Project Coordinator

Under the overall authority of the UNESCO Regional Director and Representative for Southern Africa and the direct supervision of the Head of Culture Unit, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for the overall management of the project (Implementation, Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Communication).

Specific tasks and responsibilities will include the following:

Project implementation:

• Coordinate the project implementation in the six participating countries ensuring the project maintains quality and follows UNESCO Rules and Regulations, as well as donor requirements, by overseeing all operational, administrative and technical aspects including financial management and procurement.
• Ensure delivery of the expected results on time and in quality in accordance with the Project Document and the Results Framework.
• At the Inception Phase, in close coordination with various stakeholders, facilitate the undertaking of a situational analysis and provide specific recommendations on the different project activities.  In particular, the project coordinator will i) define the scope of work and the outputs across the project components; ii) identify all key stakeholders; iii) update the work plan, budget and logframe; and iv) provide clear timelines for project implementation.
• Ensure the timely delivery of work plans, budgets and procurement plans for the project based on the results of the inception phase and monitor the implementation of these to achieve the project objectives and expected results.
• Plan, manage, implement and monitor the overall project’s activities against the workplan and budget including the organization meetings, workshops, conferences and other events foreseen in the Project Document and workplans.
• Ensure smooth coordination and communication with the EU and other national and international partners.
• Ensure the management and supervision of other Project staff, consultants as well as partners and implementing organizations, contracted within the scope of this project.

Planning and reporting:

• Attend planning meetings, missions and in country meetings as required, and provide timely reporting on the project’s progress to the Project Steering Committee.
• Prepare all required periodic and annual reports, both narrative and financial, on the project activities, as and when needed.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Supervise and guide project staff responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation ensuring the collection of all data required to track the project progress towards achieving the intended results and outcome indicators (as defined in the project Document and the Results Framework) and the M&E framework.
• Maintain a monitoring system that can provide current and real-time information on the progress.

Communication:

• Support and cooperate with communication officers to ensure the visibility of the project results and impact, in line with the EU and UNESCO communication and visibility guidelines.
• Contribute to the production of public information products such as news items, social media posts, infographics, audio-visual and other outreach materials.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in culture, social sciences, humanities, international relations, development studies, project management, sustainable tourism or in a related field.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in the field of culture, humanities, project management, international relations, development work, or related field.
• Experience in the area natural and cultural heritage.
• Experience in providing leadership to guide staff, and ability to build trust, manage staff and teams.

Skills:

• Excellent project management skills and ability to collect, synthesize and analyse information from various sources and to write documents in a clear and concise manner.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational and coordination skills.
• Ability to manage heavy workload and to work under pressure, with capacity for accuracy, paying close attention to detail and quality of work.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to maintain effective working relations within a multicultural environment.
• Proven ability to manage a team.
• Ability to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies, to identify priority activities and assignments, to adjust priorities as required, to allocate the appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work, to foresee risks and allow for contingencies when planning, to monitor and adjust plans and actions as necessary.
• Good IT skills.

Languages:

• Excellent command in English (both written and spoken).

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Johannesburg-Project-Coordinator/812739002/