Project Manager

Self Help Africa

Join Our Team

Advert for Project Manager – Carbon Finance Coordinating and Monitoring Entity to be based in Lilongwe.

Background

Self Help Africa (SHA – formerly United Purpose) Malawi is an international non-governmental organisation working to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,000,000 people a year across Malawi. Globally, we work in nine countries across Africa, Asia and South America, however our Malawi programme is by far and away our largest and most established country programme. SHA currently operates in 17 districts in Malawi, supporting 24 on-going projects. This is an exciting time to join us as we seek to tackle the global challenges in progressive and innovative ways.

SHA is seeking to recruit a talented and dynamic Project Manager with experience in carbon finance and cleaner cooking to join our innovative project to establish a Coordinating and Monitoring Entity (CME) for carbon finance projects expected to start as soon as possible (contingent upon securing funding from the donor).

Job Purpose

The job holder’s core responsibility will be to lead the management of the project including workplanning, assigning tasks to the project team, being the budget holder, line managing project staff, writing donor reports, and being focal point for Partner Organisations (POs). He/she will also be responsible (alongside the M&E/Contracts Coordinator) for ensuring that the CME, POs and other stakeholders comply with the project Charter and guiding principles in their operations as well as ensuring expenditure is in-line with the allocated budget and implementation is on-track.

The job holder will work as part of SHA’s portfolio of Energy and Carbon projects contributing to the wider growth and development of Energy and Carbon Finance activities in Malawi.

Key Duties and responsibilities

  1. Overall project management
  • Develop workplans, assign, track and complete necessary tasks and monitor progress in line with the project budget and deliverables. This includes ensuring effective project budgetary control, forecasting and monitoring in line with SHA’s financial procedures and guidelines, and fraud and risk management policies.
  • Provide management and guidance to the project team in all aspects of project implementation drawing on expertise from other project team members when necessary.
  • Act as focal point for Partner Organisations (POs), ensuring that they are capacitated and consistently delivering on activities agreed in their contracts with the CME.
  • Coordinate project activities with other SHA projects where relevant
  • Ensure close collaboration and networking with all partners, including Government and communities, during all stages of project implementation.
  1. Carbon activities

Provide support to POs in the implementation of carbon credit generating activities (primarily cleaner cooking projects), including the delivery and monitoring of project technologies, leveraging the expertise of the other team members around monitoring requirements and clean cooking project best practise.

  • Plan and supervise implementation of carbon finance monitoring activities under the responsibility of the CME, including baseline/monitoring surveys and hosting Validation and Verification Bodies (VVB) with assistance from Carbon Accountant.
  • Ensure that the Carbon Accountant is provided with all the necessary information from POs and the CME to complete project registration, validation and verification.
  1. Reporting and data management
  • Supervise and support the M+E/Contracts Coordinator to gather the required data from POs for monitoring project implementation and carbon activities above.
  • Maintain project activity records and report using regular SHA internal reporting procedures as well as those of the donor.
  1. Other
  • Share learning and knowledge across all SHA’s Energy and other programmes’ projects
  • Support in the identification and development of proposals for opportunities for new projects
  • Uphold and promote SHA’s safeguarding and reporting policy

Experience and qualifications.

  • A degree in any area related to sustainable development and/or carbon finance, while a Master’s degree would be an advantage.
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar position including field-work and office-based activities, particularly those related to carbon finance and cleaner cooking projects.
  • Appreciation of carbon finance approaches, and the cleaner cooking sector and technologies
  • Evidence of budgeting and project planning skills and experience.
  • Demonstrable experience of designing, implementing and sustaining effective quantitative and qualitative monitoring systems
  • Strong time-management skills including the use of electronic calendars, workplans, logframes and proven record of completing activities according to deadlines.
  • High level computer skills particularly in database management, and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc) and using online meeting platforms (e.g. Zoom, google meet etc.).
  • Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
  • Excellent communication, coordination and facilitation skills.
  • Strong respect and empathy for rural communities, and an affinity to SHA’s mission and values of integrity, dignity and environmental respect.
  • Fluency in written and spoken English and Chichewa.
  • A full, clean driving license and ability to drive a four-wheel drive manual vehicle is essential. Able to, or willing to learn to, ride a motorbike would be an advantage.

How to apply

Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form,downloadable on https://gsha.box.com/v/applicationform. The completed application form should be uploaded together with the Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae and Copies Certificates saved in your name to https://selfhelpafrica.org/ie/careers-apply/?jbcd=500QD000002tygj%20-%20Advert%20for%20Project%20Manager%20%E2%80%93

No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted. Please note the zipped Folder will not be accessed.

 Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of 10th November,2023 Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

 Self Help Africa takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. Self Help Africa has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.

For more information about the organisation, please visit our website at www.selfhelpafrica.net.

 SHA is an equal opportunity employer.