Project Officer

Job Title: Project Officer

Job Location: Gaziantep, Türkiye

Admin Manager: Project Coordinator

Technical Manager: Same as above

Line Manager for: 2 Community Mobilization Facilitators & 2 Social Cohesion Facilitators

Post Closing Date: 15 September 2026

 

Background

Sened, is an independent non-profit organization established and registered in Türkiye (under No: 27-15-175) in 2013.

• The name “Sened” in Arabic means “support” you could count on.

•Sened, was founded in response to The Syrian catastrophe, which led to critical situations and displacement of internally displaced people (IDPs) within Syria. The individuals who faced hardships due to factors such as repression, human rights abuses, and violence against civilians (including bombings, shelling, and sieges) and the urgent needs of millions of Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Later, our projects expanded to include support for the Turkish hosting community of the Syrian refugees. Our work spans across humanitarian sectors, with a special focus on advocating for the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities (PwDs) and their families.

 

Safeguarding

At Sened, we deliver humanitarian aid with the utmost commitment to safety and dignity. We understand that safeguarding is a critical component of our operations, and we integrate this principle into every layer of our work, from initial planning to final implementation. Our goal is to create a safe and secure environment that enables resilient communities to thrive. To achieve this, we adhere to our principles of Safe Programming, Safe Operation, Safe People, and Safe Response, which help us to identify and proactively mitigate risks, prioritize community trust, and uphold ethical standards. SENED’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding ensures that all those we serve receive the highest standards of safety and protection in all our humanitarian endeavors.

 

Job purpose

The Project Officer will support the planning, coordination, implementation and quality assurance of SENED’s Non-Formal Education (NFE), Social Cohesion and community engagement activities. The position will ensure that activities are technically sound, inclusive, participatory and aligned with project objectives, donor requirements and relevant national and international approaches. The Project Officer will work closely with the Project Coordinator and programme team; maintain regular communication with local, national and international stakeholders; and contribute to programme learning, partnership development and technical inputs, concept notes and programme documentation related to NFE, social cohesion, youth participation, disability inclusion and community engagement.

 

Duties, Objectives, Competencies

1. Programme Implementation and Coordination

• Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of NFE and Social Cohesion activities in accordance with approved project documents, workplans, budgets and implementation schedules.

• Develop detailed activity plans, session schedules, implementation methodologies and follow-up mechanisms in coordination with relevant project staff.
• Ensure that NFE activities follow participatory, learner-centred and experiential learning approaches and are appropriately adapted to different age groups, learning needs and disability profiles.
• Support social cohesion activities bringing together refugee and host community members, including people with disabilities, caregivers, children and youth.
• Monitor activity progress, identify implementation challenges and recommend practical adjustments to the Project Coordinator.
• Coordinate facilitators, trainers, volunteers, consultants and other technical contributors involved in programme activities.
• Ensure activities comply with SENED policies concerning safeguarding, PSEA, accountability, inclusion, data protection and Do No Harm principles.

2. Non-Formal Education

• Provide technical oversight to NFE activities, including foundational learning, educational support, life skills, personal development, environmental awareness and lifelong-learning activities.
• Support the development and adaptation of NFE curricula, session plans, learning materials and facilitation tools.
• Promote disability-inclusive and accessible learning methodologies across programme activities.
• Follow relevant European and international approaches to NFE, lifelong learning, youth work and experiential education, and identify approaches that may be adapted to SENED programming.
• Work closely with facilitators and volunteers to maintain quality and consistency in education-related activities.

3. Social Cohesion and Community Participation

• Coordinate dialogue programmes, youth engagement, cultural exchange, participatory arts, community committees and community-led initiatives.
• Support meaningful participation of refugee and host communities in the design and implementation of activities.
• Ensure social cohesion programming is conflict-sensitive and responsive to emerging community dynamics.
• Support community committees and participant groups to identify priorities, develop initiatives and communicate recommendations to the project team.
• Document good practices, participant experiences and lessons learned from social cohesion programming.

4. Disability-Inclusive NFE Forum and Events

• Coordinate the preparation and implementation of SENED’s Disability-Inclusive Non-Formal Education Forum and other major programme events.
• Develop event concepts, agendas, session formats, speaker profiles and participant engagement plans in coordination with the Project Coordinator.
• Liaise with speakers, moderators, technical experts, civil society organisations, public institutions, universities, networks and international partners.

Coordinate invitations, participant communication, technical materials and substantive preparations for the forum.

• Support the preparation of briefing notes, background documents, presentations, discussion questions and forum reports.
• Follow up on recommendations, partnerships and potential collaborative initiatives emerging from the forum.

