring timely, high quality results.
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Equal Opportunities
VSO aims to be an equal opportunities employer.
In order to monitor the effectiveness of our equal opportunities policy and procedures, all applicants
are asked to complete the attached Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. This form will be
removed by Human Resources staff before your application is sent for short listing and will be kept
strictly confidential. This information will not be reproduced in any way that enables individuals to
be identified. t is important that applicants complete this form and return it with the application.
Disability
VSO has been awarded The Disability Symbol. Applicants who declare they have a disability (as
defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and who meet the essential criteria for the
post will be offered an interview. The chair of the selection panel will be advised by the HR
department of the candidate’s disability.
The Disability Discrimination Act definition of disability: Someone who has a physical or mental
impairment that has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out
normal day-to-day activities (at work on a regular basis).
Terms and Conditions
This is a fixed term post for 12 months post attracting a starting salary of at £45,000 (negotiable for
exceptional candidates). The post will be based in London – initially in Putney and, from June when
VSO moves offices, in Kingston.
Benefits include 29 days annual leave per year (pro rata if part time), employer pension
contributions equivalent to 5% of annual salary.
How to Apply
Please apply via the VSO website http://www.vsointernational.org/vso-today/careers-atvso/current-vacancies/
Applications should consist of a CV and a supporting statement addressing the criteria in the person
specification on the job description. Please email your application to recruitment@vso.org.uk
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