Location: Home-based (frequent travel across Africa)
Duration: Full-time, 6-month contract (extendable). The project duration is 14 months.
DRS is looking, on behalf of our client, an INGO, for a dynamic Project Manager to lead a campaign aimed at raising awareness of migration-related risks and alternatives. This initiative will engage stakeholders such as local civil society organizations, educators, parents, students, and social media influencers across countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Uganda, and The Gambia. The Project Manager will oversee the successful delivery of this EU-funded project, ensuring effective coordination, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.
The Ideal Candidate is:
- A problem-solver with strong initiative: To be successful in this position, our future Project Manager will be adept at navigating complex situations (like government bureaucracy) and finding solutions that might not be immediately apparent.
- Comfortable with technology: Most of your interaction with colleagues will be online, while you’ll plan and administer the project using a mix of tools from Google and third-party providers. You’ll be required to support the development of strategies that require a strong understanding of Facebook and TikTok and work with data experts to evaluate them.
- Results-oriented and confident in their prioritization and delegation skills: In this position, tough challenges will need to be tackled directly. There are core tasks that are vital to the project’s success. It’s important not to get bogged down in some of the less critical tasks, but still ensure they are completed.
- Detail-oriented and committed to doing things right: As well as pioneering new methods and building relationships, we’ll rely on you to ensure the project is delivered on time, to budget, and in compliance with strict donor requirements.
- An enthusiastic traveller: Someone who enjoys the challenges and opportunities that come with travelling while working.
Key Responsibilities:
The Project Manager will lead project teams, manage budgets, liaise with donors, and ensure the successful delivery of our initiatives. The following are the primary responsibilities of the role, with estimated allocations of time and attention.
1. Deliver: Project Management and Mission Implementation (Approximately 80% of your time):
- Develop and manage a comprehensive project plan, including up-to-date timelines, budgets, and donor engagement plans.
- Lead, manage, and coordinate a consortium of partners.
- Lead and motivate the project team, ensuring clear communication and collaboration among all stakeholders.
- Implement robust project monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress against objectives and deliverables.
- Regularly prepare and deliver progress reports internally and externally, keeping stakeholders informed of achievements, challenges, and necessary adjustments.
- Recruit, train, and develop project teams in project locations.
- Ensure that projects are optimally resourced to deliver all project outputs.
- Ensure all legal and donor compliance requirements are met.
- Ensure donor needs are met and expectations are exceeded where possible.
- Liaise with partners, local stakeholders, and officials.
- Other tasks as directed.
2. Deliver: Strategic Objectives (Approximately 10% of your time):
- Provide thematic inputs to programs relating to migration, social inclusion, and livelihoods, and contribute to fundraising and business development efforts.
- Participate in business development meetings with donors, including designing interventions and projects to take to donors for funding.
- Contribute to Programmes Team activities towards achieving organisational strategic objectives.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to adapt the project model for potential future implementation in these countries.
3. Develop: Developing Capabilities and Programme Portfolio (Approximately 5% of your time):
- Develop project teams, including mentoring teams and leading recruitment.
- Learn, grow, and develop professionally and personally.
- Strengthen the Enterprise’s reputation and profile in our areas of expertise.
4. Direct: Global Management (Approximately 5% of your time):
- Represent and demonstrate the foundation’s values.
- Cooperate with other areas of the organization, including communicating substantive and administrative information that supports corporate management overall. For example, this would include ensuring effective internal reporting at the programme and program levels.
Required Qualifications:
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in leading and implementing education outreach programs or migration-related programming, with a focus on prevention of irregular migration. Experience in conflict-affected or developing countries is preferred.
- At least 2 years of experience in delivering programming in Africa, managing multi-country projects remotely would be preferred.
- Proven experience in managing relationships with stakeholders in at least one of the programme countries.
- Demonstrated experience in leading and managing consortiums, including overseeing compliance and grant management for budgets ranging from EUR 1-2 million.
- Strong program management skills, with a track record of leading and delivering projects successfully.
- Proficiency in navigating G-suite (Google Sheets and Docs), or other applications related to task management (Trello, Asana, etc.), a strong understanding of META applications such as Facebook and Instagram. Experience using TikTok is a bonus.
- Fluent in written and spoken English and French, with proficiency in local African languages spoken in the program countries.
- Ability to travel several times a year as required.
Personal Attributes:
- Highly organized, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple responsibilities efficiently.
- Client-focused with excellent responsiveness and communication skills.
- Independent and proactive with excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Motivated by an Enterprise performance framework, with a focus on achieving social impact.
- Enjoy working in a high-performing team from multiple countries.
- Trusted by donors to manage and deliver successful projects.
- Focused on achieving measurable and impactful results.
How to apply
The updated CVs should be submitted to e.jivova@developmentaid.org under the title DRS 11711 (ref. number). Due to the high number of applications received, we can reply to shortlisted candidates only. Please note that the above requirements can be modified during the recruitment process according to the client’s procedures.