Project Manager – Burkina Faso At Expertise France

Expertise France is looking for a project manager based in Burkina Faso (or with the possibility of partial remote work from the place of residence, if the situation does not allow full-time deployment, subject to constraints related to obtaining a visa and a notice of no objection for deployment), who will lead the implementation of the employment support project in Burkina Faso ” Territories and skills: Supporting the resilience of the Sahel and the Center-North ” (known as the “OKD project”) funded by the European Commission.

The project manager is responsible for ensuring the overall management of the project and all of its activities, supervising the activities of partners in the field, and supervising project staff based in Ouagadougou and Kaya.

The project manager, based in Ouagadougou, is responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of the project and its activities, as well as the achievement of objectives from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view, in compliance with the contractual obligations between Expertise France and the various donors, and with a view to the proper use of funds.

The Project Manager oversees field operations and ensures that activities are completed on time and that quality results are achieved with maximum impact for beneficiaries.

The Project Manager supervises project staff in the day-to-day management of all aspects of the project and liaises with headquarters, donors, external partners, and all project stakeholders.

More specifically, the project manager is responsible for:

Project team management:

· Ensure hierarchical management of the entire project team in Burkina Faso;

· Monitor work plans, absences and daily activities of project staff;

· Transmit information and ensure its appropriation, in particular by leading team meetings;

· Manage interpersonal conflicts when necessary;

· Estimate the project’s evolving HR needs and monitor the contracts of all staff;

· Ensure a positive working environment and good team dynamics;

· Identify the capacity building needs of the local team and develop a capacity building plan;

· Undertake regular staff appraisals and monitor career management.

Implementation of operations, quality control and reporting:

In conjunction with the project manager at headquarters, the project manager is responsible for:

· Plan activities and the different stages of project implementation and define the direction by prioritizing and organizing resources to achieve the project objectives, in compliance with the project description and the allocated budget;

· Develop an overall project implementation strategy, systems, approaches, tools and materials;

· Supervise and manage the implementation of activities in accordance with Expertise France’s commitments to its donors, ensuring that technical quality is respected and that budget utilization is reviewed regularly, in accordance with the work plan;

· Anticipate and mitigate risks and be proactive in resolving any unforeseen challenges during project implementation;

· Undertake regular field visits to provide technical advice and supervision to implementing partners, as well as regularly monitor the progress of project activities;

· Write and prepare technical reports to donors (intermediate and final) in consultation with local teams and headquarters, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the technical information provided.

· Ensure regular and frequent feedback of information to the headquarters of Expertise France;

· Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to project managers, RAF and other project team members;

· Actively contribute to carrying out Expertise France exercises (half-yearly reviews, updating of project management tools, etc.).

Financial and administrative management in collaboration with the RAF of the project

· Ensure the correct application of the procedures and directives issued by the headquarters of Expertise France

· Supervise grant and contract award procedures, in conjunction with Expertise France headquarters;

· Validate documentation related to procurement and grants;

· In coordination with the Project Administration and Finance Manager, supervise the financial and technical monitoring of the implementing partners;

· Validate the financial commitments made on the project (in accordance with the commitment threshold rules)

· Update budget forecasts and consolidate the budget forecast file in relation to the project RAF;

· Validate the update of the procurement plan;

· Contribute to quality controls and selection committees to finalize the identification of suppliers/providers according to the applicable scenario.

Coordination and representation :

· Represent the project with institutions, national authorities and donors, and liaise with the parties concerned at central level (in particular the project’s supervisory ministry, responsible for vocational training and entrepreneurship);

· Ensure proper consultation with local authorities in the regions affected by the project;

· Proactively ensure regular liaison with the European Union Delegation in Ouagadougou, the local AFD agency, as well as the French Embassy;

· Coordinate proactively with stakeholders in the area, and in particular DUE partners involved in the OKD axis, and participate in all meetings and coordination and project management bodies;

· Identify opportunities for collaboration and coordination of efforts with other organizations operating in the implementation areas.

· Coordinate relations with the various technical and financial partners on themes related to the program.

Capitalization – Valuation:

· Supervise all capitalization and monitoring/evaluation activities of the project, ensuring a reliable and realistic methodology for each of the activities;

· Supervise the design of the project’s monitoring and evaluation systems, ensure the proper implementation of these systems, and ensure the communication of data to donors and EF headquarters;

· Supervise all studies carried out within the framework of the project: evaluations, impact studies, capitalization, and various studies, in conjunction with headquarters;

· Capitalize on the results of the project, and in particular write summary and/or technical notes on different themes (technical or cross-functional) in connection with EF headquarters.

· Contribute to the recruitment of consultants, experts, and design offices in connection with capitalization and monitoring/evaluation activities.

Security :

· Plan team movements based on available vehicles and flights and applicable policies;

· Ensure effective liaison and information with the regional security representative, the national security representative, and headquarters;

· Ensure that security procedures are properly followed by each member of the project team;

· In cooperation with the national security referent, monitor the local security situation in the intervention zones, and inform headquarters and the regional security referent of any developments.

Identification of opportunities:

· Actively monitor and identify project opportunities in its field of intervention on which EF could position itself, and organize the partnerships to be set up.

———-

Desired profile:

Qualifications and experience required:

· Master’s degree (Bac+5) in economics, humanities or social sciences, or any other relevant field;

· Professional experience of 7 to 10 years;

· At least 5 years of experience in managing cooperation projects, preferably in the field of access to employment, entrepreneurship and/or professional training;

· Proven experience in team management;

· Experience in project budget management;

· Experience in managing EU funded projects;

· Experience in monitoring and supporting local partners is desirable.

Technical skills and knowledge:

· Mastery of employment issues, professional integration and training in sub-Saharan Africa would be an asset;

· Strong analytical and strategic vision skills;

· Very good skills in developing and implementing project management tools;

· Good knowledge of the functioning of CSOs in Sub-Saharan Africa;

· Ability to supervise and lead a team of around 20 people (technical, logistical, administrative and financial), by identifying and developing the skills of each person;

· Mastery of conflict-sensitive approaches, “do no harm”;

· Perfect mastery of office tools;

· Excellent writing skills in French.

General skills :

· Ability to represent the project and Expertise France in a proactive and relevant manner, particularly with institutions (supervisory ministry, AFD, French Embassy, ​​etc.) and donors (European Union);

· Ability to lead and conduct dialogue with public and private partners (civil society) at central and local level;

· Strong proactivity, and ability to design and propose solutions adapted to potential difficulties and the context;

· Strong capacity for work and autonomy, flexibility and organization, responsiveness;

· Strong teamwork skills and advanced interpersonal skills;

· Communicate with impact and respect.