Challenges are hiring for a new alumni engagement coordinator to work with young ICS volunteers to improve their opportunities post placement

Job title: Alumni Engagement Coordinator

Organisation: Challenges Group

Grade: 3 (non-SMT)

Hours: Full time

Location: Challenges Headquarters, Edinburgh

Line Manager: Professionalisation Portfolio Director

Issued: 01/11/2016

Closing date: 14/11/2016

Context

1. Challenges believe in a world where everyone has access to good quality income opportunities, driven by fair and inclusive economies working within a connected global value chain.

2. We turn this vision into action through Social Enterprise, The Challenges Group (CG) and Charity, Challenges Worldwide (CW) by scaling the ability of individual enterprises to contribute to connected value chains. We support entrepreneurs and enterprises to strengthen their skills and abilities, helping them grow businesses that generate income, sustainable economic growth and impact. We believe that by supporting the development of fair and inclusive local economies we can help alleviate poverty and bring a lasting positive impact to communities in low- and middle-income countries.

3. International Citizen Service (ICS) is a Department for International Development (DFID) funded programme. Through Challenges Worldwide the programme creates a way for 18-25-year-old volunteers from different cultures and backgrounds to work together to tackle business constraints in emerging economies, driving SME success and catalysing personal growth. Part of the commitment the UK and In-Country participants sign up to is an Action@Home activity post their international placement.

4. In support of the CG model of building long-term relationships with SMEs in emerging economies, we are also developing a wider youth delivery network to frame an important role in enterprise development and building sustainable local and global markets. This wider youth delivery network, both in the UK and overseas, is dependent on a strong hub of UK and in-country alumni, who are excited about their time with Challenges Worldwide and want to engage further, working with us to develop enterprises in emerging economies through commercial and development activity. Creating engagement, excitement and relationships are at the heart of the Alumni Engagement role. Ensuring regular information is fed back to internal and external stakeholders is also a primary function, as is managing relevant events.

5. Challenges Worldwide is also an accredited centre delivering the Chartered Management Institute qualifications (CMI) across Africa and Asia for our volunteers, students and local partnership bodies.  CMI content and training encompasses Professional Consulting, Project Management, Management & Leadership and Business Support.  This role is responsible for monitoring and evaluating incoming data from the new Challenges College platform (tracking learning progress) and identifying future areas for development.

 

In this context, the Alumni Engagement Coordinator will be responsible for:

• Working within the Professionalisation Team to deliver and report against team/functional objectives
• Working with the Returning Volunteers (RV) The programme, and supporting volunteers through their Action at Home initiatives
• Engaging with all Challenges Alumni to promote their future contribution to the Challenges Group, working with enterprises within the emerging economy beyond the ICS volunteer lifecycle
• Administering Challenges CMI qualification programme, and developing further CMI and learning content.
• Collating and reporting data on RVs, Alumni and CMI programmes, internally & externally
• Monitoring College platforms technology and supporting users as required.

Essential Skills, Experience and Personal Qualities

• Bachelor’s Degree + work experience in a relevant field preferable (e.g. people management, learning & development)
• A proven interest in business support and training in a developing country context
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• The ability to explain complex information clearly and simply
• Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Plenty of drive, initiative and motivation
• An honest and trustworthy manner
• Attention to detail
• Flexible and adaptable with an ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines
• High level of motivation and ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Fluent written and spoken English

Responsibilities

Alumni Engagement:

• Support CG by ensuring excellent relationships with alumni are maintained, and that they are engaged in a living network able to offer career, consulting and further engagement opportunities.
• Ensure that an Alumni engagement strategy is in place and contributes towards the wider CG long term strategy, promoting runways for volunteers with CG and CG’s partners beyond their initial engagement.
• Coordinate the work of country leads on alumni engagement to ensure consistent delivery and support across countries of operation
• Contribute to the content of alumni newsletter by researching opportunities, community involvement ideas, events to keep as many volunteers actively engaged as possible, in ICS and the work of CW.
• Ensure regular communication through the newsletter, as well as social media, Facebook, LinkedIn.
• Manage and promote the Challenges Champions and ICS Ambassadors programmes
• Develop and ensure ongoing support for the ICS Alumni Workshop and working group
• Collate information on work being done of returning volunteers (RVs) and how that can feed into the wider Challenges vision.
• Respond to Alumni correspondence and support as appropriate.

 

Return Volunteer Events and Action at Home:

• Lead the delivery of RV events and prepare materials for volunteers (Action at Home report forms, handout leaflets etc.)
• Manage debrief calls  for any RVs who cannot attend an RV event
• Read debrief reports and identify and communicate action areas in RV feedback.
• Ensure that RV and A@H information is shared with in-country teams and that they are supported as necessary to manage in-country volunteers
• Identify and share appropriate Action@Home possibilities that link in to wider messaging on Challenges work.  Support Action@Home partnerships. Ensure that all RVs complete their Action at Home within the target period.
• Maintain communication with individual volunteers to identify completion of their Action at Home programme, or provide support if required to achieve the final certification.
• Update Salesforce database and progress records when a volunteer completes their Action at Home and send Congratulations correspondence and ICS certificates.

CMI and Learning

• Ensure steady flow of information is maintained with CMI learners and Team Leaders on College platform
• Continually update CMI control sheet monitoring all learner progress/payments.  Input into bank reconciliations.
• Register and certify volunteers and maintain accurate records on the internal and CMI database
• Process papers for marking and internal verification.
• Provide relevantly and accurate information by generating data reports and analysis.

Monitoring, Research and Reporting

• Gather, analyse and disseminate both quantitative and qualitative data from the College and other relevant platforms in line with agreed organisational important metrics and timelines.
• Translate data gathered through platforms into relevant material for promoting ICS to a range of partners, appropriately communicating the success and impact of the programme.
• Contribute to relevant sections in the ICS Agency Quarterly Reports.
• Gather good examples of Action at Home from the UK and In-Country volunteers to contribute to CW/ICS website, the communications team and case studies for training and RV events and newsletter.
• Research and develop new routes and measures to demonstrate the impact of the programme – employability, points systems for CMI earning etc

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

 

How to apply: 

Send your CV and a Cover Letter to katherine.hirst@challengesworldwide.com by Monday 14th November 2016