Project Manager, SIPRA Program

POSITION SUMMARY:

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited, and the forgotten? Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

The SIPRA program (Strengthening Inclusive Partnerships for Small Holders in Rainfed Areas) will bring about transformative change for smallholders. It will establish inclusive partnership modalities between organized producers with sustainable, climate-smart production and a motivated private sector with fair modalities for engaging with producers, focusing on empowered women and youth. Through strengthened agro-MSMEs sourced by large agri-businesses, investors’ and sellers’ reach will sustainably be linked to smallholder producers. An enabling business and policy environment will continually be fostered through advocacy and engagement with key stakeholders and knowledge institutions on systemic barriers impacting actors in the value chain. Driving the program is the food systems approach and market-driven strategies which will select nutrition-sensitive value chains that are in sustainably high demand, and linked to the state, national, and possibly export markets.

The Project Manager is responsible for the overall Planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of, both programmatic and financial, and oversight of the ‘SIPRA project funded by the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Central Darfur State. The PM will supervise the programs and support staff and will be responsible to ensure that project activities are implemented with high quality within the indicated time frames and allocated budget. The PM will work closely with the Area Manager for Central Darfur, Program Director, and the Program Development & Quality Assurance Director, project staff, sector managers, as well as with partners and stakeholders in Central Darfur to ensure the timely delivery of program commitments, reporting as per grant requirements and program development for expansion and new initiatives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & COORDINATION

  • Lead the program planning implementation, monitoring, and evaluation process in collaboration with the Consortium lead
  • Coordinate the project management and operational coordination with the Zalingei office
  • Lead the targeting process of project beneficiaries by developing selection criteria (need & potential based) through participatory planning & targeting approaches
  • Ensure the inclusiveness of women, youth, and other eligible social groups or individuals in the project
  • Contribute to the identification, verification, and utilization of innovative practices in the project implementation process
  • Enhance linkages among the producer Associations (PAs,) Agro-industries, service providers, and other entities, which may have a positive contribution to the project’s success
  • Ensure the project management process is conflict-sensitive and adaptive to the local situation, employ the Do – no- harm principles during the course of the project’s lifetime
  • Ensure that implementation strategies are context sensitive, in line with international humanitarian standards, adhering to donor’s commitments and requirements, empowering and sustainable
  • Prepare and process project Technical Agreements with counterparts and stakeholders with the support of concerned entities
  • Define and request support needed from the consortium lead and WRS Khartoum offices.
  • Organize and facilitate meetings, focused groups, reviews, and other forums with partners, government counterparts, CBOs, and other stakeholders to improve implementation, coordination, and sharing of information and skills
  • Coach, train, and provide technical support to staff and partners in fields of expertise
  • Trains and coaches project staff to fill gaps in the capacity of local partners and improve their performance

• MEAL

  • Prepare annual operation and detailed implementation plan (DIP) and detailed budget as the extension of the project lifetime activities and budget
  • Develops the MEAL tools, aligned to the project MEAL framework in collaboration with the MEAL manager
  • In collaboration with project staff, other sector coordinators, experts, and consultants leads participatory assessments, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation and feedback systems
  • Tracking the progress of the project results using the ITT tool, according to the MEAL framework, and providing explanations for the under/over accomplishments, success factors, and the challenges
  • Prepare monitoring plan, conduct field visits with staff, stakeholders and provide technical support, identify and resolve problems at the field level
  • Conduct monthly meetings with the project team to assess the accomplishment status, utilization status of the project budget, and the challenges and to suggest corrective action in the next month. Likewise, the PM will organize quarterly review meetings with staff, stakeholders, and other partners to review the progress, challenges, lessons learned, etc.
  • Capture best practices, lessons learned, and challenges and share them among
  • Closely work with the consortium lead in developing frameworks, and relevant TORs for conducting surveys, studies, Mid-term and Final evaluation
  • Prepare, review and submit periodic reports, progress, challenges, best practices, lessons learned, and requested updates as per the standards and reporting schedule of the donor and the consortium lead, as per agreed schedules, formats, and timelines

