Project Management Specialist at International Alert

Duty Station: Abuja, with possible travel to regional consultation locations
Reporting to: Team Lead with dotted lines to the Project Coordinator Program Quality, Grants and Compliance
Level of Effort: Up to 3 months with possibility for extension

Background

Nigeria’s security landscape continues to be shaped by persistent violent conflict, organised criminality, insurgency, and localised armed groups operating across various regions. While several disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR)-related interventions have been implemented at different levels, these efforts have remained fragmented and uncoordinated. As a result, outcomes have been inconsistent, and many former combatants and affected communities remain underserved or unsupported.

In response to this gap, a process has been initiated to harmonise existing DDR approaches and develop a National DDR Framework that is strategic, inclusive, evidence-informed, and reflective of Nigeria’s regional realities. This process includes regional consultations, expert technical work, stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, and synthesis of past efforts to produce a coherent national vision and actionable roadmap for DDR programming and implementation.

To ensure successful execution of this ambitious and time-sensitive initiative, a Project Management Specialist is being contracted to provide coordination, performance oversight, quality assurance, and timely delivery of outputs from a team of technical experts and facilitators. This role is pivotal to ensuring that the project delivers high-quality results aligned with its strategic objectives, on schedule and within scope.

Purpose of the Role

The Project Management Specialist will be responsible for the operational oversight and quality management of all deliverables and activities related to the development of the national DDR framework. Working under the guidance of the National Team Lead, and in close collaboration with technical experts across multiple thematic areas, the Specialist will provide day-to-day management, facilitate smooth coordination, ensure timely and high-quality deliverables, and serve as a focal point for progress tracking and reporting.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning and Delivery Management

• Lead the development and implementation of a detailed project delivery plan including timelines, milestones, roles, and interdependencies.
• Maintain a comprehensive and dynamic project schedule that guides the work of all team members and stakeholders.
• Monitor delivery progress against agreed milestones and take corrective actions where required to mitigate risks or delays.
• Coordinate planning meetings with experts, update sessions, and output review discussions.

Quality Assurance and Control

• Review and quality-assure all project deliverables including consultation reports, policy briefs, legal analysis, presentations, frameworks, and technical tools.
• Ensure all outputs meet high professional standards, are technically sound, and are responsive to project objectives and stakeholder expectations.
• Establish a clear and consistent review and feedback loop for technical experts and the core team.
• Prepare a quality assurance matrix and checklist aligned with project indicators and output standards.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the central coordination point between technical experts 
• Coordinate inputs for events including agenda development, logistics tracking, participant engagement, and documentation.
• Facilitate the alignment of contributions from thematic leads to ensure coherence and complementarity across workstreams.

Progress Monitoring and Reporting

• Develop and maintain a central progress tracking tool, capturing deliverables, timelines, risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Produce concise weekly or bi-weekly progress summaries highlighting delivery status, risk flags, pending actions, and recommendations.
• Provide data and inputs into donor or internal reporting processes where required.

Risk and Issue Management

• Proactively identify risks to timeline, quality, or team cohesion and propose mitigation measures.
• Maintain a project risk log, updated regularly and shared with the Management Team
• Monitor and document changes in scope, assumptions, or stakeholder expectations and adapt plans accordingly.

Expected Deliverables

• Approved consolidated project work plan and milestone delivery schedule
• Regular project performance updates (weekly or bi-weekly)
• Quality-assured technical deliverables reviewed against scope and standards
• Final synthesis report aligning technical expert contributions and outputs
• Project risk log and final close-out memo with recommendations
• Contribute to updating the results framework

Reporting and Working Relationships

The Project Management Specialist will report directly to the Team Lead and work in close coordination with the following roles:

• Legal and Policy Analysts
• DDR and Peacebuilding Experts
• Research and Knowledge Management Specialists
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisors
• Communications and Reporting Team
• Facilitation and Psychosocial Support Experts

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects in international development, peacebuilding, governance, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technical teams and deliver high-quality outputs under commercial or performance-based contracting arrangements.
• Strong background in project planning, risk management, coordination, quality assurance, and performance reporting.
• Experience delivering donor-funded initiatives with demonstrated understanding of accountability, value for money, and adaptive project management.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work under pressure within tight deadlines.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; experience drafting progress reports and synthesising complex information for diverse audiences.
• Advanced degree in Project Management, Public Administration, International Development, Conflict Studies, or a related discipline.
• Familiarity with DDR processes, peacebuilding policy environments, or reintegration programming is a strong advantage.

Duration and Level of Effort

This consultancy is expected to run up to 3 months, subject to performance and evolving project needs. Extension may be considered based on satisfactory performance and availability of resources.