LEAP Project Manager at World University Service of Canada

Working hours: Full time / 40 hrs per week

Reports to: East Africa Director

Salary Range: Aligned with experience

The Project: LEAP

Learning through Education and Access to Employment Pathways (LEAP) will increase empowerment of girls and young women in Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps, and in nearby hosting communities in Turkana County. This will be achieved through targeted activities to improve learning outcomes, provide skills training, and promote lifelong learning and earning opportunities. The project will also prepare young women for the jobs of the future through bridging the digital divide, and supporting school environments that are accessible, safe, and free from gender-based violence (GBV). The LEAP Project will also equip adolescent girls and young women with transferable skills to allow them to sustain themselves and their families as adults, contributing to social development and sustainable economic growth. The project will work with a diverse group of non-profit, for-profit, and government actors and will provide interventions and opportunities at the individual, school, and community level.

The Role:

WUSC seeks to recruit an experienced, dynamic individual to join the team based in Nairobi as the LEAP Project Manager. The position will report directly to the East Africa Director and work closely on a day-to-day basis with the project teams based in our country office.

The Project Manager will lead on the design and strategy of the project, manage day to day project administration; foster collaboration and communication between WUSC and its implementing partners; manage quality control processes within the project and comply with donor policies and project reporting requirements. Duties will include:

• Project Management
• Ensure timely planning and implementation of the LEAP-project activities, ensuring that goals and objectives are accomplished within the prescribed project time frame and the available funding parameters/budget;
• Manage relationships with organizational members of the LEAP consortium, ensuring that each of our partners have what they need to play their role;
• Collaborate with the M & E team to set up a monitoring plan, ensure quality assurance is in place, and create a learning agenda for the project;
• Monitor and update the project risk register, and escalate any issues and concerns in a timely manner;
• Establish solid working relationship with external project stakeholders, government and donor representatives, and ensure that the project is reporting to and communicating with them effectively;
• In collaboration with the Finance office, ensure that project costs stay on track, and that over- or underspending is dealt with in a timely manner;
• Ensure donor visibility as stipulated in the project documents
• Quality Assurance and Capacity Development
• Identify and request relevant technical expertise from WUSC’s network of partners, volunteers and consultants where necessary;
• Collaborate with technical advisors in Canada and in our country offices in order to ensure a robust approach to programming, drawing from international best practices, within and across our project portfolio;
• Ensure the consistent identification and application of internal quality standards, lessons learned and external best practices in programming;
• Manage the development or revision of project strategies, plans and activities;
• Lead on project planning and management approaches (including results based management tools) and propose strategies to increase project impact;

Qualifications and Experience:

• MA/MSc/MBA or equivalent in International Development or a related field;
• A minimum of 7 years’ experience of project management preferably with international development organizations;
• Experience working in the education, and/or economic opportunities sectors is an asset;
• Excellent working knowledge of Results Based Management;
• Experience with institutional donors is necessary, and experience working with GAC is preferred.

Competencies:

• Technical expertise in at least one of the following sub-sectors: education in refugee settings, inclusive market systems, behavior change communication and social norm change;
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills, including ability to prioritize tasks and handle multiple initiatives under tight deadlines;
• Effective interpersonal and influencing skills, including the ability to build relationships, network, communicate and represent organizational priorities at a senior level;
• Excellent capacity building skills, with demonstrated experience in effective training, coaching and facilitation would be an advantage;
• Familiarity with accountability, protection, women and children’s rights frameworks and best practices;
• Passion and commitment to gender equality and youth empowerment.
• Preference for working in teams;

Languages and Other:

Oral and written fluency in English essential;

WUSC's Commitment to Safeguarding

WUSC has a strong commitment to safeguarding and child protection, and has a strict set of policies that outline expected standards, including the Code of Conduct, Child Protection Policy, Anti-Harassment Policy, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Policy, and others. The desired candidate for this/any position with WUSC should share and support this commitment in all aspects of their personal and professional behaviors. Any history implicating that the applicant has a history of Child Abuse, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, or Sexual Harassment, is a reason for excluding him or her from employment with WUSC.