Romano Lav is looking for a passionate, proactive and organised person to join our team as Project Co-Coordinator on a maternity cover basis.

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Project Co-Coordinator (9-month Maternity Cover): Job Description

Location: The role will mainly be working at The Roma Cultural Centre, 43 Nithsdale Street, G41 2PZ, with a half day working from home
Hours: 26 hours (3.5 days), usual working pattern Tuesday - Friday
Salary: £32, 760 (pro rata, based on a 37.5-hour working week), 3% pension
Contract: Fixed-term 9 month maternity cover, from 25/01/2027 until 22/10/2027, with an induction/shadowing period prior to the post commencing (dates and hours to be agreed with successful candidate but will take place before and after Christmas holiday period)*

Please send a CV and covering letter explaining how you meet the criteria and why you would like the job, to hello@romanolav.org, submission deadline Thursday 19th of November, 5pm

Interviews to take place 26th-27th November

About Romano Lav

Romano Lav was established in 2013 by a local Roma woman, who, alongside other Roma, was frustrated with Roma people being left out of decision-making and their voices unheard. Since then, our work has challenged the racism, discrimination, and disadvantage experienced by local Roma people. Our team is made up of Roma and non-Roma people, working together in solidarity to promote social justice and achieve meaningful change.

Our work is diverse but united by the common objective of empowering Roma people, particularly Roma youth and Roma women and challenging the racialised structural inequalities that Roma people disproportionately face.

We support Roma communities to realise their rights via community education programmes. We evidence social inequalities by co-producing large-scale community research led by Roma youth. We dismantle barriers to realising rights, and we challenge inequalities, via evidence-based advocacy. We facilitate Roma inclusion by promoting Roma culture and creating intercultural dialogue. Our events and programmes are open to all, which creates greater community solidarity and mutual understanding.

Role and responsibilities

The Project Co-Coordinator will play a key role in supporting the smooth running and development of Romano Lav's projects and wider organisational work, working alongside Romano Lav’s other project co-coordinator.

The two Project Co-Coordinators work collaboratively and in solidarity, bringing complementary skills and approaches to support Romano Lav’s wider work. While both contribute to project management and organisational development, this role advertised here has a particular focus on providing support to our staff to develop and lead on projects, administration, reporting, and general organisational support that enable our projects to run effectively. The other Project Co-Coordinator works more closely with community members, playing a leading role in supporting community empowerment, leading projects and representing the organisation. Both roles are integral to our work and are grounded in a shared commitment to community leadership, mutual support, and the values of Romano Lav.

Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, the postholder will help ensure that projects are well organised, properly supported, and delivered in line with their aims, timescales and funding requirements.

2027 promises to be a very exciting time for our organisation, with strong foundations already laid for dynamic and innovative projects and activities, and a committed workforce working in a wide range of social action, wellbeing and cultural projects. The role is not to design new projects, but rather to support and oversee the delivery of existing work and act as support where needed to staff designing and leading on their projects.

The role requires someone who is organised, proactive, and adaptable, with a genuine passion for community work and a supportive approach to working with colleagues. They will help staff to plan and deliver their own projects, providing practical coordination, administrative support and guidance where needed, while offering support to staff where needed -  particularly to young people - to take ownership and lead their own work.

Our projects respond to a range of community needs and interests, and the postholder should be comfortable working across different areas of activity, building relationships and responding to changing priorities.

Project Coordination and Development

-Support staff to plan, coordinate and deliver a range of projects and activities, ensuring that work is organised, purposeful and delivered within agreed timescales.

- Monitor and manage individual project budgets, keeping track of expenditure and projected costs, and work closely with the Finance Assistant to maintain an up-to-date overview of project and organisational budgets.

-Support colleagues to develop workplans, set priorities and monitor progress.

-Help staff identify what support they need to deliver their projects effectively, offering practical guidance, problem-solving and encouragement where appropriate.

-Support young people and other community members to lead their own projects, develop their skills and take ownership of their work.

-Help ensure that projects respond to community needs, interests and aspirations, and contribute to Romano Lav's wider aims.

-Co-coordinate activities across different areas of work, including men's and women's wellbeing, youth-led human rights work, arts and cultural programmes, research and community-led initiatives.

-Identify potential challenges or delays, communicate these with colleagues and help find solutions.

-Support the planning and delivery of meetings, workshops, events and other project activities as required.

Staff Support and Relationships

-Build positive, respectful working relationships with colleagues, young people, community members and partner organisations.

-Provide supportive and appropriate guidance to colleagues, helping them develop confidence, skills and independence in their roles.

-Recognise when staff need practical assistance, encouragement or space to lead their own work, adapting support to individual needs and circumstances.

-Help colleagues manage workloads, prioritise tasks and meet deadlines without unnecessarily taking over their responsibilities.

