The Senior Projects Coordinator leads the Project Management Unit (PMU) at the IRC Nigeria Country Program, providing strategic oversight of project implementation performance across the portfolio. The role ensures that IRC projects are implemented on time, within budget, and in compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
The position supports the management of a multi-sector project portfolio by strengthening project cycle management systems and providing data-driven analysis to implementation teams and senior management to support programmatic and operational decision-making. Key responsibilities include leading the Budget vs Actuals (BvA) analysis process, coordinating post-award Project Cycle Management (PCM) meetings, strengthening project performance monitoring tools, and facilitating coordination between technical teams, field management, finance and operations to ensure effective delivery of programs.
The role reports directly to the Deputy Director for Operations and works closely with Field Coordinators, Technical Coordinators, Outcome Managers, Operations leads, Finance and the Grants Unit.
Major Responsibilities
Leadership and Performance Oversight
- Lead the Project Management Unit (PMU) under the supervision of the Deputy Director for Operations, including direct supervision of PMU staff and provision of project management advisory support and capacity building to Field Implementation leadership and their teams.
- Serve as the country program’s primary resource on project management systems, implementation monitoring and portfolio performance, driving consistent and high-quality PMU service delivery across all program locations.
- Maintain oversight of project implementation performance across the portfolio - monitoring progress against workplans, spending plans, and grant timelines, and identifying risks, delays, and financial under- or over-spending trends.
- Escalate key implementation risks and financial concerns to the Deputy Director for Operations with clear analysis and recommended corrective actions.
- Provide the Field Implementing teams and Senior Management Team (SMT) with regular portfolio performance analysis to inform programmatic and operational decision making.
- Ensure alignment between implementation progress and donor compliance requirements across all active grants.
- Support teams with implementation data and portfolio insights when they engage with donors, ensuring IRC's programmatic performance is accurately represented in external communications.
Budget vs Actuals (BvA) Coordination
- Lead the country program's BvA review and analysis process, providing structured oversight of project spending performance and implementation progress across the portfolio.
- Analyze spending trends, identify financial risks, and drive corrective action planning with field leadership.
- Coordinate regular BvA review meetings, ensuring active participation from all relevant budget holders, operational leads, technical leads, and finance focal points to strengthen financial oversight and accountability.
- Provide centralized approval oversight for charges to flexible grants, ensuring spending decisions are coordinated across budget holders to maintain alignment with priorities and prevent overspends.
- Develop a monthly project health report and facilitate a monthly deep-dive portfolio review with the Deputy Director for Operations, covering financial performance and program implementation risks.
Project Cycle Management
- Coordinate and schedule post-award project cycle meetings - primarily Project Implementation Meetings and Project Closing Meetings - in line with IRC's PCM guidelines and donor requirements.
- Drive timely completion of project cycle milestones, supporting teams in capturing lessons learned and translating them into actionable improvements.
- Maintain close coordination with the Grants Unit to ensure alignment between project implementation timelines and contractual obligations.
Project Management Systems and Tools
- Lead the development, improvement, and monitoring of project management tools including workplans, procurement plans, spending plans, and activity trackers to strengthen implementation oversight.
- Support field teams in monitoring project implementation against approved plans and ensure early identification of implementation bottlenecks.
- Strengthen coordination between program, operations, and finance teams to ensure alignment between project implementation, procurement timelines, and grant requirements.
- Promote the use of data-driven tools including Power BI dashboards and internal reporting systems to support portfolio monitoring and decision-making.
Project Performance and Health Monitoring
- Develop and maintain country program project health monitoring tools using available data platforms, ensuring decision-makers have timely access to accurate portfolio data.
- Deliver regular analysis of project performance indicators, implementation progress, and financial delivery to inform management decisions at field and country level.
- Identify implementation risks proactively and provide concrete recommendations to address delays, operational bottlenecks, or compliance exposure.
- Equip senior leadership with data-driven insights that improve program delivery, strengthen portfolio performance, and support strategic planning.
Internal Coordination
- Lead internal coordination mechanisms that strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration, resolve project bottlenecks, and improve implementation planning across the country program.
- Lead the planning and facilitation of internal coordination meetings to track progress, address challenges, and promote learning across projects.
- Support periodic reviews of coordination mechanisms and roles across program and operational teams to identify bottlenecks, overlaps, or gaps affecting project implementation, and facilitate discussions to strengthen clarity of responsibilities and collaboration.
Capacity Building and Project Management Support
- Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Field Coordinators, Outcome Managers, and other staff on project cycle management, implementation planning, and financial monitoring.
- Develop and deliver targeted training on project management tools, BvA processes, project cycle meetings, and portfolio monitoring systems.
- Identify recurring implementation challenges and support teams in strengthening project management practices across the country program.
Staffing and Workforce Planning
- Contribute to country program workforce planning processes as part of the internal staffing review committee, ensuring staffing decisions are grounded in implementation realities.
- Review proposed staff movements, recruitments, and structural adjustments to ensure alignment with project implementation needs, grant timelines, and portfolio priorities.
- Provide programmatic analysis and recommendations to support staffing decisions that strengthen implementation capacity across the country program.
- Ensure staffing decisions are informed by portfolio performance data, implementation trends, and forward-looking workforce planning considerations.
Program Development Support
- When required, contribute to program design processes by supporting the alignment of new project proposals with existing portfolio priorities and implementation capacities and operational realities.
- Provide inputs on implementation planning, staffing considerations, and project management systems during proposal development.
- Support the integration of lessons learned from ongoing project implementation into future program design.
- Lead internal coordination and analysis related to innovative financing opportunities to ensure alignment with IRC program priorities and operational realities.
Key Working Relationships
- Position Reports to: Deputy Director Operations
- Position directly supervises: Projects Coordinator
- Other key contacts: Field Coordinators, SMT, Technical leads, Finance leads and Sector leads.
Job Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration or development studies or political sciences
Language Skills: Excellent oral and written English
Work Experience
- 5+ years of experience in Projects management and coordination or grants management.
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