Project Director

Major Responsibilities :

Program quality /Management and implementation

• The Project Director is responsible for the overarching coordination of project in both regions and in line with the IRC Country Strategic Action Plan within IRC international priorities, frameworks and policies.
• Together with Program Coordinators, develop key project tools. Review and adapt existing IRC technical training materials. Develop training materials as needed to support the introduction of new programming approaches.
• Provide overall leadership, mentoring, quality control and coordination to strengthen project outcomes.
• Liaise regularly with the Field Coordinators to provide updates on the project, discuss emerging challenges, and collaborate on the design of new programs or changes to existing programs.
• Support the establishment of a program and consortium structure that enables integration across all activities and implementing partners.
• Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work-plans, and ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems and adaptive management principles to reach desired impacts.

Budget Management

• In coordination with the Grants and Finance teams, ensure efficient management of financial resources, including the review and approval of project budgets and monitoring expenditures.
• Participate in internal BvA meetings and also with partners to ensure that grant is on track, and all under/overspent are handled with proper planning.
• Work closely with finance and grants teams to revise, adjust budget if needed.
• Collaborate with Grants department to ensure that project is implemented according to donor guidelines and reporting requirements are met.
• Ensure full compliance with donor, IRC, and other fiduciary regulations.
• In collaboration with the country program’s operations and finance departments, ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources, and supply chain (including transport, warehousing and asset management) needs of the program are conducted within IRC’s policy and with the maximum benefit to the program.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and knowledge management

• Maintain an effective monitoring, evaluation, and planning system.
• Analyze project ‘sectors data and share information with the SPC and relevant stakeholders.
• Responsible for all internal and external programmatic reporting, including donors reports.
• Coordinate program evaluations and reviews, ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development.
• Ensure that gender, protection, and environmental impact are mainstreamed in all programming under direct responsibility.

Team management/Staff Supervision & Development

• Oversee project implementation team and ensure that all staff and consortium member are following work plans and projects deliverables are completed as planned.
• Oversee the development and implementation of staff technical capacity building plans that promotes a culture of learning through systematic analysis and reflection of program data and lessons learned and ensure staffs receive training accordingly.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Assist the staff in identifying professional development needs and opportunities.
• Work with the staff to ensure performance objectives are regularly reviewed and met.
• Provide continuous performance feedback to staff; identify performance issues and work with staff and Human Resources to document and address issues in a timely manner.

Partnerships and Sub-awards Coordination

• Ensuring that the Consortium partners follow the IRC PEERs that sets out efficient and responsive processes, delineates clear roles and responsibilities, and articulates IRC’s strategic approach to partnerships.
• Mobilize, train, and provide on-going technical support to Technical focal points in the Consortia and Program Teams on working with partners.
• Examine partners’ Program implementation and assess possible improvements based on lessons learned, best practices, etc.
• Encourage overall program cohesion through coordination and information sharing with and between partners.
• Strengthen relationships for other partnerships (e.g. with government entities).

Reporting

• Ensure reporting timelines are prepared and shared across the Consortia.
• Collect and compile program narrative reports across the Consortia and ensure timely submission to the Program Coordinators for their review.
• ensure timely submission of reports by partners and quality assurance, including reporting against the logical framework.
• In conjunction with Finance, ensure the timely review of partners’ financial reports in accordance with the terms of their Partnership agreements, coordinated with the review of programmatic reports.
• In collaboration with Grants assure quality of reports to be submitted to donors

Partners Capacity Building

• Review the capacity building/development plan for the partners based on the pre-award assessment result, ensure capacity building/development plan is tailored, targeted and responsive to their organizational needs and priorities.
• Design tools and create systems to effectively monitor progress made against partner capacity building plans and to partners in their organizational development.
• Contribute/lead as/if required to collate lessons learned on a regular basis and disseminate these among Consortia partners to maximize the Programs’ impact and contribute to future Programs’ strategy and direction.

Professional Standards

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to the SMT, and when liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.
• All IRC staff are required to adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: Country Director, Chad or Niger,
• Position supervises: Finance & Compliance Manager, Grant & Partnership Manager

Other Internal And/or External Contacts

• Internal: Regional, country, and HQ staff; technical unit staff (Education, Research Learning and Evaluation, Health, Violence Prevention and Response, Economic Recovery and Development, Governance, Gender Equality); Grants Management staff
• External: Sesame Workshop staff; Government officials; Implementing partner organizations; Community representatives

Requirements

• 10 years of experience in program administration, grants management, and/or project management at an international NGO or similar organization
• Knowledge and expertise in consortia management
• Knowledge and expertise in the use of project management methodologies and tools, resource management practices and change management techniques.
• Self-directed, able to independently set priorities and solve problems with minimal guidance.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced environment, within and across. departments/functions and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff.
• Experience working in conflict and crisis settings and knowledge of humanitarian programming.
• Ability to prioritize trade-offs between on-time, on-scope or on-budget project delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex project budgeting, monitoring and mitigation planning.
• Knowledge of early childhood development or education is a plus.
• Knowledge of the Middle East regional context, with experience working in Niger, Chad strongly preferred.
• Fluent in written and oral English; bilingual strongly preferred (English and French)