Project Officer (2 Positions)
- Career Category: Business Administration, Admin / Supervisory, Economics, Banking / Finance, Law
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: Negotiable
Project: Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning & Services (CLIPS)
Reports To: Program Manager
Duty Station: Field-based, with regular travel to project-target sub-national areas and periodic travel to the Phnom Penh office
Job Purpose
The new initiative “Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning & Services” (CLIPS) project, currently in the proposal preparation stage and subject to approval and funding by YRDP’s engaging donor, is designed to promote fiscal decentralisation, including strengthening civic engagement in local public financial management (PFM) — from sub-national development and investment plan formulation through to monitoring, analysis, and advocacy. The project will work with sub-national authorities, local communities, schools, and related national institutions, with a particular focus on building the capacity of right holders and sub-national authorities in local PFM and advocating for greater fiscal decentralisation.
YRDP is seeking two (2) experienced Project Officers (PO) to lead project implementation. The Project Officers will ensure the delivery of high-quality outcomes, compliance with donor and YRDP requirements, and the building of trusted partnerships with local authorities, civil society, and related stakeholders. The role requires proven management and leadership skills in managing a medium-funding-size project, strong donor compliance, inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches, and the ability to drive policy influence and sustainable systemic change.
Each Project Officer will work directly under the supervision of the Program Manager and will work closely with the Project Assistant and other relevant project team members.
- Project Planning & Implementation
- Lead the day-to-day planning, implementation, and coordination of CLIPS project activities in assigned target sub-national areas, in line with the approved project document, workplan, and budget.
- Translate the project's annual and quarterly workplans into detailed activity plans, ensuring timely and quality delivery of outputs against agreed indicators and milestones.
- Coordinate closely with the Project Assistant to organize logistics, materials, and participant arrangements for trainings, dialogues, and community-level activities.
- Identify implementation bottlenecks early and propose practical, timely solutions to the Program Manager.
- Local Public Financial Management (PFM) Capacity Building
- Design and deliver capacity-building activities (trainings, coaching, mentoring, learning exchanges) for right holders, community representatives, youth, and sub-national authorities on local PFM, including sub-national investment/development planning, budget literacy, budget monitoring, and social accountability tools.
- Support sub-national authorities and communities to strengthen participatory planning processes, from commune/district investment plan development through implementation monitoring.
- Develop or adapt training curricula, facilitation guides, and simplified PFM materials (in Khmer and, where relevant, English) tailored to the capacity levels of different right-holder groups, including youth and marginalized populations.
- Civic Engagement, Monitoring & Advocacy
- Facilitate citizen-led monitoring and analysis of local public investment and service delivery, supporting communities and youth groups to collect, verify, and interpret local PFM and budget data.
- Support the design and facilitation of multi-stakeholder dialogues, public forums, and feedback mechanisms that connect citizens, civil society, schools, and sub-national authorities on fiscal decentralization and local service delivery issues.
- Support the development of evidence-based advocacy messages, policy briefs, and campaign materials that translate community findings into actionable recommendations for greater fiscal decentralization.
- Build and maintain constructive engagement with sub-national authorities and relevant national institutions to advance policy dialogue and uptake of citizen recommendations.
- Partnership & Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain trusted, conflict-sensitive relationships with sub-national authorities, schools, civil society organizations, community structures, and other relevant stakeholders in target areas.
- Represent YRDP and the CLIPS project in relevant local coordination meetings, technical working groups, and networking events, as delegated by the Program Manager.
- Support the identification and cultivation of local partnerships that strengthen project sustainability and local ownership of outcomes.
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL)
- Track activity- and output-level progress against the project's log frame/results framework, and maintain accurate, up-to-date activity records, attendance data, and case examples.
- Collect quantitative and qualitative data (including pre/post-test results, feedback surveys, and success stories) to feed into project MEAL systems and donor reporting.
- Contribute to periodic internal reviews, reflection workshops, and lessons-learned exercises, and apply adaptive learning to improve activity design.
- Support the establishment and proper use of community/stakeholder feedback and complaint-handling mechanisms in target areas.
