Project Management Role at Mercy Corps

Job ID PI96387690

Program Summary
The ENGINE project is based upon a theory of change stating that when marginalised girls complete a full cycle of education and are supported by gatekeepers, they will be more skilled employees and have increased earning power and increased decision-making within the household. A chain of impact results are expected at the girl, household, business, community government policy and regional levels to achieve project outcome following sustained engagement with gatekeepers including parents, faith & traditional leaders, government, teachers and other relevant stakeholders.

General Position Summary
With the ENGINE project in the exit phase and implementation activities gradually winding up, the emphasis is increasingly shifting on sustaining impact made at several levels including beneficiaries, households, schools, community, businesses and Government levels.

This position is expected to support project closeout activities including review of evaluation reports, review of communication materials and high-level engagement with Public and Private sector for increased funding opportunities for future projects. Consequently, the candidate will support close out/dissemination event focused telling the ENGINE story in an engaging manner that appeals to multi-sectoral stakeholders within and outside the country.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
• The Project Manager (PM) will provide technical and management support in final phase of the implementation of the project by managing staff, and resources to ensure that the project meets performance-based targets on-time and within budget, as per DfID requirements.
• The PM will also support local civil society organisations to sustain gains on project outcomes.
• S/he will ensure program funds are spent efficiently and maximize Value for Money (VfM), as per DFID requirements.
• The PM will supervise and continue building capacity of key program and partner staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations.
• S/he will support the Director of Gender Programs in liaising with donors, relevant government entities, public and private sector partners, and external stakeholders.
• PM will provide overall leadership to the ENGINE project by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve final targets while contributing to project's objectives.
• Review and finalize all ENGINE communication tools including replication model and lessons learnt tool kit, documentaries, factsheet and other materials to ensure its of global standards.
• Ensure that ENGINE is responsive in strengthening sustainability structures across project states with focus on drivers of school retention and economic prosperity.
• Meet with the government, civil society, security, donor, media, and private sector on a regular basis to collect and disseminate necessary information.

Program Management

• Oversee program startup and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps' relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Develop partners' MoUs and contracts & oversee a training program for program partners.
• Develop program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting and distribution process as well as WASH, psychosocial and capacity building of partners.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Team and Partner Management

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Oversee performance of local partners and stakeholders and conduct field visits to selected project sites in four implementation states.
• Resolve partners' problems as needs arise.
• Ensure proper sub-grant management by partners and delivery of agreed project outcomesMonitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting
• Support endline external evaluation and review final reports to ensure compliance with DFID standards.
• Coordinate the production of high level reports that aligns with donor standards
• Oversee the production of high-quality reports on all aspects of the ENGINE in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ensure that M&E team members focus on assisting the program to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing program decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level.Finance & Compliance Management
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Influence & Representation
Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Security
Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility
ENGINE team
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Director of Gender Programs

Works Directly With: Mercy Corps operation staff, finance, program team and partner organizations, other Mercy Corps staff.

Knowledge and Experience

• Master's degree or equivalent in education, management, international development or other relevant field;
• A minimum of 7 to 10 years of experience, including 5 years in a senior management position
• Experience operating adolescents girls project or gender projects
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Strong understanding of DfID compliance issues; experience managing contracts and performance based payments is desired.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English required, including report development, writing and editing.
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues in high security environment. Experience managing a multi-organizational team (international and national partners) is a plus.
• Experience managing large-scale secondary education or school to work and especially targeting marginalized girls or young women programs required. Prefer expertise in at least one of the following areas: accelerated learning programs, Islamic and/or community-based education targeting community acceptance of girl's education, increasing economic assets through savings clubs and links to financial institutions.
• Experience coordinating with private sector actors to leverage complementary funding and increase scale of activities.
• Demonstrated experience working with country-level ministries and government officials.Success Factors
• The successful Project Manager will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining DfID and partner relationships with a focus on innovative interventions to engage adolescent girls in informal education and skills building linked with private sector entrepreneurship and employment opportunities in a culturally and religiously conservative environment.
• S/he will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative and complex programs within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps in the region.
• S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.
• The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
• Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position will be based in Abuja with estimated 30% travel, primarily to project locations within four states Security in Abuja is generally good, although there are times when security is an issue. Housing, health care, water, electricity and consumer goods are all reasonably accessible and there are good international and domestic travel options from Abuja Airport.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.