Project Manager

World Vision International is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision - Iraq Office is looking for a highly qualified and motivated person for the position of Project Manager - Ninewa

PURPOSE OF POSITION:
The Project Manager, reporting to the Operations Manager, will provide overall leadership and management to the implementation of the UNDP Funded Projects in Salahadin and Ninewa Governorates. This position will be accountable for leadership, planning, support and management of the project so that activities and outputs remain on track and the program contributes to its main goal of the project and ensuring its contribution to WV Iraq Strategy.
 

The projects are aimed at implementing UNDP’s Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP). The ICRRP was conceived as a holistic stabilization programme that would address short-term needs and evolve into the medium term with a focus on resilience-building of national and regional institutions as well as main target populations including the IDPs, refugees and host communities. Among others, ICRRP addresses the need for livelihoods and employment opportunities and for a shift from public sector employment to private sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is thus aligned to the national Private Sector Development Strategy (2014-2030) and the national Strategy for the Reduction of Poverty in Iraq (2018-2022), in addition to UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2020-2024) and the UNDP Country Programme Document (2020-2024).
 

The aim of the project is to facilitate recovery and enhance resilience of vulnerable communities, by providing short and medium-term employment opportunities to (young) men and women. Additionally, the Project interventions are expected to address the mutually reinforcing challenges of widespread unemployment, youth radicalization, and violent extremism.
 

The Project shall contribute to rehabilitation of basic municipal services and community infrastructure through light rehabilitation works, support economic recovery of most vulnerable social segments, and facilitate expansion of the private sector in crisis-affected communities.

The main objectives of the project are :

1. Using cash-for-work approach, provide short-term employment to most vulnerable social segments (among returnee, IDP and host communities) and rehabilitate basic services and community infrastructure to facilitate recovery of the crisis-affected communities;
2. Provide basic skills training in market-orientated vocations for cash-for-work beneficiaries to improve their prospects for long-term employment opportunities;
3. Using asset replacement grants for the crisis-affected businesses, facilitate employment creation, business development and community recovery;
4. Through micro-start-up grants, market linkages and business training, create sustainable employment opportunities for vulnerable young women and men;
5. Provide accredited vocational and on-the-job training (or apprenticeships) to improve skills of the targeted young women and men, and support job placement in the private sector;11
6. Disburse small grants to existing businesses for creating employment opportunities for youth, women and other vulnerable persons from the returnee, displaced, and host communities;
7. Contribute to private sector development and facilitate local economic recovery by supporting new businesses and sourcing qualified labor.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
Leadership

• Demonstrate World Vision’s core values, vision and mission in all aspects of the role.
• Build a team of highly committed and competent staff, ensuring cooperation and coordination among relevant staff within the Project.
• Provide leadership and direction to the overall project.
• Create a learning environment in which staff regularly reflect, learn from mistakes and use lessons for personal growth and to revise work plans to improve ministry impact.
• Ensure that staff and local partners understand and follow the World Vision (WV) child protection policy and that awareness-raising on child protection, response and incident reporting is occurring.

Project Management (Quality Implementation, Financial & Risk Management)