- Reporting & Documentation
- Prepare high-quality, timely narrative inputs, activity reports, case studies, and statements of progress for internal and donor reporting, in line with YRDP and donor formats and deadlines.
- Document good practices, challenges, and lessons learned in a clear and evidence-based manner to support organizational learning and future proposal development.
- Maintain organized project files (financial, administrative, and technical) in compliance with YRDP's documentation standards and donor requirements.
- Financial & Donor Compliance
- Plan and manage activity-level budgets, ensuring efficient and compliant use of project resources in line with YRDP's financial policies and donor rules.
- Prepare accurate and timely financial and procurement requests, advances, and liquidations for activities under their responsibility.
- Ensure all project implementation complies with donor requirements, YRDP policies (including safeguarding, code of conduct, and anti-fraud policies), and applicable national regulations.
- Team Collaboration, Supervision & Safeguarding
- Provide day-to-day guidance and support to the Project Assistant, ensuring clear division of tasks, quality outputs, and on-the-job coaching.
- Work collaboratively with other YRDP project teams and partner organisations to ensure coherence and avoid duplication across related initiatives.
- Apply, promote, and uphold inclusive, gender-responsive, conflict-sensitive, and safeguarding standards in all project activities, ensuring the meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups.
- Perform other duties as reasonably assigned by the Program Manager in support of CLIPS project objectives.
- Khmer - Fluent is required
- English - Good
- Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Development Studies, Economics, Finance, Law, or a related field
- Master's Degree is preferred
- Progressive experience implementing development or civil society projects, preferably in local governance, public financial management, decentralisation, civic engagement, or youth empowerment programming for 3 to 5 years as a minimum
- Sector knowledge: Demonstrated understanding of Cambodia's sub-national administration, decentralisation and deconcentration (D&D) reform, and commune/district investment planning and budget processes.
- Donor compliance: Proven experience managing donor-funded project activities and budgets, with a solid grasp of donor compliance and reporting requirements (EU, UN, or similar institutional donors preferred).
- Facilitation skills: Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating trainings, workshops, or multi-stakeholder dialogues for diverse audiences, including local authorities and community members.
- Other: Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural/sub-national target areas; valid driving licence (motorbike) preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox) is an advantage.
- Strong project management skills, including workplanning, budgeting, and results-based monitoring.
- Language: Fluency in Khmer required; strong working proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret budget and public investment data for non-technical audiences.
- Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage credibly and diplomatically with government officials, communities, and civil society partners.
- Strong written communication skills for report writing, case documentation, and advocacy material development.
- Sound judgement, integrity, and commitment to YRDP's values of civic engagement, inclusion, and democratic accountability.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a small field team under a medium-funding-size project.
Project Assistant
- Career Category: Business Administration, Assistant, Economics, Logistics, Admin / Supervisory
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: Negotiable
Project: Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning & Services (CLIPS)
Reports To: Program Manager
Duty Station: Field-based, with regular travel to project-target sub-national areas and periodic travel to the Phnom Penh office
Job Purpose
The new initiative “Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning & Services” (CLIPS) project, currently in the proposal preparation stage and subject to approval and funding by YRDP’s engaging donor, is designed to promote fiscal decentralization, including strengthening civic engagement in local public financial management (PFM) — from sub-national development and investment plan formulation through to monitoring, analysis, and advocacy. The project will work with sub-national authorities, local communities, schools, and related national institutions, with a particular focus on building the capacity of right holders and sub-national authorities in local PFM and advocating for greater fiscal decentralization.
YRDP is seeking one (1) Project Assistant (PA) to provide day-to-day administrative, logistical, financial, and field-level support to the CLIPS project. The Project Assistant will work under the direct supervision of the Program Manager and in close daily collaboration with the two CLIPS Project Officers (PO), enabling smooth, well-organized, and compliant implementation of project activities on the ground. The role is well suited to a detail-oriented, organized, and community-minded individual seeking to build a career in development project management.
The Project Assistant does not independently lead project components, but plays a critical enabling role — ensuring that activities designed and led by the Project Officers are properly organized, documented, and delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with donor and YRDP requirements.
