Project Manager – Regional Sargassum Management and Coordination Project – Caribbean (M/F) At Expertise France

Under the supervision of the Biodiversity Unit Manager in Paris, and in conjunction with the Project Manager and Unit Coordinator based in Paris, the Project Manager will be responsible for the overall coordination as well as the operational and financial management of the activities entrusted to Expertise France, in compliance with the rules and regulations of Expertise France and the French Development Agency.
Based in Fort-de-France, Martinique, he/she will be responsible for managing the project team, the relationship with experts, service providers and partners, and for overall quality control, coordination and completion of all activities, achievements and objectives, as well as internal and external reporting.

The main tasks assigned to the project manager are as follows:

Team management:
Reporting directly to the Biodiversity Division Manager at headquarters, he/she works with a Project Manager at headquarters and may be required to liaise with Expertise France’s cross-functional departments as needed (legal affairs, financial affairs, communication, monitoring and evaluation, etc.). He/she will:
– Recruit and supervise a team of four to six people based in Fort-de-France, Martinique, and Saint Lucia;
– Manage the recruitment of technical experts in coordination with Expertise France headquarters;

General coordination:
– Ensure technical coordination with the donor (AFD), partners, and complementary programs of other donors present in the Caribbean;
– Ensure the representation of Expertise France with Caribbean public actors;
– Ensure the organization, preparation and participation of Expertise France in the steering committees and other coordination bodies of the project with the implementing partners, and all other project representation meetings, and monitor the implementation of recommendations;
– Ensure the quality and internal and external coherence of the project, in particular with other cooperation programs underway in the region.

Strategic and operational management of the project:
In close collaboration with the partners involved in the project, and the Sargassum Sector Support Manager for Component 2, the Project Manager will ensure the overall planning as well as the technical management of the activities entrusted to Expertise France in compliance with the accountability framework agreed with the donor (Project Description, logical framework). He/she will have to:
– Define the operational orientations and strategies, in conjunction with the Project Manager at headquarters and the Unit Coordinator;
– Carry out the technical and budgetary planning of the project in conjunction with the partners, and manage its implementation as well as the updating of all useful project documents;
– Facilitate the construction of a common vision within the project and support the appropriation by the project partners;
– Ensure good coordination with the other Expertise France programs implemented in the Caribbean, and in particular the EUROCLIMA Caribbean program;
– Identify needs in terms of short-term expertise, prepare terms of reference for services and ensure the mobilization of experts;
– Ensure the supervision of recruited experts and operators and coordinate the proper completion of missions;
– Prepare steering committees with project partners;
– Supervise the progress of the project and the quality of deliverables and monitor project indicators in accordance with the project’s logical framework;
– Co-facilitate, guide and monitor the work of partners in the implementation of activities;
– Support project leaders and partners in the implementation of activities and monitor supported projects;
– Coordinate the evaluation and capitalization of the project within the framework of the Monitoring-Evaluation system in conjunction with the Capitalization and Scientific Valorization Officer and the SERA expert (monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning);
– Support the implementation of the communication strategy;
– Ensure the proper flow of information between team members, stakeholders and the lessor;
– Strictly follow the safety instructions provided by the Expertise France Operations Safety department;
– Provide headquarters in a timely manner with any relevant information that may have an impact on the management of the safety and security of personnel, equipment and the office.

Administrative and financial management:
In coordination with the Administrative and Financial Manager, the Project Manager monitors the administrative and financial management of the project and ensures compliance with procurement procedures. He/she is responsible for:
– Coordinating administrative and financial monitoring for the mobilization of short-term expertise, technical assistance contracts, grants, framework contracts, logistics, travel, audits, accounting, etc.;
– Monitoring project expenses, consolidating the project budget (forecasts) and updating a work plan for disbursements in the field (cash flow);
– Coordinate and participate in the management of various contracts in compliance with procurement procedures (services, goods, works, expertise, etc.) and Expertise France validation thresholds: procurement plan, contribution to the development of documents related to contracts, contractual negotiations, quality control of contracts and monitoring of contractual commitments, financial monitoring, etc.;
– Ensure project reporting to the lessor: quality of deliverables, intermediate and final technical and financial reports of the project (in conjunction with the project manager at headquarters);
– Participate in and contribute to Expertise France’s internal reporting exercises coordinated by headquarters: monitoring of activities, financial monitoring, budget forecasts and closures.

This description is not exhaustive; generally speaking, he/she is the guarantor of the achievement of the contractual objectives of the project and must carry out any activity necessary for the proper execution of the program.

CONTEXT

Expertise France is the public agency for the design and implementation of international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four priority areas:
• democratic, economic and financial governance;
• peace, stability and security;
• climate, agriculture and sustainable development;
• health and human development.

In these areas, Expertise France provides engineering and implementation missions for capacity building projects, mobilization of technical expertise as well as a project management function involving public expertise and private know-how.

With a volume of activity of 324 million euros, more than 500 projects in its portfolio in around a hundred countries, Expertise France places its action within the framework of France’s policy of solidarity, influence and economic diplomacy.

