Senior Project Manager

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality, and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world.  Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe.  Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us.

I.  JOB SUMMARY:

The purpose of the senior Project Manager position is to provide overall leadership and coordination for Resilience/WATER+ unit projects in Amhara region. S/he will be responsible for ensuring the implementation and accomplishment of the objectives of the projects under his/her supervision in line with CARE’s vision, goals, and program principles, standards, approaches, and Long-Range Strategic Plan.  In consultation with the supervisor and collaboration with the project staff and partners, she/he develops annual implementation plans and budget, allocates appropriate resources to accomplish the plan, secures qualified staff, and ensures that an appropriate monitoring system is in place to track progress and deviations of project implementation. To promote the highest level of staff performance the SPM ensures that all supervisors provide coaching and counseling to the project staff.  He/she establishes and maintains effective working relationships with key government partners, local implementing partners, research institutions, local universities, and NGOs working in the same thematic and geographic areas.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:     

Responsibility No. 1: Project Implementation.  % of Time:  25%

• Organizes the implementation process of all set targets planned for each project with respective supervisors, experts, and other concerned staff working within program departments;
• Facilitate and ensure timely supply of necessary project inputs at implementation site
• Ensures that all staff have updated monthly and quarterly implementation plans;
• Periodically visits field activities and provides formal and informal feedback to the project staff in terms of adequate and inadequate progress as well as recommendations for improved performance;
• Builds the capacity of project staff and its partners in technical issues pertinent to the sector including health, nutrition, and livelihoods.
• Ensure full engagement of government sectors and community in project planning,  implementation, and monitoring works
• Coordinate with LDM unit to inform projects planning and monitoring as required
• Maintains ongoing communication with project stakeholders regarding project progress and challenges.
• Continuously assess the project’s context, assumptions, and changes in the working environment to ensure that the project focus, strategies, and activities remain relevant and to propose adjustments when needed.

Job Responsibility #2: Project Planning.  % of Time:  10%

• With the project team and LDM unit analyzes past experiences to systematize and incorporate lessons learned into the planning process;
• Based on past accomplishments and achievements adjusts project targets, strategies, resources and delegation of responsibilities to ensure appropriate progress toward project objectives;
• Shares draft plans with the project management team, staff, and partners involved in the implementation and incorporates their input into the plan;
• Submits annual plans as per established schedules to all project stakeholders.
• Undertake regular plan review and adjustment
• Support local implementing partners in project planning and reviewing

Responsibility No. 3: Staff Management. % of Time:15 %

• Supervises, leads, guides, orients, trains, coaches, and supports the project manager, team leaders, specialists
• Builds the technical and managerial capacity of the field staff in planning and implementing projects effectively and efficiently;
• Recommends or initiates personnel actions such as merit increases and other salary adjustments, promotions, transfers, terminations, and disciplinary actions including performance improvement plans;
• Ensure that all project staff have appropriate individual operational plans linked to project priorities;
• Completes all performance management activities including performance planning, monitoring, and annual performance appraisals;
• Provides ongoing feedback to project staffs, recognizing and praising successes and pointing out failures that need corrective measures.
• Oversee partner staff performance especially those sector offices directly linked and working with the project

 Responsibility No. 4: Project Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting. % of Time:10 %

• Ensures that projects under his/her supervision include an appropriate log-frame and baseline design;
• In consultation with LDM unit organizes a monitoring system to collect baseline and periodic data for tracking project performance and decision making;
• Coordinate and lead regular project joint monitoring and review meeting with staff, different level project steering committes and donor and CMP guests.
• Facilitate identification, documenting and  draw/disseminate lessons learned;
• Write monthly/quarterly/annual comprehensive and high-quality project progress reports for donors and governments;
• Implement audit recommendations related to the project.
• Implement other M&E-related tasks based on donor requirements

Responsibility No. 5: Project Budget Management. % of Time:15 %

• In collaboration with the Program manager and grant specialist prepares annual budget based on projects proposal and ensures compliance with donor requirements;
• Ensure effectiveness and efficiency in budget utilisation
• Ensures appropriate utilization of fund codes for charging budget expenditures;
• Monitor monthly budget burn rates and make an adjustment when needed.
• Ensure timely financial reporting is done and shared with the HO finance
• Communicate with the coordination unit for any finance related challenges at the FO level

