Desk Officer Africa

Desk Officer Africa

About GOAL

GOAL has responded to the world’s major humanitarian crises since its founding in 1977, working with 
vulnerable communities in 14 countries across the globe with a dedicated team of personnel. While 
GOAL continues to be an agile first-responder to humanitarian crises, it is also committed to working with 
vulnerable communities to help them survive crises and support them on the road to recovery.

About the role

The Desk Officer plays a central coordination role between Head Office and assigned country 
programmes. This position supports effective programme delivery by ensuring strong grant management, 
clear information flow, and timely engagement with donors and internal teams. The Desk Officer acts as 
the primary HQ focal point for country programmes, providing operational, programme, and donor-facing 
support throughout the project lifecycle.

Location: GOAL Head Office, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin or Remote in the United Kingdom 
Hybrid: 2 days per week in the office in Dublin or Remote in UK

Travel: Willingness and ability to travel regularly and spend a minimum of three months per year in GOAL country programmes, based on operational needs and priorities.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the main Head Office contact for assigned country programmes.
• Support Country Directors and senior teams with programme planning, monitoring and reporting.
• Coordinate donor proposals, reports, budget revisions and grant amendments.
• Review submissions for quality, accuracy, deadlines and donor requirements.
• Support donor engagement and the identification of new funding opportunities.
• Monitor programme performance, budgets, risks and key country developments.
• Coordinate across Finance, HR, Logistics, Operations and technical teams.
• Maintain accurate programme and grant information.
• Prepare briefings and country updates for senior management and other stakeholders.
• Support emergency responses, recruitment and operational priorities where required.

About you

• Practical experience in humanitarian or international development programmes, ideally with an INGO.
• Experience in programme or grant management, including proposal and report writing.
• Good understanding of institutional donors and grant requirements.
• Strong coordination, organisation and analytical skills.
• Fluent written and spoken English and Arabic or Spanish would be an advantage. 
• Confident using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

We strongly encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single requirement listed. At GOAL we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment.hq@goal.ie.

GOAL commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

GOAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees. We foster an inclusive culture where all voices are heard and valued, and we are particularly eager to receive applications from women and other underrepresented groups. We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

All employees share responsibility for fulfilling GOAL’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal treatment. GOAL does not discriminate against any employee, volunteer or applicant for employment or volunteering on the basis of age, gender identity, ancestry, political opinion, civil status, medical condition, ethnic background, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Accountability within GOAL

A commitment to GOAL values and GOAL’s integrity framework is critical to working with GOAL. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to:

1. Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
2. Report concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult, or wrongdoing within our programming.
3. Report concerns regarding inappropriate behaviour by GOAL staff or partners.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with GOAL as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury or any other harm.

GOAL demonstrates its ongoing commitment to safeguarding through rigorous background and reference checks as part of the selection process for all candidates.

General Terms and Conditions

This Job Description serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document.