5. External Relations and Partnership Engagement

• Represent SENED in relevant meetings, workshops, forums, working groups and coordination mechanisms when delegated.
• Maintain professional communication with national and international organisations, European networks, donors, technical institutions and implementing partners.
• Support correspondence, meeting preparation, presentations and follow-up communication with external stakeholders.
• Identify relevant organisations, networks, technical initiatives and partnership opportunities related to NFE, social cohesion, disability inclusion and youth participation.
• Contribute to strengthening SENED’s engagement with European and international organisations working in these thematic areas.

6. Programme Development and Technical Documentation

• Contribute technical inputs to programme concepts, project designs, concept notes and funding opportunities related to NFE, social cohesion, education, youth, inclusion and community participation.
• Conduct background research, needs analysis, stakeholder mapping and reviews of relevant policies, donor priorities and programme approaches.
• Support the development of activity methodologies, results frameworks, indicators, implementation plans and technical narratives.
• Document lessons learned, innovative practices and recommendations that can inform future programming.
• Support the Project Coordinator and programme team in preparing technical materials for potential partnerships and future programme opportunities.

7. Monitoring, Reporting and Learning

• Work closely with the MEAL team to monitor activity implementation, participation, quality and progress against agreed indicators.
• Support the collection and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative programme information.
• Prepare activity reports, meeting notes, technical summaries, presentations and inputs to donor reports.
• Document challenges, achievements, case examples and lessons learned and contribute to adaptive programme management.
• Ensure relevant programme documentation is systematically maintained and updated.

 

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other relevant duties assigned by the Project Coordinator in line with the position’s purpose and project needs.
• Support cross-departmental coordination with MEAL, Communications, Safeguarding and relevant programme and support departments.
• Maintain professional conduct and confidentiality and uphold SENED’s policies, values and code of conduct at all times.

 

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Sciences, International Relations, Development Studies, Migration Studies, Sociology, Psychology or another relevant field.
• Minimum three years of relevant professional experience in non-formal education, social cohesion, youth work, community-based programming, migration, protection or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in planning and coordinating workshops, trainings, forums, conferences or community events.
• Understanding of non-formal learning methodologies, social cohesion approaches, participation and inclusion principles.
• Excellent command of English and Turkish, both written and spoken.
• Strong written and verbal communication, analytical, research and technical-writing skills.
• Strong event coordination, facilitation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Good understanding of project cycle management and results-based programming.
• Ability to independently organise multiple activities and meet deadlines.
• Strong command of Microsoft Office and online collaboration tools.
• Commitment to disability inclusion, gender equality, safeguarding, accountability and Do No Harm principles.
• Holding Turkish nationality

 

Desired Requirements

• A postgraduate degree in a relevant field.
• Experience working with refugees, host communities, people with disabilities or other vulnerable groups.
• Familiarity with EU-funded programmes, European civil society networks, international NGOs or international cooperation mechanisms.
• Experience contributing to project concepts, technical documents, donor reports, assessments or programme development processes.
• Arabic-language proficiency.
• Interest in European cooperation, lifelong learning, youth participation, social inclusion and innovative NFE approaches.

 

Technical Competencies

• Ability to communicate confidently with international organisations, technical experts, donors and institutional partners.
• Ability to translate field-level needs and programme experience into clear programme concepts and technical documentation.
• Knowledge of participatory, learner-centred, experiential and disability-inclusive NFE methodologies.
• Knowledge of conflict-sensitive social cohesion, community participation and youth-engagement approaches.
• Strong stakeholder coordination, facilitation, partnership engagement and event-management skills.
• Research, needs analysis, stakeholder mapping, technical writing and programme-development skills.
• Monitoring, reporting, learning and adaptive programme-management skills.
• Teamwork, initiative, sound judgement, cultural sensitivity and a solution-oriented approach.

 

General Terms and Conditions

• Safeguarding: Disabled beneficiaries, children, and vulnerable adults must be fully protected possible from any actions or failings that could place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, or other harm. Sened demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding by conducting rigorous background and reference checks during the selection process for all candidates.
• Diversity: Sened is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, effective, and representative organizational culture. We promote employee equity and diversity and strive to eliminate discrimination. A diverse workforce, encompassing various age groups, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, enhances our ability to understand, represent, and serve our community. Therefore, all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, regardless of race, religion, gender, disability, or age.
• Procedures:
• Sened reserves the right to re-advertise the vacancy, cancel the recruitment, offer a contract with a modified job description or for a different duration, or offer a contract at a lower grade.
• This job description serves only as a guide for the position available. Sened reserves the right to amend this document.
• Sened does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.