Responsibility No. 6: Learning, Policy implementation and Networking. % of Time:10 %

• Facilitate project related assessments, action reaserches, learning platforms and workshops
• Proactively share proved laernings and practices for relevant government and other development actors for further scaleup and application
• Actively attend and encourage staff to attend in different learning platforms
• Actively work with different advocacy groups to enhance government initiative to look in policy implementation and development
• Establishes and maintain formal and informal communication mechanisms with government, community partners and other stakeholders;
• Facilitate regular program steering committee monitoring and review meetings and use the platform to advocate and share good practices.
• Participate on different learning events in different ways -physically, virtual, sharing documents within and out of CARE and Ethiopia;
• Make formal presentations to the counterparts about project progress, challenges, lessons learned and needed adjustments;

Responsibility No. 7: Any other duties assigned by supervisors. % of Time:10 %

• Perform other duties, as assigned including leading additional projects

PROBLEM SOLVING (Thinking Environment)

All three levels of problem solving are pertinent for the position in one way or another. Since the incumbent deals with the management and coordination of the various day-to-day activities, development, implementation and maintenance of policies, procedures, objectives, short-and long-range planning of the project, he shall deal with all three levels of problem solving.

GENDER EQUALITY

• Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth, and social inclusion issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

IV.   QUALIFICATIONS (KNOW HOW)

A) EDUCATION/TRAINING

Required:

• BSC in Agriculture, natural resource management, water resource development, irrigation or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Desired:

• MSc and above on the above fields

B) EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 7 years plus experience in project management including staff and budget management, experience in areas of WATER+, landscape management, policy implementation, rural development projects, and livelihoods, out of which 5 years’ service in the managerial level.
• Experience working with partners and community
• 6 years of relevant experience with the first degree.
• 5 years of relevant experience plus post graduate degree.

Desired:

Experience in a development-oriented NGO environment.

C) Technical Skills 

Required:

• Proficiency in verbal and written English and Amharic;
• Concept paper development, operational planning, budget planning and management, monitoring and evaluation, report writing;
• Proficiency in standard office software packages;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrated leadership ability to inspire and empower others;
• Demonstrated technical and managerial ability, sound judgment, and ability to interact and work effectively with others at all levels;
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, sensitivity to HIV/AIDS, and transparent and participatory management.

Desired:

• Skills in organizing and facilitating training events. Expertise in one or more of the following program areas: resilience programs, livelihood, income generation activities, food security, nutrition/health, especially with Gender & Rights Based Approach focus and resource mapping.
• Driving license and driving experience.

D) COMPETENCIES

Respect, accountability, courage, excellence, adaptability, stress tolerance, innovation, building partnership, communicating with impact, coaching, facilitating change, developing teams, information monitoring, planning, and organizing, leading through vision and value.

V. FREEDOM TO ACT

A. General accountability:

• The incumbent's decisions are prime in terms of the daily functioning and operation of the projects in programming, management, financial and administration areas; his/her decisions are contributory in terms of the CO's long-term development focus and organizational polices and procedures.
• The PM is the key decision maker in terms of staffing in consultation & concurrence with Program Coordinator and takes into account input from the HRM at the CO.

VI. CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• PC – Coaching, Mentoring and overall guidance, (On all programmatic, administrative, financial, policy, procedural other related issues);
• FOPOM - dotted line supervisor and supports the day to day operational and relational issues at the FO level
• PD – The big picture (Organizational policies, programmatic focus and priorities);
• Field level staffs - ensuring appropriate support is provided to field offices and maintenance of working relationships;
• Finance – Consultation and information sharing on budgetary issues and technical assistance;
• HRM and Administration – Consultation and information sharing on issues related to overall administration, policies, and procedures and secure appropriate program support for the projects.

External:

• Communities, PA, regional administrator, zonal/Woreda Administration and relevant sector offices
• Other development organizations working in the area where CARE works (NGO, CBO and the privet sector).
• Special meetings with Woreda and Zonal (Regional when required) government partners and donor representatives when needed.

VII. WORKING CONDITIONS AND LEVEL OF TRAVEL REQUIRED

The position is based in CARE South Gondar Zone, Deberetabor Field office. At least 20-30 % of the time will be spent in the field.