Manager, Private Sector Development Team at Adam Smith International

About the Private Sector Development team
Private Sector Development is one of our core areas of expertise.  We specialise in the design and implementation of programmes that adopt a market systems approach (often referred to as “Making Markets Work for the Poor”), and work on numerous projects related to agriculture, public-private dialogue, business environment reform, business for development, and trade across the world.

About the project
The Northern Nigeria Skills (NNS) programme is a 6-year DFID-funded programme whose main objective is to economically empower marginalised youths in the Northern states, with an initial focus on Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina. The programme has 3 main work streams, 2 focused on the supply of skilled workers with the 3rd focused on driving demand for newly-created jobs:

1. Increasing access to relevant & quality skills training for marginalised youth
2. Easing the training-to-work transition for marginalised youth
3. Supporting transformative micro and small enterprises to grow and create jobs

About the role
Specific responsibilities include:

• Provide financial oversight of interventions including maintenance of a resource burn-rate, an accurate financial forecast and provision of other management reports;
• Ensure the project milestones are met and project deliverables completed on time and to a high standard
• Managing key stakeholders and building and developing client relationships;
• Support technical and project management teams in the planning and budgeting of interventions;
• Ensure MS Project plans are maintained effectively and that they feed into a master plan;
• Maintain a milestones dashboard and an issues and risk register. Effectively elevate concerns;
• Maintain a resource plan and inform senior management of resource requirements;
• Contract potential project consultants and negotiate terms;
• Support implementation of interventions including logistics and administration, financial management, organisational development, reporting, recruitment, and contracting;
• Support quarterly and annual reporting on interventions.

About you

• A postgraduate degree in economics, political science, international development, business management, or other relevant field from a top-tier university;
• Experience in a blue chip consultancy, development, or a relevant field;
• Demonstrate a track record of successfully delivering complex multi-year projects and business development
• Be willing to travel;
• Demonstrated experience of using initiative, client-orientation, risk taking, and working in complex and time-pressured contexts;
• Outstanding written and spoken English;
• Hausa language ability a plus;
• Enthusiasm, flexibility and a strong attention to detail;
• Excellent communication, inter-personal, and team-working skills;
• A demonstrated interest in economic development, particularly in developing countries;

What We Offer You
We offer you a dynamic and friendly team environment and the opportunity to work on a highly successful portfolio of programmes. We have a strong commitment to our people and strive to live by our principles:

• Take responsibility (Accountability). Individually and collectively accountable for what we do.
• Always find a way (Resourcefulness). We think innovatively to reach a solution.
• Promote Quality (Excellence). We maintain and promote professional standards in everything we do.
• Commit to the Outcome (Achievement). We take pride in delivering our best to achieve results

We’ve built a culture to reflect our principles, full of likeminded professionals who are smart, passionate and great at what they do. We offer a highly competitive compensation package and excellent benefits.