Project Manager

Overview of Helvetas and the TRAIL Project

HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation is an independent development organization based in Switzerland and it has been operating for the last 65 years worldwide. HELVETAS is registered in Ethiopia as foreign organization with the Agency for Civil Society Organization to operate in the areas of Rural Infrastructure, Natural Resource Management, Support to CSO and Local Governments, Skill Development & Education and Emergency Response. See also. www.helvetas.org.

Under its Rural Infrastructure thematic area ‘Enabling the Environment for Transformative Connectivity in Rural Ethiopia’ project (hereinafter called “the project”) aims to start building the enabling environment to meet the full need for rural transport connectivity and in that process, provide transformative access to critical services in the coming three years in Amhara, Oromia, Sidma, SNNPR, Somali and south west Ethiopia regions. The project plan is to attain its objective through designing and testing the construction ecosystem by building trailbridges and improving feeder trails, create long-term capacity for national scale in government roads authorities, private sector, and supply chain & capture impact through focused evaluation and disseminate learnings to build global awareness.

There will be three regional teams i.e., one south- east team with a base in Addis Ababa, south – west with a base in Hawassa and North team with the base in Bahr Dar. All teams are provided guidance and strategic direction by the National Program Team in Addis Ababa.

The South-West will be covering Sidama, SNNPR and South West Reagions based in Hawassa.

Job Purposes

The position holder provides leadership with regards to programmatic, operational, administrative, and financial implementation of the project in selected regions. S/he provides leadership to the PMU (project management unity). S/he would lead the preparation the Annual Plan of Operation and ensure its implementation and reporting along the principles of project cycle management, gender transformation and market system development. The position holder would facilitate and coordinate with stakeholders and partners (government, universities, privet actors and others) and advocate for upscaling of strategies and approaches of the project. In particular, S/He would work closely with the Regions, Universities and TVET, Privet construction consulting and designing firms and other stakeholder to building the enabling environment to meet the full need for rural transport connectivity and provide transformative access to critical services. The post holder has an overall responsibility to ensure the proper execution of the project and achieve concrete progress on the attainment of its goal and objectives, outcomes and outputs and assumes all responsibility for all programmatic progress and HR related matters of the project team as well as partnership issues, including providing technical and methodological support is provided to partners and continuous monitoring, learning and reporting takes place in the project.

Duties and responsibilities

Head of Project Management team for assigned regions

• Heads the Project Management in line with the Annual Plan of Operation and along the principles of Helvetas and project cycle management;
• Prepare consolidated Annual Plan of Operation (APO) for the assigned regions;
• Supervises, leads, guides, orients, trains, coaches, and supports the project staff to effectively lead and manage the project;
• Builds the technical and managerial capacity of the project staff in planning and implementing projects effectively and efficiently;
• Assume responsibility for all HR related matters of the project team, including recruitment, work planning and performance management and review;
• Ensure the project is implemented in the region in line with the Program Document;
• Ensure that the program team is informed about the project progress and any special, important matters;
• Collaborate and support to the other regional project teams;
• Provides coordination and technical support to the Project team and other relevant governmental departments at woreda and regional level;
• Represents HELVETAS Ethiopia in the implementation of the project in operational areas of the assigned regions.

Coordination and Technical assistance to partners

• Enhance partnership with key government partners and stakeholders in assigned regions;
• Ensure that the collaboration among the project partners (both GO and NGO) functions well and project implementation is in line with the Annual plan of operation;
• Ensure that the partners enjoy technical assistant in the designated technical fields;
• Ensure effective coordination and collaboration amongst the partners (both GO and NGO) in the project area; Woreda, Zonal and Regional Road team;

• Facilitate and coordinate with the regional road team for the implementation of the tasks assigned to regional road bureau as partner in the project along the principles of project cycle management and the elaborated APO.

Budget Management

• Prepares annual budget for the assigned regions based on regional proposal and ensures compliance with donor requirements;
• Monitor monthly budget burn rates and make timely adjustment when needed in consultation with national program coordinator;
• Ensure timely financial reporting is done and shared with concerned body;
• Oversees contracting and agreements.

Knowledge Management

• Ensure Monitoring, Learning, Reporting and Documentation of the project in the assigned regions;
• Ensure that experiences and lessons learnt out of the project are well documented;
• Effectively contribute to thematic and policy activities of the organization;
• Ensure that project information is up-to-date and internally and externally disseminated;
• Contributes as member of HELVETAS Ethiopia to the organization’s learning in Rural Access and WASH Learning and Innovation working area.

Qualifications include:

Education

• Master’s degree in development, Project management, with specialization in Engineering and/or or any other discipline relevant to rural connectivity and access.

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience in development work in an NGO setting, at least 4 years of which is at a project manager level. Commitment to gender transformation and working experience in rural road sector.
• Prior experience as a project manager or leading large project teams is a necessary requirement.
• Fluent in spoken and written English is required.
• Fluency in one or multiple languages spoken in Sidama, SNNPR and South West Regions.
• Flexible, capable of working independently, high integrity, and hard-working.

Skills Required

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in standard office software packages and GIS.
• Demonstrated leadership ability to inspire and empower others.
• Demonstrated technical and managerial ability, sound judgment, ability to interact and work effectively with others at all levels.

Guiding Principle

These Terms of Reference (ToR) form an integral part of the appointment contract under) Project is for leading and managing the project in assigned regions effectively and efficiently in line with program document, programing principle, policies and procedures of the organization signed between HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Ethiopia and the employee. In undertaking the work and carrying out the tasks and responsibilities, the employee will be abiding by the following guiding principles:

• Demonstrate a high level of integrity and ethics with due regard to organizational policies and procedures, working guidelines and the requirement of the job.
• Respect HELVETAS Ethiopia’s mission and values to serve economically poor and socially disadvantaged as well as have a high regard for the organization’s working culture.
• Adhere to the Country Program Strategy 2019-2023 (HELVETAS’ Gender and Social Equity Strategy and the Code of Conduct.
• Promulgate accountability, self-initiative and teamwork.
• Be committed and determined to improve the livelihoods of the target communities.

Working Condition

This job will require field work in Sidma, SNNPR, and South West Regions.  Because of the remoteness of the field work incumbent will expected to travel to remote trail/suspension bridge sites.