-Contribute to a positive, collaborative working environment where staff feel supported and able to raise challenges.

-Work constructively with colleagues across different projects and areas of responsibility, sharing information and supporting the wider team when needed.

Administration, Monitoring and Reporting

-Responsible for the preparation of regular progress reports, funder reports and other written updates such as board reports, gathering information from colleagues and communicating project progress clearly.

-Maintain clear and accurate project records, including workplans, activity records, monitoring information, spreadsheets and other project documentation.

-Assist with monitoring and evaluating project activities, ensuring that relevant information and evidence of outcomes are collected and recorded.

-Support colleagues to keep track of project deadlines, reporting requirements, budgets and other commitments.

-Support the organisation of meetings, including helping to prepare agendas, recording actions and following up on agreed tasks.

-Help ensure that project documentation, agreements and administrative requirements are in place and kept up to date.

-Support the preparation of funding applications and other organisational documents where required.

Communication and Partnership Working

-Maintain effective communication with colleagues to support coordination across the organisation.

-Maintain positive relationships with external partners, community organisations and other relevant stakeholders.

-Contribute to the planning and promotion of events, activities and community initiatives.

Organisational Responsibilities

-Work in line with Romano Lav's policies, procedures and values, including our commitment to equality, anti-racism, human rights and community empowerment.

-Contribute to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for staff, young people, community members and partners.

-Work flexibly across different areas of the organisation, responding to changing needs and priorities.

-Participate in team meetings, planning sessions, supervision and other organisational activities as required.

-Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role.

Line Management and Workplan

-The postholder will report to Fatima Uygun, line manager and Trustee of Romano Lav.

-Work will be undertaken in line with an agreed workplan, with priorities reviewed regularly in discussion with the line manager and relevant colleagues.

-The postholder will work collaboratively with project staff, providing coordination and practical support to staff to lead on their own projects.

-The role requires a flexible and responsive approach, balancing planned work with emerging organisational and community needs.

Person Specification

We are looking for someone who is passionate about community work, enjoys working collaboratively and is able to bring structure, organisation and a supportive approach to a varied role. We welcome applications from people whose experience has been gained through community organising, the third sector or other relevant settings.

Essential Requirements

The postholder will need to demonstrate:

-Relevant experience: At least three years' experience in project co-ordination, project management or equivalent experience in community organising or related work.

-Commitment to community work: A genuine interest in community-led work, participation and empowerment, with a commitment to equality, anti-racism and human rights.

-Report writing: This is one of the main requirements of the role - strong written communication and report writing skills, including the ability to produce clear, accurate and well-structured reports and written updates.

-Working with young people: The ability to build positive, respectful relationships with young people and support them to develop their confidence, skills and leadership.

-Organisation and planning: Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to plan ahead, co-ordinate multiple activities, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

-Administration and IT: Strong administrative skills and confidence using word-processing software, budgeting,  spreadsheets and other everyday digital tools to organise information and maintain accurate records.

-Supporting colleagues: The ability to support and guide colleagues in a way that builds their confidence and independence, recognising when to offer practical help and when to give people space to lead their own work.

-Relationship building: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work positively with colleagues, community members, young people and external partners.

-Initiative and problem-solving: The ability to work independently, identify what needs to be done, take initiative and seek support when appropriate.

-Teamwork and flexibility: A collaborative approach and willingness to contribute across different projects and areas of organisational work as needs arise.

Desirable Skills and Experience

The following would be an advantage but are not essential:

-Experience of working in a similar community-focused third sector organisation.

-Youth work experience.

-Social media experience, digital communications or promoting community activities.

-Experience of monitoring and evaluation and reporting for  third sector organisations  or supporting funding applications.

-Experience of working on human rights, equality, anti-racism, community development, arts or wellbeing projects.

-Experience of event planning, workshops, research or community engagement.

-Knowledge of or experience working with Roma communities or other marginalised communities.

-A full, valid driving licence

Personal Qualities

We are particularly interested in someone who:

-Is enthusiastic about working alongside communities and helping people realise their own ideas and ambitions.

-Is approachable, respectful and able to build trust with people from different backgrounds.

-Is organised and reliable, and takes pride in doing the practical work that helps projects run well.

-Can balance attention to detail with a flexible, solutions-focused approach.

-Is willing to learn, reflect on their practice and adapt their approach to the needs of different colleagues and projects.

-Is committed to helping others develop their skills and confidence.

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*The successful candidate will be offered a short, paid shadowing and handover period ahead of the formal start of the maternity-cover role. This will provide an opportunity to become familiar with Romano Lav’s projects, systems and ways of working, and to meet colleagues and key partners. The shadowing period will be paid at the Real Living Wage, with the advertised salary applying from the formal start date of the role. The dates and duration of the shadowing period will be agreed with the successful candidate.

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