Deputy Director at Pyxera Global

Locations: Southern Katsina/Northern Kaduna Region, Nigeria
Division: Enterprise and Community Development
Report to: Project Director, JIVA Nigeria Program

Project Summary/ Job Description
We are seeking to strengthen the local systems that drive prosperity and opportunity and forge community resilience. Therefore, we are in need of qualified candidates for the position of Deputy Director to be based full-time in the Southern Katsina/Northern Kaduna Office, Nigeria. This position will work with the JIVA Nigeria team to design an integrated community development project with a focus on enhancing resilient agriculture and accountable education in the region. As a new initiative, JIVA Nigeria is part of PYXERA Global’s broader JIVA programming, housed within the Enterprise and Community Development division.

The JIVA program traces its roots to a corporate volunteer project undertaken in 2011. The team spent a week working side-by-side with residents of three villages in rural Rajasthan, India. Inspired by this engagement, the Foundation partnered with PYXERA Global to identify the most pressing needs in the villages and empower the villagers to determine for themselves how best to meet these challenges. On the basis of this work together with the residents, the Joint Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA) project funded by the Foundation and implemented by PYXERA Global began in January 2013.

The JIVA Nigeria project will involve collaboration with diverse partners and a drive to be continuously adaptive to the local context. The Deputy Director will support the Project Director in leading and working with the JIVA Nigeria project team to design, plan, manage, monitor, and evaluate the project’s resilient agriculture and accountable education activities. The ideal candidate will have significant experience managing multi-sector and integrated development programs, leading teams, designing and starting up projects, and managing iterative and adaptive projects related to community agriculture and education in a rural setting. As part of the JIVA Nigeria team, the Deputy Director will also exemplify the JIVA Values (below) and value and encourage teamwork, equality, and a strong work ethic across all members of the JIVA Nigeria team.

Key Position Responsibilities
The Deputy Director will report directly to the JIVA Nigeria Project Director and will have the following responsibilities:

• Assist the Project Director in overseeing day-to-day programmatic operations
• Assist in program design and work plan development in the field, in consultation with the Project Director, in-country stakeholders and PYXERA Global DC Office
• Identify programmatic challenges or obstacles that may affect timely implementation early in the activity implementation lifecycle; work inclusively with relevant team members to develop feasible solutions; work with Project Director to provide timely communication of adjustments in programming to PYXERA Global DC Office
• Support the success of the JIVA Nigeria team and provide leadership and direction for technical staff - in collaboration with Project Director - and help establish an effective project plan and ensure performance goals are met on time and within budget
• Oversee effective monitoring of project and activity indicators, per the program’s monitoring & evaluation plan, to drive work plan design, adjustment, and execution
• In coordination with the Project Director, manage partnerships with project stakeholders, work with the Project Director to develop and execute an effective outreach strategy to achieve long-term sustainability of project outcomes and impacts
• In coordination with the Project Director, serve as a liaison of the project in the region, help establish and strengthen collaborative relationships with key partners and stakeholders in the region.
• Identify promising areas of research and programming that present opportunities for innovation and/or fill potential gaps in project initiatives. Work with the Project Director and relevant JIVA Nigeria team members to assess the value and/or adaptability of the concepts to the local context and program model
• Assist the JIVA Nigeria team in the development of regular programmatic reports to PYXERA Global DC Office per donor and partner requirements
• Ensure project and staff compliance with local Nigerian laws and regulations, and adherence to PYXERA Global’s and donor’s legal, financial, and operational policies and procedures
• Travel, as required by the project. Conduct frequent site visits to observe trainings, monitor activities, engage and build relationships with the community.
• Staff capacity building: support the capacity building of JIVA Nigeria team
• Exhibits and is committed to the JIVA Values of: honesty, transparency, integrity, humility, freedom to innovate, equality, keep a “light” attitude, quality, teamwork, focus on the goals, accountability to all partners, and monitoring to learn and improve.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Education, Rural/Community Development, Sustainable Development or related field of study
• A minimum of 8 years professional experience working with community-based, education, and/or nongovernmental organization projects in rural communities.
• Experience working with private sector partners and/or donors preferred.
• Knowledge of rural farming communities and educational system and programs in the Southern Katsina/Northern Kaduna region
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing engaging and experiential (non-traditional) classroom-learning modules including curriculum, lesson plans, objectives, learning assessments, and the design and use of teaching-learning-materials (TLM).
• Excellent facilitation skills, familiarity with training-of-trainer (ToT) approaches and methodologies, and competencies to use tailor-made and diversified facilitation/training methods and tools.
• Experience organizing community and/or youth outreach and support programs.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills; Proven capacity to lead large implementation teams on complex, multi-year programs
• Experience leading project design and start-up activities, preferred
• Experience with iterative and adaptive project management, preferred
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills
• Excellent writing skills - writing sample required, provision of publication(s) preferred
• Well-versed in computer and internet operations and developing analytical reports.
• Fluent in English, proficiency in Hausa and other local languages strongly preferred.
• Professional experience in the Southern Katsina/Northern Kaduna Region, Nigeria, preferred.
• Nigerian national, required.