Project Coordinator

About CRIS:

Community Relations In Schools (CRIS) is a peacebuilding and education charity that works in partnership with schools, district councils and other statutory providers to positively and systematically address the separated context of living in Northern Ireland. Through strategic action, service delivery, reflective practice, advocacy and research – CRIS has developed unique, multi-faceted, collaborative approaches to achieve its mission which is:

“To be a leading agent of change in shaping an inclusive, peaceful and safe society where everyone has hope and the opportunity to learn and grow.”

CRIS actively recruit for staff who will thrive in an environment that is both inspiring and challenging and whereby a collaborative team ethic and individual motivation and autonomy are prized equally.

CRIS is an Equal Opportunities employer

About the Role:

Job Title:                                 Project Coordinator

Anticipated Interview Date: Friday 7th June 2019   

Salary scale:                            £25,500 per annum

Hours:                                     37.5 hours per week (occasional evening work may be necessary)

Contract:                                8th July – 31st Mar 2021

(Possibility of an extension pending continued funding)

Responsible to:                      CRIS Director

Place of Work:                        The ‘Project Coordinator’ will operate from the CRIS office and

                                                will regularly travel to schools and other venues across all Urban

                                                Village sites.  (Please see Urban Village Executive Summary, 2018

                                                for more information).

Closing Date:  12 noon Wednesday 29th May 2019

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that a completed application form and a completed and separately sealed Equal Opportunities Monitoring form arrives at the CRIS office before the stated deadline.  Any applications received after this time will not be considered.

Circumstances:  Access to a car is necessary to travel between sites to carry out the tasks associated with this role.  Applicants must possess a full and valid driving licence. Employees will be required to provide proof of car insurance to allow for work related use.

Benefits:        

25 Annual Leave Days plus 12 Customary

Toil system and flexibility in how this is used

Worker Enrolment Pension Scheme

Comprehensive Induction Programme and intentional reflection space to aid personal and professional development

About the Project:

CRIS has been awarded a contract under the Executive Office’s Urban Village Initiative to roll out ‘Buddy Up’ which is a schools-based peacebuilding approach and one of CRIS’ signature projects.

Buddy Up will be delivered with Primary Schools and some Nursery schools across the five Urban Villages sites (four of which are based in Belfast and one in Derry/ Londonderry.  Please see the Urban Village Executive Summary, 2018 document that provides more information on the wider initiative).

The major project outputs will see delivery of CRIS’ shared pupil programmes that explore diversity and inclusion with children at Key Stage One and Two - particularly children at Year 3 and Year 7.  Some programmes and activities will also be supported with a limited number of Nursery Schools.  Across all programmes, schools will be supported to implement a buddying system to link children, enabling the development of more meaningful engagement and relationship building.

The project offers some opportunities for capacity building with school staff to engage in the material that supports the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding area of the Northern Ireland curriculum.  In addition, the project will also seek to engage parents and families and celebrate the partnership work between school twinnings. 

Another important aspect of the Buddy Up project is to support the schools to become more aware of the opportunities provided by the wider Urban Villages initiative, which offers dozens of community-based projects providing a range of services and initiatives for residents to avail of and participate in.  Therefore, project staff will support schools with information to link into Community Projects where relevant.

For more information about the position and about the Urban Villages Initiative, please see attached documents