Project Manager at Search For Common Ground’s International

Locations: Delta (Warri), Bayelsa, Rivers

Position Summary

• Search for Common Ground seeks a professional, motivated, and creative Project Manager that will work with Search’s program teams to design and implement Search strategy for the project and ensuring that the project addresses real needs and contribute to the organization’s national, management; team regional and global strategies.
• The position entails project logic and strategy development and leadership and management; project development and management; financial, operations, and administration oversight for the project; security management; stakeholder and representation.
• The position requires an experienced conflict transformation, peace building or development expert, conversant with project management cycles and compliance requirements of German funded grants.
• The position holder must be a planner and experienced conflict and context analyst capable of steering various project activities in the Niger Delta to respond to real peace, security and conflict transformation needs.
• The Project Manager must have good diplomacy skills and capable of negotiating with challenging stakeholders. The position holder advises the Head of Office, Niger Delta on project needs, strategies, staffing issues, local context and dynamics.
• S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Office, Niger Delta and closely with the Media Advisor, Finance unit, DMEL unit and the project unit. The position holder will supervise State project coordinators, Project Officers, and interns.

About The Project
The project goal will be achieved through two specific objectives and corresponding outcomes:

Objective 1 - Strengthen linkages between citizens and local authorities in the Niger Delta to respond to drivers of violence in the region. Expected outcomes of activities under this objective are:

• People of the Niger Delta, including militants and ex-militants, feel that cooperation between them and local authorities is strengthened;
• Platforms for collaborative response to underlying conflict issues by communities, government, and security are established in eight LGAs.

Objective 2 - Amplify the voices of key stakeholders, particularly women, youth and marginalized groups to contribute to discussions around regional conflict issues and promote peace in the Niger Delta region. Expected outcomes of activities under this objective are:

• Journalists and civil society organizations increase their capacity to report on elections and manage rumors;
• Increase in the number of voices of women, youth and marginalized groups contributing to discussions on regional conflict issues in the Niger Delta; and
• Increase in public awareness and support for peace in the Niger Delta. Collectively, the activities support the project's objectives and outcomes and contribute to a more inclusive, grassroots-informed dialogue process aimed at addressing conflict issues and vulnerabilities to violence.

Search believes that this will support a community-owned peace architecture that will contribute to long-term peace and stabilization in the region beyond the lifespan of the project.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Ensure a conscious program approach in line with the “Common Ground” principles.
• Contribute creative ideas for program development
• Lead in the implementation of the project objective, providing sound methodological and technical support to ensure use of participatory methodologies, human rights and social cohesion and trauma healing programming approach.
• Promote a participatory approach in programming work and create space in the structure for staff participation and involvement in decision making;
• Oversee and coordinate the project resources to ensure the highest level of project quality and accountability, while fostering continuity through building capacity of local partners and developing innovative program interventions;
• Facilitate trainings, researches, and learning of cross-cutting relevance to the program.
• Ensure that participatory systems and processes for monitoring activities, results and impact assessment at program level are in place and involves the team and partners;
• Provide continuous monitoring and support to field staff, coordinate project reviews, evaluations, and follow up implementation of evaluation findings in close collaboration with the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DM&E) Coordinator, key project staff, and the Head of Office Niger Delta Nigeria.
• Coordinate the production of timely and quality program reports in line with SFCG, and donor requirements;
• Verify and analyze work-plans, progress reports, final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness.
• Ensure close monitoring of the political, social and security environment in project target area.
• Establishes an effective project team to implement the project’s activities, while benefiting from Search core team technical and administrative support.
• Works with the project implementation staff to build appropriate strategy for the rollout of the project.
• Develops regular and quarterly reports detailing progress in line with funder and Search guidelines and requirements
• Follows up and documents success stories and lessons learned and share them with the management on a regular basis.
• Establishes and manages partnerships both at the central and local level.
• Establishes good working relations with relevant stakeholders for the effective implementation of the project including government offices and officials at central, governorate, district and local level.

Coordination and Representation:

• Develop and maintains proactive, positive, and professional relationships with partner organizations, other NGOS, donors, clients, and key government officials, local authorities, and civil society working on relevant issues to the project.
• Represent the Head of Office Niger Delta on various INGO, Government and stakeholder meetings or platforms whenever assigned to do so.
• Maintains regular written and oral reporting to the Head of Office on key country, project, security and staff issues.
• Oversees general project HR affairs in line with Search-Nigeria guidelines and in coordination with Search Country HR.

Team Management and Human Resources:

• Provide leadership and oversight to program staff and all partners charged with implementing the program.
• Manage an operational team to supervise project’s activities implementation in the target area in compliance with local laws and organizational policies and procedures, including the management and evaluation of a diverse staff.
• Ensures the implementation of project on-time and within budget.
• Ensures compliance with Search Operations Manual policies and procedures.
• Provide Coaching and Counseling advice to project staff when necessary and lead initiatives to develop staff capacity.

Financial Planning, Management and compliance:

• Oversees the management of project budgets, ensuring timely grant reporting and compliance with contract and donor guidelines in coordination with Head of Office- Niger Delta, Admin and Procurement Manager and the Director of Finance and Administration.
• Ensure effective implementation and compliance with the overall finance and guidance manual and compliance with procedures required by grant or contract agreements;
• Carry out monthly budget versus expenditures analysis, make budget projections and keep up with the targeted burn rates for the project.
• Ensure that adequate internal control mechanisms are in place for the specific project.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Peace Building, Conflict, Security Studies, Political or Social Science, International Studies, Public Administration, Development Studies and experience in a related area. Master’s degree preferable.
• Additional extensive training in at least one of the areas of SFCG thematic work- Peace building, conflict transformation and resolution is an added advantage.

Required Experience

• A minimum of 5 - 7 years experience in managing programs with a special focus on crisis prevention, stabilization and post conflict construction
• Experience working in a diverse team and in an NGO. Experience in an INGO is a plus
• Experience managing projects, programmatically and financially;
• Experience leading and managing teams.

Other Relevant Requirements

• Demonstrate integrity, alignment with Search’s values and ethical standards;
• Promote the vision, mission, and strategic objectives of Search;
• Capacity to adapt to a multi-cultural context, and tolerance and respect to issues related to gender, religion, race and nationality;
• Excellent ability to multi-task and produce time-bound deliverables.
• Expertise in writing reports and success stories; and
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism and solves problems in collaborative ways.
• Knowledge of and prior exposure to a wide range peace; community peacebulding, prevention of violence; conflict transformation; human rights, governance  and/or development-related issues;
• Analytical capacity, including ability to analyse and articulate peace, violence prevention, human security and conflict issues;
• Ability to identify problems, and to use sound judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve them;
• Good knowledge of Niger Delta region, including the political, economic and social dimensions;
• Ability to work under pressure in a highly rewarding, but stressful and demanding environment;
• Willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the field;
• Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to draft/edit a variety of written reports and communications and to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style;
• Ability to work independently and plan own work, manage conflicting priorities and deadlines;
• Team player, able to empower other team members under their supervision and delegate as appropriate;
• Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications; and
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and collaborative working relations.

Added Advantage:

• Good knowledge of the local languages will be an asset.
• Resident of Delta/Bayelsa/Rivers.