Desk Officer Africa

GOAL; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

GOAL is seeking a Desk Officer to coordinate between Head Office and country programmes. Based at GOAL Head Office in Dublin or remotely in the UK, the role supports grant management, information flow, and donor engagement across project cycles.

The ideal candidate has practical experience in humanitarian or international development, with proposal and report writing skills, and strong coordination and analytical abilities. Fluency in English is essential, with Arabic or Spanish a plus.

Qualifications

• Experience in humanitarian or international development programmes.
• 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; Arabic or Spanish would be an advantage.
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

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.

Skills

Grant management

Coordination

Analytical skills

Fluent English

Arabic or Spanish (adv)

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

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.

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

• 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.
• Report concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult, or wrongdoing within our programming.
• Report concerns regarding inappropriate behaviour by GOAL staff or partners.

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.