Job Opportunities at Oxfam

Reporting: This position reports to the Country Director

Job Level: C2 national

Main Goal of the Job

• Managing the realization of project goals of the "Work in Progress!" in Nigeria, the Project Coordinator leads the project in terms of thematic expertise on SME development and youth employment.
• The Project Coordinator will work together with the Project Officer, the Finance Officer and a Communication Officer in the Nigeria office, and also with the Global Project manager, the SME expert both based in Oxfam Novib, The Hague office.

The Project Management Main Tasks

• Realize (sub-) goals of the Work in Progress! project, with a focus on skills building, startup acceleration, SME development and influencing.
• Manage partnerships with all Work in Progress! partners in Nigeria and on international level.
• Organize meetings between partners to stimulate cooperation in order to improve impact.
• Coordinate activities of partners and link different activities to improve impact.
• Coordinates also with investors to link them up to SMEs and startups part of Work in Progress! project.
• Actively participate and share his/her expertise in Work in Progress!; with other countries and colleagues.
• Contribute to future programme development youth employment, contributing to fundraising of (new/continuation of the) projects in this respect.
• Share knowledge and produce knowledge materials about the own field of expertise to contribute to the development and increased programme quality of the project.
• Profile the project externally, builds bridges to financial intermediates to ensure finance for SMEs and youth entrepreneurs and advocates for a more enabling environment for SME development and youth entrepreneurship.

Requirements for the Job

• Have a Master's degree in the relevant field, given the startup and SME development component in the project preferably an MBA in business development;
• Have demonstrable experience of 3-5 years in project management focusing on working with youth project or in project providing Business Support to SMEs
• Expertise and knowledge on youth employment and empowerment (Including promoting youth participation) works in your advantage
• Being an innovator and connector; experience with multi-stakeholder initiatives, multi country programmes and thematic advisory support in that context.
• Have a result oriented approach.
• Entrepreneurial mind-set, risk-taking and able to co-create, negotiate, and develop with Country Offices, partners, and alliances.
• Have excellent written & spoken English skills; overall good communication skills & experience in external profiling.
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills with ability to build good relations both internally and externally
• Well-developed facilitation and training skills are an advantage
• Self-reliant, flexible and able to handle pressure
• Able and willing to travel regularly and for long duration for project development and/or implementation.

go to method of application »

Level: Cl International

Contract Type: Full time two years (with possibility of extension)

Reporting: Position reports to the Country Director

Job Purpose

To manage Oxfam's EU funded contract in Nigeria - PROACT - Kebbi and Adamawa and for PRO-SELL - Taraba. To have a strong stakeholder representation and manage the programmes for Oxfam

Key Responsibilities

Representation:

• Representing Oxfam with relevant stakeholders: government officials, EC delegation, private sector, state level government officials, and other NGO staff at field level as appropriate
• Ensure that Oxfam is known and respected for the work conducted
• Ensure that government agencies and civil society organisations are adequately involved in project activities
• Ensure that Oxfam is adequately represented in formal coordination activities including clusters and informally recognised by stakeholders including local NGOs, INGOs and EC
• Ensure the adequate inclusion and development of implementing partners towards the independent execution of programme activities.
• Host and lead media and donor visits effectively to contribute to strategic planning

Implementation and reporting:

• Effectively lead and manage implementation of projects with all departments
• Manage the coordination of effective work and supply plans with all departments
• Ensure effective monitoring of the systems and programme work regularly and reporting any variances of risks to CD and Oversight team in good time
• Take required action to ensure timely implementation of activities and any changes where necessary and as needed
• In particular, ensure that all activities are sensitive to community needs and gender issues, promote the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of the work and ensure that Oxfam’s Programme is an opportunity for peace making, not community division
• Ensure the programme managers are working effectively and efficient with all the support departments to ensure delivery on time
• Provide strong narrative reporting and financial accounting in donor and internal reports as required as per the deadlines
• Ensure the programmes (PRO-ACT and PRO-SELL) are delivered to the implementation plans with the project managers for PRO-ACT and PRO-SELL.

Strategic planning and development:

• Information collection and management, strategic development, proposal writing
• Lead and develop a vision and strategy for the programmes including the bases and localities together with the country team, oversight team and EC
• Lead on and monitor donor and deliver on the funding proposals in line with the strategy and funding opportunities and needs; this should include fundraising towards the project co-finance liability of PROACT (at least 15% of post holder time allocation);
• Establish and monitor a risk register for the programmes and the delivery to the agreed time frames and provide regular (timely) updates to the oversight group and to the donor. Escalate any issues as per the donor contract.
• Develop and monitor contingency plans and exit strategy to cater for upcoming risks and any future developments with the team, EC and the Oversight Team
• In close coordination with the Country Director, work to strengthen, refine and define the strategy for the specific locations
• Maintain situational awareness including current and upcoming opportunities, economic and political developments, humanitarian risks and challenges.
• Conduct ongoing monitoring and assessments and provide clear analysis of the programme delivery and the Oxfam response ongoing and proposed. This will include strong consideration of gender, women's rights and protection issues.
• In close coordination with the Country Director, work to strengthen, refine and define the strategy for the specific locations
• Provide evidence and analysis for the development and implementation of current and future OGB programming as needed.

Requirements, Skills and Competence

• Master's Degree in relevant discipline, including Humanitarian or Development Studies, Project Management, Economics, Political Science, Anthropology, Agronomic/Agriculture etc.
• Proven track record of effective management: Team, Planning, monitoring, budget oversight, logistics, leadership
• Substantial experience in project delivery, specifically leadership and management with field experience. Experience in dynamic and/or insecure context advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience of integrating gender, protection and diversity into emergency response programmes. Proven track record of effective management: Planning, monitoring, budget oversight, logistics, leadership
• Proven experience of effective organisation, organizational development and implementation of systemic approaches in challenging work environment
• Leadership capacity in management of field teams: Team building, ability to develop a common vision, maintain morale and discipline at base level. Capacity to support and develop staff. Previous experience in managing field teams is a distinct advantage.
• Experience in project delivery, specifically field experience. Experience in dynamic and/or insecure context advantageous.
• Evidence of effective EU project cycle management experience, including strategic planning, monitoring & evaluation and reporting
• Effective communication internally and externally towards government and NGOs, donors, journalists and within matrix management: superiors, managers, technical experts.

Proven Donor Reporting Skills Distinct Advantage:

• Understanding of security risks and risk mitigation techniques.
• Ability to reason and express approaches logically and concisely, convincing writing skills.
• Strong analytical & conceptual thinking, proactive information gathering.
• Very good command of English language in word and script.
• Tenacity to work, live and deliver results in challenging environment
• Operational independence in seeking and pursuing solutions
• Diplomacy, tact and negotiation skills.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.
• Sympathy with the aims, values and objectives of Oxfam.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles and action.
• To be familiar with and abide by the NGO/Red Cross Code of Conduct, the People in Aid Code, Oxfam International procedures and other regulatory codes (e.g. InterAction Field Co-operation Protocol).