Manager – Somalia Stability Fund at Adam Smith International

Key Relationships:

Internal (with ASI staff):

• Line Manager (Senior Project Manager)
• ASI Head of Africa
• ASI Africa Regional Head of Finance
• ASI Africa & London Finance Team
• ASI Africa Administration and operations team
• Somalia security team for Duty of Care support

Internal (with ASI associates):

• Project Team Leader (TL); and Senior management of projects
• Operations and Administration

External:

• FCDO Somalia
• Counterparts of Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member State Governments

Key Tasks

Project Management and Reporting (30%):

• Lead the project implementation and coordination process, its financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and risk management, reporting, and learning.
• The PM should monitor the workplan, both supporting the TL to lead delivery.
• In collaboration with the TL and Senior Project Manager, ensure optimum consultant inputs and the acheivement of the desired results. Hold monthly meetings with the TL to go over consultant burn rates, and discuss performance. Escalate performance issues to PD.
• Support the TL on client reporting, and developing the forward work plan and the individual ToRs of team members.

Financial Management and Risk Management (40%):

• Oversight of budget drafting and ensuring budgets are reviewed quarterly with all stakeholders
• Work closely with the Finance Risk and Procurement Team on the design, procurement and contracting of SSF grants.
• Accurate financial forecasting and communicating to client on any changes early.
• Ensure any incidents of fraud and corruption are raised with client in a timely manner.
• Review and approve of all project timesheets and invoices, and ensure timely submission to client, and clarify any issues raised.
• Ensure that financial and administrative processes and procedures are fit-for-purpose and are effectively implemented, and are in line with client and ASI’s internal requirements.
• Act as focal point of programmatic risk management with client and partners, updating of the programme risk matrix by taking input from the key team members.
• Work with the Security team to ensure the application of duty of care and security provisions and protocols for the project team.
• Update FCDO, Senior Project Manager and the Project Director on key management and financial issues and risks that may affect project delivery.

M&E, Learning and VfM (10%):

• Support the M&E Lead in the implementation of the M&E framework, and provide feedback to client.
• Adapt flexible project managment while also capturing and sharing learning and changes, and following up on recommendation from project reviews/evaluations.
• Along with the M&E Lead, act as focal point for third-party M&E agents.
• Support the M&E Lead in ensuring all M&E and learning systems and approaches are applied consistently across the project.
• Lead the contract management of research and M&E firms contracted for the implementation of M&E services.
• Working with the M&E Lead, undertake VfM analysis for the quarter/annual reports.

Relationships, Team Performance and Management (20%):

• Act as Focal Point for client on day-to-day project operations, including budget management, forecasting and reporting, and on M&E
• Establish and maintain strong collaborative and effective working relations with FCDO programme manager and adviser.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with counterparts and implementing partners, to ensure effectiveness in delivery of outputs.
• Manage the sourcing and contracting new team members, including negotiating fee rates and holding their contracts on file and managing their contracts and those of consortium partners, providing the Team Leader such information on contract terms needed to perform their role.
• Identify, contract and mobilise expert inputs and equipment/infrastructure based on needs identified by the project team/TL.
• Undertake key support role to the TL on assuring high quality of team members’ deliverables and professionalism while interacting with colleagues, counterparts and clients.
• Support TL in conducting regular performance reviews of all team members.

Key Accountabilities

• Project deliverables completed on time and within budget.
• Accurate expenses and fees forecasts submitted on time.
• All classified risks to project documented, mitigated and escalated if necessary.
• Strong and effective relationships developed with government counterparts, FCDO and other key stakeholders.
• Development and maintenance of a team culture within the project team that reflects ASI values;
• Increased corporate knowledge of industry and political developments within Somalia.
• Ensuring Duty of Care is provided for all staff.

REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications:

• A post-graduate degree in Economics, Business Administration, Social Sciences or equivalent.

Experience Required:

• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in fragile states.
• Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa/horn of Africa.

Competencies:

• Planning and delivering results.
• Quality and accountability.
• Continuous improvement.
• Managing complexity.
• Innovation and change management.
• Communication and knowledge management.
• Leadership and direction.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Personal impact and effectiveness.
• Proven ability to work under pressure.

Knowledge:

• Good understanding of our clients and the marketplace, including:
• Strategy
• Political trends
• Awareness of future business opportunities
• Understanding of the theory and current trends in Somalia.
• Some understanding of how to balance operational needs with budgets.

Skills:

• Good negotiation skills.
• Good complex proposal writing skills.
• Advanced project management skills.
• Good people management skills.
• Good budget, finance and forecasting skills.
• Ability to build effective, credible client relationships and networks.
• Excellent computer skills, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Outstanding written English and communication skills.
• Superb attention to detail.

Attitude:

Last but not least, it is crucial for overall project and business performance that all ASI PMs bring an energetic, positive and solution-oriented attitude to co-lead their team:

• A passion for East Africa development.
• Interest and experience in working in developing and conflict-affected environments.
• Enthusiasm, dynamism and flexibility.
• Self-starter, showing great initiative and readiness to take the lead on the key areas of responsibility.
• Proactive communicator, interacting frequently via informal and formal channels with key collaborators, especially TL, DTL, PD, workstream leads and FCDO programme manager.
• Positive, solution-oriented, can-do.