Kumak II Project Manager At Heartland Alliance

Kumak II Project Manager

Transform the lives of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities and be at the forefront of social change.

About You: A motivated professional looking to work alongside an inspiring, dynamic team of leading human rights workers. The candidate will have exceptional project management skills and embrace a collaborative, team approach to the work they do. This person has experience living and working in challenging operating environments and is eager to apply that experience working on innovative human rights projects that support juveniles in conflict with the law.

About Heartland Alliance International: Heartland Alliance International’s (HAI) mission is to secure the rights and well-being of marginalized people and communities. HAI envisions a world in which those whose rights have been violated are safe and empowered to actively engage in their communities and be at the forefront of social change.

Project Summary: HAI is hiring a Project Manager for Kumak II, a two-year project designed to support legal professionals and strengthen the rule of law and criminal justice system in the Middle East. The project focus is to ensure adherence to international commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and national laws to protect the rights of children and adolescents in the region. Kumak II builds upon HAI’s previous work to advance juvenile justice reform, with emphasis on improving due process and ending the death penalty for minors. The project seeks to achieve these goals by improving academic training on juvenile justice, engaging moderate religious scholars in issuing child-friendly advisory opinions, and by strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and independent attorneys to respond to the legal and human rights needs of vulnerable children in the Middle East.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Associate Director of International Programs, the Project Manager will lead the implementation of the project from HAI HQ in Chicago, IL. S/he will ensure that all project activities implementation are in line with the project work plan and in accordance with HAI and the donor’s standards and requirements. S/he will be responsible for management and implementation of the project, including closely working with the project Legal Expert and two academic partners. The Project Manager will receive technical oversight and guidance from HAI’s technical team to manage and supervise project partners.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Lead project implementation, oversight and development;
• Continually assess and evaluate project implementation against project work plan, in collaboration with project team; take appropriate steps to ensure project is on track in meeting deliverables and spending;
• Develop and monitor work plans, budgets, and progress reports HAI, donors and partners require;
• Foster and support partnerships with key legal experts and religious scholars to advance human rights standards related to children and adolescents;
• Support partnerships with key academic institutions and coordinate the development of a training curriculum with project academic partners, law professors and local civil society organizations to be used for training legal practitioners on Islam and human rights;
• Oversee the provision of direct legal services by project partners and provide practical training and mentoring as needed;
• Support the center for learning and dissemination of training material, advocacy and research on juvenile justice at partner universities, in coordination with the Legal Expert and Journalism Coordinator;
• Work with project partners to coordinate trainings, roundtables, workgroups and other events with high-level judicial and legal partners, as well as religious scholars in the region;
• Maintain relationships with current and potential funding sponsors and network with other human rights non-governmental organizations;
• Assure internet and communications security in association with HAI’s IT department.

Communication, monitoring, and evaluation

• Collaborates closely with project team to continuously assess status of implementation against project work plan and implement appropriate steps to ensure project is on track in meeting deliverables;
• Work with implementing partners to ensure that M&E processes are managed in accordance with HAI and donor standards;
• Communicate, as needed with HAI Headquarters leadership and support staff;
• Foster effective communication and teamwork with staff from a range of economic, cultural, ethnic and social groups;
• Represent HAI to NGO partners, government officials, funding sources, other partners, beneficiaries, and at conferences, meetings and other outreach opportunities;
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation activities and reporting meet HAI’s standards, and are completed on schedule;
• Develop, review, and finalize high quality program monthly, quarterly, and annual project reports.

Financial management and grant oversight

• Oversee implementation of activities in accordance with project and activity budget;
• Consult with the finance manager regarding best practices for financial administration of the work plan;
• Monitor project expenditures, and with the finance and administration manager, develop monthly expenditure projections;
• Monitor grant agreements and sub-agreements with partners;
• Work with the finance manager to monitor and revise budgets, as needed.

Program Development

• Research and analyze funding opportunities for the PD team to identify and prioritize program development opportunities;
• Proactively research and identify partnership opportunities with community, HA, or other partners;
• Serve as a key member of proposal teams throughout the year;
• Review and provide significant input in proposal writing and budget development for new proposals;
• Coordinate with the PD team to conduct literature reviews supporting proposals that includes but is not limited to technical research, best-practices research, content analysis and interpretation for proposal submissions. Also assist with technical writing, editing and proposal submission;
• Support the development and implementation of strategic plans and resource mobilization efforts;
• Promote innovation throughout the portfolio including expansion to new countries;

Other duties, as assigned by the Senior Associate Director of Programs, and Director of International Programs.

Qualifications

• Master degree in law (L.L.M), or relevant social science degree, plus minimum 5 years of relevant experience in access to justice programming. Experience in juvenile justice is a plus.
• Demonstrated success in project, financial, staff and partner management, program monitoring and evaluation, report writing (in English);
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of child welfare, rights and/or juvenile justice in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA);
• Proven ability to calmly, professionally, and successfully manage multiple priorities;
• Experience working with NGOs, the UN, or U.S.-government agencies and understanding of the unique, complex operating environment in the Middle East;
• Knowledge and understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation concepts;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent negotiation and relationship management skills, with the ability to proactively problem solve and find solutions;
• Demonstrate initiative and is comfortable working in a group, as well as independently;
• Ability to reside in Chicago and travel to the MENA region.
• Ability to provide clear direction and management for remote partners.

Languages

• Required – Fluent in English (read, write and communicate)
• Preferred – Working knowledge of Dari or Farsi

Personal Competencies: Collaborative spirit and ability to work independently as well as in a team; commitment to knowledge sharing and teamwork; positive attitude and ability to see through challenges to find solutions; and strong interpersonal skills and an ability to clearly communicate, including complex concepts into layperson language.