Sector Project Manager, UKNIAF at Tetra Tech Company

Reference No.: 498408

Project Background

• Tetra Tech International Development B.V. is delivering the DFID-funded United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), a £72.8m technical assistance facility which aims to improve the lives of some of Nigeria’s poorest people by improving the way infrastructure is designed and delivered in the country.
• The UKNIAF programme is active across the power sector, the Federal road network, capital budgeting, and Public Private Partnerships. Working with the Federal Government of Nigeria, selected state governments and the wider international community, it aims to catalyse a transformational change in livelihoods across Nigeria by unblocking obstacles to growth.

Key Responsibilities

• This is a long-term role operating as part of the UKNIAF programme management team based in Abuja. As such, the successful candidate will be required to relocate to Nigeria once it is reasonably feasible to do so.
• The successful candidate will be expected to manage up to two sector teams within UKNIAF, taking responsibility for the team’s performance, staffing and commercial management. He/she will be responsible for the success of sector delivery – an international perspective and the ability to drive best practice will be key.
• UKNIAF is a matrix organisation and the successful applicant will need to build strong working relationships with the technical leadership in his or her allocated sectors, as well as the wider project management team operating on the programme.

Core Responsibilities include: 

• Stand accountable for project delivery against programme performance metrics including the DFID logical framework, the payments by result mechanism and programme KPIs.
• Lead on the financial management of the sectors. Construct and manage annual budgets, monthly forecasts, and margin calculations on task orders.
• Manage sector personnel, supporting the creation of a high-performance culture. Act as the interface between the sector teams and the project management leadership.
• Ensure that the programme is effectively resourced by conducting recruitment and performance monitoring. Manage consortium partners.
• Interface with the logistics and operations teams supporting your sectors. Ensure that all sector personnel communicate politely and respectfully with operations staff.
• Represent the programme at external meetings with government counterparts, donor groups or with other suppliers.
• Ensure that a communications architecture for the sectors is in place and conforms to the overall project management plan.
• Take full responsibility for the quality of work planning through oversight of task order design.
• Ad-hoc requests as required by the project director or project manager for the facility.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)
Your KPIs include:

• Sector budgeting is accurate and both forecasts and assessments are done in a timely manner.
• Task Orders are well designed and accurately resourced.
• The sector meets its performance management objectives and satisfies DFID and external Federal Government clients.
• The sector team is well integrated within the wider programme. Staffing issues and gaps are addressed quickly and accurately.

Person Specification

• We want hard working, driven managers with excellent inter-personal skills, an ability to write well and perform financial modelling, plus an interest in living and working in Africa’s most populous and economically important country.
• You will also need to master detailed technical briefs. As you will be the public face of the programme in some settings, it is also important that you show good situational awareness and an ability to communicate across the range of seniorities on a level commensurate with need.
• If you have these skills, and can show some relevant experience managing teams, then a development background is not strictly necessary, although it will be looked on favourably.
• The role may suit international development professionals looking to for a new challenge or high performers in other industries looking for a change of career.

The successful profile will include much of the below:

• 5-8 years of work experience in a sector-leading business, irrespective of industry;
• Educated to at least bachelors’ level with a degree from a first-class university;
• Excellent written English and an ability to write accurately, concisely and to a deadline;
• Strong Microsoft Excel modelling skills;
• Good interpersonal skills and a comfort communicating across cultural and education ranges;
• Calmness, good humour and a sense of perspective will be helpful;
• A personal interest in infrastructure, international development or Nigeria would be an asset.
• Willingness to commit to the programme for at least 18 months;
• Experience of living and working abroad would be useful;
• Desire to put everything into the role – hard work and a corresponding awareness that it is a privilege to work at a senior level as a guest of the Nigerian people

COVID-19

• The position will ultimately be based full-time in Abuja, Nigeria. However, owing to ongoing current travel restrictions, it is envisioned that there may be scope for initial inputs to be provided from an overseas location prior to in-country deployment, dependant on the successful candidate’s start date. The health and safety of our employees is a top priority.

What We Can Offer
We offer a highly competitive package in the context of a development programme. This includes:

• A salary in the range £35,000 - £50,000 depending on experience and taxable in Nigeria;
• Rent-free accommodation in central Abuja with transport to and from work;
• Four return flights a year to the candidate’s home base;
• Health insurance and medical evacuation cover;
• 25 days holiday a year plus Nigerian public holiday;
• Working in a dynamic environment with a diverse team of leading infrastructure professionals.