Project Officer at The Accountability Lab Nigeria

Reports to: Accountability Lab Nigeria’s Country Director
Duration: Three-month trial period as part of a one-year contract

Position Description

• The Project Officer will be a key member of the Accountability Lab Nigeria team, working to ensure that the Lab’s growing portfolio of projects are managed effectively, efficiently and transparently.
• The Project Officer will first and foremost lead the Lab’s efforts to deliver on projects against agreed deliverables and timelines, and support design, planning and reporting against grants.
• The Project Officer will also liaise with other key team members to ensure harmonization across the various grant and project-related elements of the Lab’s work including finances, monitoring, evaluation and learning and strategy.
• The Lab is a learning organization and it is also expected that the Project Officer will understand and appreciate how to support the Lab to include learning and adaptation into everything it does.
• The Project Officer will be a key point of contact for the Lab with donors and partners on issues related to project delivery and will report to the Lab’s Country Director in Abuja who has overall responsibility for internal systems and project implementation.
• The Lab’s ongoing projects include Integrity Icon, an Accountability Incubator, SDG 16 Innovation Challenge; to support young people with creative ideas, and #Voice2Rep, a campaign to develop socially-conscious music.
• Women, those from minority groups and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities
Project Management:

• Support the design, implementation and oversight of Accountability Lab’s projects related to accountability, transparency, youth engagement and citizen participation;
• Build relationships with key partners and stakeholders in the projects including donors, communities, the media and other civil society organizations;
• Support the MEL team on data collection, synthesis and analysis to ensure projects are meeting goals and are adaptive based on the context;
• Work with the Lab’s Finance Officer and Country Director and other staff to ensure project outputs are delivered on time and within budget;
• Coordinate project activities to ensure effective implementation including events, trainings and outreach.

Reporting:

• Manage and monitor the Lab’s internal project reporting calendars and processes to ensure accurate and timely submission of proposals, reports and other outputs;
• Produce internal progress reports and report to the larger team on a weekly basis on progress;
• Act as the key interlocutor with donors on key grants and submit reports, feedback and other information in time and of the highest quality;

Learning:

• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer to develop log-frames and impact measurement tools for all projects and ensure data is collected against agreed upon goals on an ongoing basis;
• Integrate a learning mindset and approach into all projects, ensuring that feedback and data is used to improve activities over time;
• Lead trainings where relevant related to project implementation, outreach, community-building and reporting;
• Follow-up on monitoring and evaluation findings to ensure that corrective actions are taken and/or adjustments are made to program and project responses;
• Support the Lab’s internal learning and evaluation processes including annual impact and learning reporting and ongoing iterative data collection processes.

Success Factors:

• Above all, this position requires a superb understanding of program design, management, implementation and reporting. It requires excellent management skills, attention to detail, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Accountability Lab Nigeria has the potential to grow very quickly and the successful candidate will need to have the energy, vision and knowledge of the program implementation field to help us deliver on commitments and to improve what we do.
• The successful candidate will also need to be able to work within a dynamic and culturally diverse team, embodying the organization’s commitment to accountability, transparency and equity.
• We seek a demonstrated record of assuming significant professional responsibility and delivering on programmatic goals with integrity and humility.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience implementing programs for international donors in Nigeria, including project design, management and reporting;
• Experience conducting program trainings and mentoring professionals;
• Demonstrated competency using Microsoft Office and other relevant computer programs;
• A proactive leader, communicator and team player;
• Adaptable, resourceful, self-motivated and able to prioritize in a fast-moving environment;
• Highly organized and meticulous attention to detail;
• Ability to problem-solve both big picture and day-to-day issues;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate with clarity and professionalism to all relevant stakeholders (staff, board, donors);
• Commitment to the Accountability Lab’s values of integrity, innovation, humility, practicality, and collaboration.

Compensation

• We are a small organization committed to paying a competitive rate commensurate with skills and experience.
• Additional benefits include: health insurance, travel and communications stipend.