Project Manager (Hershey) Job at Save the Children

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Project Manager (Hershey)

Job Location: Ondo
Employment Type: Contract
Grade: 3
Contract Length: 1 year

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3:  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

Role Purpose

• Save the Children is implementing a 3 year project aimed at   ensuring child protection through reduced child labor and increased accountability in the cocoa-growing communities in Cross River and Ondo States in Nigeria.
• The Project Manager will have overall responsibility for administration, programme management, performance monitoring, technical implementation, and oversight of all aspects of the project, ensuring unity of vision for the project components and team.
• The project manager will identify and develop plans to mitigate all risks related to the programme implementation.
• She/he will serve as the principal institutional liaison with the donor and will maintain regular and transparent communication with the donor, Member and other stakeholders.
• The project manager will provide strategic leadership, management, and technical support and will ensure the accountability required to deliver high-quality programming in all target communities.

Scope of Role

• Technical and day to day management of program staff and field implementation of the Protection project in Cross River and Ondo States.  
• Reports to: Programme Operations Manager  
• Staff reporting to this post: Program Coordinator
• Close working relationships: Field Manager-Ogoja, Child Protection and Livelihood TAs, Programme  Operations Manager
• Budget Responsibilities: Yes

Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Implementation and Monitoring:

• Lead the implementation of high quality programme activities in line with grant agreement and SC technical and operational requirements
• Ensure that implementation is accelerated and on track in line with approved budget and required quality.  
• Ensure that effective monitoring and performance management systems are in place for achieving prior agreed programme activity targets, budget allocations and financial expenditures, ensuring that value for money can be effectively demonstrated to the donor and activities and expenditures are compliant with donor requirements
• Ensure programs are adequately resourced and oversee timely expenditure of approved budgets, ensuring appropriate spend and proper and effective use of program resources.
• Continuously monitor the project budgets to ensure that activities are delivered on time and variance is kept at minimal.
• Conduct planning meetings with key program staff, while ensuring adequate planning documents are established and maintained
• Monitor progress of activities against the detailed implementation plan and log frames while evaluating the relevance and appropriateness of the intervention.
• Identify technical and operational program supply needs and coordinate with logistics teams to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
• Prepare timely programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Ensure that activities are appropriately planned, that delays and constraints are documented, and solutions identified.
• Maintain and ensure the timely and accurate updating of project management tools and PRIME.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning:

• Make frequent visit to project sites to monitor and oversee project implementation and provide technical and managerial guidance/support identifying issues that need timely action and support at different levels.
• Work with the MEAL team to develop tools and ideas to ensure that the program  is monitored against measurable and appropriate indicators, and that emerging trends are duly noted and documented
• Ensure regular post distribution monitoring is carried out appropriately, and contributes to situation/response analysis, and any corresponding revision of program plans
• Support program assessments, evaluations and other reviews required in the program.
• Ensure that learning and good practice is gathered, documented and shared with the wider programme.

People Management and Development:

• Strategically plan staffing needs to implement the program, supporting the timely recruitment, orientation, and training of new staff as required
• Provide necessary updates to the Field Manager and technical specialists (Child Protection and Livelihood), to ensure that implementation is adequately supported across all program locations.
• Technical management and supervision of program staff, working closely with the Field Managers to ensure that they have clear objectives and received meaningful feedback on their performance
• Identify development needs, prepare and deliver appropriate training plans, and support program staff to access other relevant training and development opportunities

Coordination and Representation:

• Internal coordination with other SC program teams, to ensure effective program integration in the areas of intervention.
• Represent Save the Children and the project in relevant coordination fora within the country and internationally as and when required.
• Maintain good working relationships with officials and other humanitarian actors, particularly those within the relevant government agencies (local and national authorities including technical departments, INGOs, NGOs, UN agencies.)
• Represent SC and the program in donor meetings or applicable sector coordination mechanisms as required.
• Represent SC and maintain good working relationships among the international and local NGO community, among community leadership structures and community-based organizations, and with visiting donor and third-party monitoring teams and other key contacts. Keep abreast of NGO, government, and donor initiatives relevant to SC’s work.
• Encourage teamwork, openness, and honesty among staff and between SC and its partners.

Safeguarding:

• Liaise with Safeguarding focal points in conducting safeguarding risk assessment and develop a mitigation plan when needed and provide ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information on Save the Children’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct to all project stakeholders.
• Responsible for ensuring new staff, partners and volunteers undertake safeguarding induction and refresher training and strive to ensure that project delivery is carried out with the highest stanmdards of Safe Programming.

Other:

• Undertake any other tasks as assigned by the relevant line manager.
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Behaviours (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Management, Development, Sociology, Economics or  other relevant fields. Master's Degree preffered  

Experience and Skills:
Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of developing and managing major donor contracts and grants in excess of 1million USD
• 7+ years of relevant professional experience, with minimum of 3 years managing a project in an NGO setting
• Experience of project and financial management of multi-thematic and multi-location awards
• Strong skills in coordinating and collaborating with others in partnership
• Proven track record of solving complex problems through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in
• Demonstrated experience of building and leading a team with different backgrounds and expertise
• Computer skills, i.e. Microsoft suite  
• Previous working experience in fragile settings
• Strong representation skills and willingness to speak out for children amongst senior government, donor and diplomatic officials, both at community, state, national and international levels  
• Strong training, facilitation, briefing and presentation skills
• Experience in stakeholder engagement
• Previous working experience in improving the programme delivery with adequate quality  

Desirable:

• Fluent in local languages.
• Knowledge of current trends, activities and best practices in Nigeria .
• Previous experience in INGOs, UN etc.

Additional Job Responsibilities

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.