• STAFF MANAGEMENT

  • Participate in the recruitment, deployment, and performance management/development of the SIPRA staff
  • Supervise and supports SIPRA project staff to implement project activities as per endorsed plans, budgets, and timelines
  • Ensures that project staff and partners are aware of WRS mandate, principles, implementation strategy, code of conduct, complaints and accountability mechanisms, etc., and that they are encouraged and supported to practice them
  • Ensures that staffing plans for the project, orientation to staff, staff appraisal, and development opportunities are genuine and in harmony with the labour and other related laws
  • Ensures harmonious relationships exist among the SIPRA staff, other sector-based staff, stakeholders, community leaders, PAs, etc.
  • Ensures security protocols are in plans and followed by staff

• PARTNERSHIP, NETWORKING & COMMUNICATION

  • Identifies, assesses, monitors the performance of and coaches partner organizations and prepares relevant MoUs
  • Assign activities to local implementing partners considering the expertise and implementation capacity of the partners
  • Conduct effective correspondences with the WR team, the SIPRA consortium, stakeholders, and other allies as required
  • Collaboration with other actors (Universities, research centers, agro-processing, suppliers of Agricultural inputs, other knowledge sources, etc.
  • Represents WRS in meetings, forums, working groups, government sector offices, events, processes, etc., as advised by the supervisor
  • Advises and supports project and partner staff to collaborate, coordinate and use their expertise, time, and resources effectively to achieve project targets

• BUDGET MANAGEMENT

  • Ensures that effective and efficient financial, admin, and logistical procedures/systems are established and followed by SIPRA project staff, partners, and other project stakeholders
  • Monitors implementation of grant budgets and facilitates revisions as deemed necessary.
  • Prepares budget requests and follows up on the cash transfer from the consortium before the cash in the bank is depleted
  • Uses the monthly budget variance review (BVR) and conducts budget variance analysis to inform the management with clear justification and to take future action
  • Ensure Value for money, all the project budget is allocated/utilized for the right purpose in a cost-effective way.
  • Assess the market price inflations and closely work with finance to take some mitigation measures
  • Prepares summary of budget utilization status and review with the team, updates the Program Director or the SLT for major variations/challenges

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Previous experience working in conflict/transition and humanitarian crisis environments, preferably Sudan, and proven experience supervising complex, high-speed, and challenging field operations in developing countries
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing project start-ups and expansions, manages growth under limited time constraints as well as has been involved in program close-out
• Strong skills in managing a diverse team, including hiring, supervising, and training host-country local personnel
• Creativity and problem-solving skills are a must
• Financial management experience, including budgeting, financial management (tracking, reporting, and accounting), and procurement
• Experience with grant activity design, development, implementation, and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation

REQUIREMENTS:

• Senior-level management and leadership experience
• Minimum 7 years of experience in coordinating similar projects
• MSc level in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development,
• Fluency in English (reading, writing, speaking).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations
• The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds
• Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand, and finger dexterity, including the ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read the application information
• The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• General office setting
• Great lengths of time working on a computer, reading from a computer screen, entering information, standing at a copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in skype meetings may be required
• Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending
• Physical, emotional, and intellectual demands
• Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier
• All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours + per week):

World Relief contributes to monthly premiums:

• Medical
• Dental

Additional Benefits:

• Offer 16 Paid Holidays!
• Vision
• Offer Paid Sick and Vacation Leave
• Paid Maternity & Paternity Leave
• Parental Leave
• FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding
• Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)

World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:

• Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)
• Long-Term & Short-term Disability
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
• Long Distant Travel Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

World Relief – Retirement:

• 401K & Roth
• WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%
• Eligibility: Full Time is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part-time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year

World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):

• Verizon
• Pet Insurance through Nationwide
• Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

For World Relief staff, a strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal-opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. This means that we conduct hiring without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital status, parental status, membership in any labor organization, political ideology, or disability of an otherwise qualified individual. The status of World Relief as an equal opportunity employer does not prevent the organization from hiring staff based on their religious beliefs so that all staff shares the same religious commitment.

Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.