In the Caribbean, Expertise France mainly intervenes within the framework of regional projects in order to support States in the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.

Launched in 2023 following the success of EUROCLIMA in Latin America, the “EUROCLIMA Caribbean” program contributes to the green transition of the region through climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and the protection and conservation of biological diversity in the Caribbean.

Expertise France is also implementing the RESEMBID program in the region in favor of resilience, sustainable energy and marine biodiversity as well as the Green Overseas program which aims to accelerate the energy transition and increase the climate resilience of overseas countries and territories.

Funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), the Sargassum Regional Management and Coordination Project aims to encourage regional cooperation dynamics in the Caribbean and to support small island developing states in structuring a framework for the management and development of Sargassum.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The aim of the project is to minimise and limit the negative impacts of Sargassum strandings on local economies, communities and coastal ecosystems. To achieve this, the project includes three main components and one cross-cutting component:

1. Support for regional coordination between the Eastern Caribbean States, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Belize . This component aims to engage communities of practice and capitalize on experiences and knowledge developed at all levels of the Sargassum management chain: forecasting and monitoring of Sargassum drifts, collection methods, pre-treatment and characterization of Sargassum components, transport, storage, and their valorization into marketable products.
2. Support to small island states in the consolidation and implementation of Sargassum management plans in Saint Lucia, Grenada, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In partnership with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), this component aims to strengthen the capacities of public and private actors in Sargassum management operations. This component will define and deploy a roadmap for the organization of collection operations through the training and equipment of the personnel involved, the development of early warning mechanisms for coastal communities and coordination with transporters, the development of suitable pre-treatment systems, and the storage of biomass in secure sites. Finally, a call for projects will be launched for private actors involved in biomass management.
3. Production and capitalization of knowledge on environmental, social and health impacts, collection methods and recovery channels . The project will deploy a collective expertise network aimed at bringing together a group of scientists and experts from different Caribbean research centers in order to mobilize all knowledge and establish a scientific consensus on the complex issues raised by Sargassum. In addition, the project will contribute to the call for proposals on research and innovation launched by the National Research Agency. This contribution will aim to strengthen the regional dynamics of scientific cooperation and the implementation of concrete recovery solutions adapted to the Caribbean context.
4. The cross-cutting integration of gender in Sargassum management operations will aim to identify the gender-specific impacts of Sargassum inputs and to develop specific support measures for women whose economic and social activities have been affected by these inputs.
   The main implementing partners of the project will be:
   • The OECS : a direct grant will be awarded to the OECS for the implementation of certain activities of component 2 and component 1.
   • Companies in the Sargassum management/development sectors that will receive grants via a Call for Projects for the development of sustainable and lasting economic models for Sargassum management/development in the 4 intervention islands of component 2.
   • The Research and Development Institute (IRD) , which will provide a synthesis of current scientific knowledge on Sargassum (Collective Scientific Expertise system).
   • The laboratories and research centers of the different research centers present in the Caribbean and Central America which will benefit from subsidies within the framework of component 3, involved in the call for research projects of component 3.

THE PROJECT TEAM

Situation/position: Operations Department – ​​Sustainable Development Department – ​​Biodiversity Division

A specific team will be deployed in Fort-de-France and Saint Lucia. This will be composed of:

• In Fort-de-France, Martinique:
o A project manager in charge of technical and operational management
o A Sargassum Sector Support Manager (Component 2)
o A grants officer
o A scientific capitalization and valorization mission officer (Component 3)
o An administrative and financial manager

• In Saint Lucia:
o A Technical Assistance Officer with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Training

Master 2 or equivalent in political science, international relations, biology, conservation biology, development economics, agronomy, environment, geography;

Experiences

– Minimum 10 years of general professional experience in the implementation of international cooperation projects or programs;
– Significant professional experience in a coordination or team leader position within the framework of an international cooperation project – at least 4 years;
– In-depth practical experience in the management of international technical cooperation projects with AFD funding is a plus;
– Operational experience and solid knowledge in the sector of preservation and/or restoration of biodiversity and marine and coastal ecosystems, threatened and/or endangered species;
– Experience in capacity building programs/projects for central institutions and experience in institutional dialogue is an asset;
– Experience in consultation with sub-national, national and regional stakeholders is an asset;
– Proven experience on multi-country and multi-stakeholder projects or programs;
– Experience in cooperation projects/programs in the Caribbean is an asset.

SKILLS

– Solid knowledge of the issues and actors of development in the Caribbean; knowledge of the ecosystems concerned by the project is an asset; Knowledge
of the issues of Sargassum in the Caribbean and of the different approaches to Sargassum management at work in the Caribbean will be considered an asset.
– Excellent knowledge of the issues and actors of international cooperation and in particular of the French cooperation system;
– Knowledge of the basic issues of gender equality and/or Human Rights in the sector of biodiversity and ecosystem protection is an asset;
– Excellent interpersonal skills, sense of diplomacy;
– Very good analytical and writing skills;
– Strong autonomy, adaptation and organizational skills; responsiveness and flexibility;
– Ability to work fluently in English and French (written and oral), mastery of Spanish is an asset.
– Perfect mastery of office software.