State Team Leader at Mott MacDonald

State Team Leader

19529BR

Education, Management consultancy, International development

The Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) is an eight and a half year UK government funded programme designed to provide strategic technical assistance to support education reform at Federal level and in up to 6 Lead States.
The State Team Leader will take overall responsibility for managing the technical and administrative outputs of Lagos State.

The State Team Leader will manage ESSPIN interventions in the State and will provide leadership and support to technical specialists working on the different areas of the programme. This will require establishing the framework in which technical assistance work will take place, and coordinating the deployment of technical assistance in the State.

Accountabilities

• Engage with government at a senior level and ensure that all the components of ESSPIN are in line with government priorities and maintain government backing.
• Liaise with other relevant TA programmes to ensure mutual knowledge of approaches and activities and coordination of effort.
• As a member of the ESSPIN Technical Coordination Team, contribute to setting and coordinating the direction of the ESSPIN programme and to monitoring the effectiveness of interventions.
• In consultation with the State and ESSPIN management review and agree annual objectives and targets for activities.
• Coordinate the implementation of rolling quarterly work plans and associated cashflow management for delivering activities and results as per agreed plans.
• Ensure that agreed work plans and TA schedules retain the backing of State counterparts.
• Present progress on work plans, overall State programme and issues at monthly technical team meetings and as requested.
• Manage ESSPIN-funded activities in the State as per agreed work plans.
• Manage the ESSPIN office and personnel in State
• Oversee office management and financial systems in line with ESSPIN procedures and ensure periodic control checks are implemented.
• Monitor the work of consultants
• Provide oversight, briefing and debriefing of consultants working in the State and monitor their work.
• Convene regular State team meetings
• Quality assures consultants’ reports to ensure that they fully address the issues that are relevant to the State
• Assist the ESSPIN programme managers in compiling quarterly and annual reports for Clients
• Liaise with DFID State and regional representatives as required
• Take responsibility for the health, safety, security and welfare of ESSPIN colleagues and visitors to the state

Essential competencies/skills

• Practical knowledge of educational development issues in Nigeria and other countries.
• Knowledge of current international literature on Governance, Institutional Development, Education and the delivery of public services.
• Knowledge of Nigerian Government and parastatal structures and systems.
• Knowledge of the capacity constraints that may hamper effective and efficient action
• Ability to manage change through other people.
• Possession of inter-personal skills and the ability to deploy them as and when necessary.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and consistent quality assurance of other professionals’ work.
• Ability to lead and inspire colleagues, to act as both team leader and team member.
• Lead by example ensuring compliance with company directives in terms of safety, security and ethical behaviour regarding all aspects of the business and relationships with staff, clients, external partners and suppliers.

Required academic/professional qualifications, training and experience

A minimum of a higher degree in a relevant area and 10 years’ experience of working with the public sector and reform
processes in Nigeria, preferably in the context of education.

• Proven staff and financial management experience.
• Experience of Planning, Institutional and Organisational Development, Education Management or Public Administration Reform.
• Experience of managing professional inputs in development assistance programmes.
• Experience of working with Nigerian government and parastatal officials and civil society groups.