Technical Project Manager (UK) at Simprints

Deliver great technology that matters.

About Simprints

Simprints is a nonprofit tech company from the University of Cambridge. Our mission is to transform the way the world fights poverty. We build technology to radically increase transparency and effectiveness in global development, making sure that every vaccine, every dollar, every public good reaches the people who need them most.

Simprints’ biometric technology helps verify coverage and increase impact on the frontlines. We have already reached over 850,000 individuals and are contracted to reach more than 1.4m people by the end of 2021 through flagship projects like our work with BRAC in Bangladesh and the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia.

Role Overview

We are looking for a full-time Technical Project Manager who is passionate about building and implementing technology-based solutions in service delivery and research projects around the globe. You will work closely with Simprints’ partners to gather requirements and oversee the delivery of robust solutions. This role is unique in its breadth, offering the opportunity to collaborate with almost every team at Simprints. You’ll have the chance to collaborate with partnership managers to build relationships with external stakeholders, work with engineers to build custom technical solutions, coordinate on-the-ground activities with our in-country teams; and analyse data with monitoring & evaluation (M&E) specialists. This post is based in Cambridge, UK, with remote working in the near term.

RESPONSIBILITIES

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• Oversee successful delivery of our projects from start to finish, coordinating activities with both internal and external stakeholders
• Create multi-disciplinary project teams and collaboratively define detailed requirements, prioritise deliverables and feature requests, align behind implementation plans, and oversee execution (including sprint planning)
• Actively manage the technical implementation and work closely with engineers to optimise timelines, resolve bottlenecks and understand limitations
• Build relationships with external partners to promote understanding and use of Simprints’ biometric solutions. Provide troubleshooting and remote supervision support
• Proactively identify and mitigate project risks
• Collaborate with M&E to establish theories of change, define project metrics, monitor and analyse data, and close the feedback loop with partners to support successful implementation on the ground
• Prepare and submit financial and narrative reports to partners and/or funders
• Travel to project sites to conduct or support trainings of trainers and monitor field activities, if needed and pending a travel risk assessment

MUST HAVE REQUIREMENTS

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• Significant project management and/or product management experience, ideally in the ICT4D space. You’ve deployed projects in developing country contexts.
• Familiarity with data collection platforms, such as DHIS2, CommCare, ODK, OpenSRP, and/or other technology platforms commonly used in global development. You are knowledgeable about, have designed, or implemented workflows common among frontline workers in development programs (e.g. health care, aid distribution, research, education).
• Excellent written and verbal communications. You are empathetic and seek to understand different perspectives, bring clarity to ambiguous or ill-defined needs, can negotiate diplomatically when there are competing interests, and secure buy-in and alignment across stakeholder groups.
• Attention to detail. Global development work is complex and unpredictable. To proactively anticipate risks, assess implicit requirements on top of contractual deliverables, and successfully meet ever-changing needs, you need to be able to translate a high-level idea into concrete, detailed action steps and documentation.
• Strong training skills. We work across multiple sectors with a variety of stakeholders. Being able to tailor trainings to audiences of varying technical literacy levels, for a number of different use cases and workflows, is crucial. You are comfortable hosting virtual trainings as well as conducting in-person trainings in resource-limited settings.
• Time management. You are organised, process-oriented, and attentive to following through on planned tasks and activities. You know how to allocate and shift resources to provide support to team members as needed, ensuring that project deliverables are met on time and on budget.
• Permission to work in the UK.

NICE-TO-HAVE REQUIREMENTS

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• Grit and an appreciation of a challenging, fast-paced environment
• Working proficiency in French, Arabic, Spanish, or other common language
• Experience with agile development methods and processes (e.g. scrum)
• An engineering mindset and passion for building technology solutions
• Interest in and/or experience in M&E or data analysis

WE OFFER

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Life is short. We believe work should be awesome, meaningful, and fun. At Simprints we’re taking on global development’s biggest challenges, powered by an amazing culture and incredible people. Work with us, and you will grow faster, learn more, and take on great responsibilities with potential to make lasting change.

1. Social impact. Work directly with our partners and users to deliver technology that has the potential to impact millions of lives.
2. Incredible, diverse team. Ask any “Simprintster” what their favourite thing about working at Simprints is, and the answer is likely to be “the people.” Our work is at the intersection of technology and global development, and we’ve managed to build an amazing team drawn from the best technology companies, iNGOs, UN agencies, and universities around the world.
3. Flexible hours. More efficient late at night? Better before the sun rises? That’s fine by us. We are looking for people who get the job done, not for people who work between 9am and 5pm.
4. Unlimited paid time off. We set high standards and goals, but give people the freedom to choose when and how to recharge. Join a team that trusts you with the job.
5. Professional development and wellbeing. We promote continual learning with self-directed learning objectives, external mentors, and regular one-on-one feedback. We also put our money where our mouth is with a dedicated ‘Learning & Wellness’ budget, managed by our Talent and Operations team.

Simprints is an equal opportunity employer. We pride ourselves in our firm commitment to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace. We aim to attract, hire, grow, and retain the most qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, ability, religion, nationality, age, sexuality, and other differences. We encourage interested and suitable candidates who are part of underrepresented groups to apply for this position.