Project Manager, Operations at Palladium Group

Project Overview and Role

• The Project Operations Manager serves as part of the corporate management team to manage implementation of effective and efficient operational, financial and compliance activities. The position periodically contributes to the development of policies, processes and procedures that align with best practice in project management.
• DFID appointed Palladium and its consortium members to manage implementation of the Nigerian Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Programme (MNCH2); which runs for 5 years from 1st June, 2014 to 31st May, 2019.
• The objective of the programme is to achieve effective and efficient delivery of essential health care for pregnant women, new-borns and children, alongside routine immunisation. The programme will strengthen health system coordination through improved health sector planning and financing, and will increase demand for and access to high quality health services.
• The programme is working with government to build capacity within the public health system to enable sustainability beyond the immediate lifetime of the programme. Sustainable solutions should be sought for every output and outcome of this programme intervention.
• This MNCH2 programme is delivering across the 6 DFID Northern Nigeria focus States (Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Zamfara and Yobe); where the greatest population gains can be made and the largest burden of maternal, new-born and child mortality and unmet need for health care are located. Northern Nigeria is a fragile context, and some States, particularly Yobe and urban Kano, are affected by levels of violence which impede access to health services.
• The recipient of MNCH2 services is the people and Government of Nigeria, representing namely: the Federal and State Ministries of Health, and Local Governments.

Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of the Project Operations Manager are;
Operations:

• Plan and manage the operational aspects of project start-up and closeout to ensure delivery of required inputs to these processes from corporate services, service providers and stakeholders;
• Serve as the primary liaison between corporate services and the project
• Support corporate registration in-country and ensure all legal and financial requirements are met and maintained for the entity and project
• Prepare and maintain project specific components of the project operations manual
• In collaboration with corporate services, provide training and guidance to project staff on and ensure compliance with company policies, SOPs and Guidelines and client rules and regulations (covering as required security, occupational health and safety, risk management, planning, human resource management, monitoring, reporting, finance, procurement, logistics, IT, communications, audit support and all other operational matters)
• Establish project offices and office infrastructure
• Participate in the development and maintenance of project work plans
• Support the development and presentation of internal and external reporting (for example: Monthly Management Reports(MMRs), quarterly Internal Project Reviews (IPRs), project risk assessments, annual reviews, and client deliverables) and ensure these outputs are fit for purpose
• Ensure project issues and risks are logged, monitored, reported on, managed and mitigated; escalate risks and issues to corporate/project leadership, as required
• In collaboration with Internal Audit/Systems Review, conduct periodic compliance checks on processes and internal controls

Head Contract and Client Relationship Management:

• Monitor and maintain compliance with head/prime contracts
• Monitor and report on overall progress against agreed targets, milestones, outputs and activities
• Develop, manage and support contract amendments as required
• Liaise with and respond to requests from clients
• Provide regular or ad hoc reports to the clients
• Support project advocacy with internal and external stakeholders

Financial Management:

• Ensure company policies, SOPs and Guidelines for financial management are implemented and are compliant with the client's rules and regulations;
• Establish project levels of delegated authority in accordance with company policy and manage the process for higher-level approvals as required;
• In collaboration with Finance establish project account codes, ensuring they are fit for purpose and meet client's and project's requirements for cost allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and value for money (VFM) reporting;
• In collaboration with Treasury, set-up project bank accounts with appropriate company and project signatories;
• Ensure the project financial calendar is adhered to;
• Monitor expenditure against budgets and forecasts, including staff costs, operating expenses and procurements;
• Manage project financial / cash-flow planning, review and approve (or obtain approval for) funding requests from the field, and review and approve (or obtain approval for) monthly Funds Transfer Requests (FTRs);
• Review cashbooks / field vouchers and ensure supporting documentation is complete;
• Serve as a coordinator for service providers and approve (or obtain approval for) work orders and invoices;
• Ensure the accuracy of client invoices (including monthly, milestone and performance based invoices) and where required prepare same; Monitor, reconcile and report expense advances monthly
• Manage and approve/obtain approval for contract action requests (for example travel, personnel additions/changes, partner, grant, budget realignment, etc.)
• Support the planning and coordination of inputs from the company's Security, Risk and Internal Audit/System Review teams
• Manage the external audit process and ensure retention of project records is compliant with company policy

Human Resource Management and Recruitment:

• Support project human resource planning and recruitment and contracting and coordinate inputs and support from the company HR and Recruitment teams
• In collaboration with Security, ensure safety and security procedures, including Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements, are in place and adhered to
• In collaboration with HR, ensure staff performance management systems are in place and adhered to
• Maintain project data on relevant HR systems for short-term and long-term staff and consultants
• Lead the mobilisation and demobilisation of all international staff (short-term and long-term) including contracting, travel management, payments and induction

Procurement, Sub-Contractor and Grant Management:

• Serve as a point of contact with service providers and address contractual matters as required
• Support development of project subcontractor / grant management procedures compliant with the company's SOPs and Guidelines and client's rules and regulations
• Facilitate field office leases
• Monitor and ensure quality of field procurement; ensuring compliance with company anti-corruptions and due diligence processes
• Coordinate the processing of service provider work orders and invoices
• Report monthly on the status of partner budgets/invoicing and grants
• Ensure asset management procedures are undertaken and conduct spot checks.

Business Development:

• Participate in capture planning, providing inputs on operational requirements, including but not limited to the requirements for company registration and banking arrangements
• Provide input and support business development of the company as required

Requirements

• A relevant Bachelor's Degree (with a Master's Degree preferred)
• Minimum of 5 years relevant work experience
• Minimum of 3 years project management experience with DFID, DFAT, USAID or other donor clients
• Experience managing large and complex projects with a high risk profile
• Minimum of 2 years of people management experience, including setting performance objectives, managing for results, giving and receiving feedback, performance evaluation and mentoring and coaching
• A minimum of 2 years of work experience in a developing country or similar environment
• Formal Project Management training and expertise.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Financial acumen and the ability to interpret and analyse financial reports.
• Sound problem solving and decision making skills