- Activity & Logistics Support
- Support the Project Officers in the day-to-day planning and organization of project activities, including trainings, dialogues, meetings, and community-level events, in target sub-national areas.
- Arrange and coordinate logistics such as venues, transportation, accommodation, catering, materials, and equipment for project activities, ensuring cost-efficiency and compliance with YRDP procurement procedures.
- Prepare and organize participant lists, invitation letters, attendance sheets, registration, and other logistical documentation for activities.
- Support the setup and takedown of activity venues, and provide on-site logistical and administrative support during trainings, dialogues, and events.
- Administrative & Documentation Support
- Maintain organized, up-to-date project files — administrative, financial, and technical — in both hard copy and digital formats, in line with YRDP's filing and documentation standards.
- Support the Project Officers in drafting, formatting, translating, and proofreading project documents, including minutes, activity reports, attendance records, and correspondence in Khmer and/or English.
- Take notes and prepare minutes for project meetings, trainings, and stakeholder dialogues, and circulate them in a timely manner.
- Support the compilation of photos, case examples, and human-interest stories from field activities for use in reporting and communications materials.
- Financial & Procurement Support
- Prepare cash advance requests, settlements/liquidations, and supporting documentation (invoices, receipts, attendance sheets) for activities, in compliance with YRDP's financial policies and donor requirements.
- Support the Project Officers in tracking activity-level budgets and expenditures, flagging any discrepancies or risks of under/overspending.
- Assist with basic procurement tasks, including obtaining quotations, preparing purchase requests, and coordinating with the YRDP finance/admin team on payments and reimbursements.
- Field & Community Support
- Support outreach, mobilization, and communication with local authorities, community members, schools, and other stakeholders to confirm participation and coordinate scheduling of activities.
- Provide day-to-day field-level liaison support to maintain positive, respectful working relationships with sub-national authorities and communities.
- Support the Project Officers in the administration of simple data collection tools (e.g., attendance tracking, feedback forms, pre/post-tests, basic surveys) during field activities.
- Help ensure inclusive, safe, and conflict-sensitive conduct of activities, alerting the Project Officers or Program Manager promptly to any safeguarding, protection, or conflict-sensitivity concerns observed in the field.
- Monitoring, Reporting & Team Collaboration
- Assist in the compilation and organization of monitoring data, attendance statistics, and activity documentation to support project MEAL processes and donor reporting.
- Support the Project Officers and Program Manager in preparing inputs for internal reviews, reflection workshops, and lessons-learned exercises.
- Work collaboratively and flexibly across both Project Officers' areas of work as needed, helping to balance workload and ensure consistent quality of activity delivery.
- Perform other duties as reasonably assigned by the Program Manager or Project Officers in support of CLIPS project objectives.
- Khmer - Fluent is required
- English - Good
- Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Development Studies, Political Science, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field
- Undergraduate Degree in final-year student/recent graduate
- Project administration, logistics, or field support, ideally with an NGO, civil society organization, or development project for 1 to 2 years as a minimum
- Fresh graduates with strong relevant internship/volunteer experience are encouraged to apply.
- Administrative & organizational skills: Demonstrated ability to manage logistics, documentation, and multiple tasks accurately and on time.
- Basic financial literacy: Familiarity with expense tracking, cash advances/liquidations, or basic bookkeeping is an advantage.
- IT skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with mobile data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox) is an advantage.
- Other: Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural/sub-national target areas; valid driving license (motorbike) preferred.
- Strong attention to detail and reliability in handling administrative, logistical, and financial documentation.
- Basic understanding of, or strong interest in, local governance, decentralisation, or public financial management is an advantage.
- Language: Fluency in Khmer required; working proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work respectfully with community members, local authorities, and colleagues.
- Proactive, flexible, and able to manage multiple, time-sensitive tasks under the guidance of the Project Officers and Program Manager.
- A collaborative, team-oriented working style, with willingness to take direction and learn from more experienced colleagues.
- Sound judgement, integrity, and commitment to YRDP's values of civic engagement, inclusion, and democratic accountability.