• Coordinate with Operations Manager, programs, sector leads, finance, and administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities.
• Ensure that the program systems and staff are working to achieve the project goals and objectives and that the project is maintaining World Vision and donor accountability standards.
• Ensuring appropriate structures, internal and external standards, staffing, resources, and policies as well as all grant requirements are adhered to.
• Ensure a clear understanding of project assumptions by all project staff to aim at the effective and timely achievement of project goals, outcomes, and outputs.
• Ensure that all terms and conditions agreed in the signed MoUs with donor and government departments are adhered to throughout the life of the project.
• Manage and mitigate any risks within the Project that could have financial, Human Resources (HR) or Legal consequences or negatively impact the ministry or World Vision's reputation.
• Ensure that proper community development practices and “Do No Harm” practices are incorporated and upheld throughout the planning and implementation of the project.
• Support in the development of an accurate and complete Bill of Quantities
• Prepare and submit procurement plan in close coordination with the team.
• In coordination with the PDQA, regularly monitor and evaluate the progress of the project.
• With support from WV Iraq’s Finance Department, assume primary responsibility for budget reviews and monthly financial reports, highlighting concerns as they arise.
• Ensure compliance with WV and donor financial policies and procedures and promote a culture of transparency and accountability.
• Ensure proper coding and budget availability of all project expenses.
• Oversee the submission of monthly cash requests for project operations.
• Ensure contractors and creditors are paid in a timely manner.
• Review and approve expenditures and contract according to assigned levels of authority.
• Personnel Management
• Manage direct reports and provide overall project leadership
• Coordinate and oversee the hiring process for project staff.
• Coordinate and implement new employee project orientations and training.
• Monitor staff performance and raise any issues with Human Resources if necessary.
• Initiate and perform, with support from others, staff performance appraisals.
• In coordination with P&C, maintain accurate employee data files and oversee completion of routine issues such as contract renewals, leave, salary adjustments.
• Develop the capacity of staff to plan, monitor, and coordinate service delivery.
• Identify staff capacity needs and undertake pro-active on-the-job training to strengthen their capacity to deliver interventions.
• Monitoring, Reporting, and Administration
• Ensure accurate quality narrative and financial reports are submitted in a timely manner and according to donor requirements.  
• Work closely with Program Officer in ensuring that all reports meet donor requirements.
• Track the performance of the project activities and outputs against expected results and adjust implementation processes to ensure the project is progressing towards the intended outcomes.
• Analyze the impact of the project and promote learning by documentation of best practices. Use this information to support decision-making processes.
• Track project progress, project expenditure against approved budgets, anticipate any deviations, and recommend and take action on relevant and required adjustments.
• Track project risk in order to timely adjust and implement the existing contingency plan.
• Travel regularly to all project sites to ensure proper implementation of project activities.
• Create and present monthly summaries of project activities and future plans to World Vision Iraq leadership.

Others

•  Ensure that organizational security measures and directives are integrated into the project. Any other duties relating to the nature of the job

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject (International Development, International Relations, Health, Environmental
• Engineering, Nutrition, Management, etc). 
• Relevant master’s degree would be an advantage.
• Experience managing and leading grant implementation, specifically UN grants, is highly advantageous
• 4-6 years experience in grant project management. Strong generalist background is essential, but technical sector expertise is advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience working with UN projects in a leadership role
• Demonstrated experience in emergency response
• 4-6 years of development and/or relief work at the programmatic level.
• Experience in integrated program/project cycle management
• Experience living and working in a fragile context
• Mentoring within cross-cultural contexts.
• Working knowledge of English and ability to write reports in English.
• Knowledge of local language.
• Demonstrated technical and professional aptitude in project management in a fragile context.  Understanding of multi-sector project implementation essential i.e. a thorough understanding of key sector interventions at a program/operational level i.e. familiarity with Economic Recovery Interventions, Food Security, Cash
• Assistance programming.
• Relevant professional experience managing and implementing large emergency/development projects
• Thorough knowledge of MS Office i.e. Excel, Powerpoint, Word, etc
• Demonstrated understanding of the humanitarian sector
• Demonstrated understanding of the workings of major donor agencies, particularly USAID/FFP/OFDA.
• Advanced written and oral English skills i.e. the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, both in spoken and written English.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of project cycle elements, M&E systems design, and management.
• Understanding of integrated rural community development programming and processes.
• Strong capacity building and facilitation skills.
• Cross-cultural and gender sensitivity, flexible world view, emotional maturity, and physical stamina.
• Self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has the ability to manage work tasks without direct supervision.
• Effective in establishing priorities and planning, coordinating and monitoring activities, juggling competing demands and
• work to tight deadlines.
• Strong ability to work with and relate to diverse personality types, practice relational and ideological tolerance,and to contribute to a positive organizational culture.
• Ability to maintain performance expectations and healthy social interactions in psychologically stressful
• environments and physical hardship conditions with limited resources.
• Willing to travel as required.
• Able to live and work within a fragile context and restricted environment.
• Commitment to World Vision Core Values, Vision, and Mission Statement.
• Knowledge of and adherence to the Red Cross and NGO Code of Conduct and capability of incorporating standards in the implementation and evaluation of relevant projects.
• Communities to promote humanitarian response.
• Experience in project management and programming knowledge in Livelihood.
• Work Environment
• Up to 40 percent domestic travel.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
No information inquiries will be handled over the phone. Only short-listed candidates will be notified for the interview. The deadline for application is 7 April 2022.
 

As a Child focused organization, World Vision is committed to the protection of children and does not employ staff whose background is not suitable for working with children. All employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks.