View Vacancy - Project Officer – East Africa Prosperity Fund (15/ 16 NR)
Main purpose of job:
To oversee development of a multi-year programme to tackle the constraints to growth in East Africa.
The UK government is setting up a new prosperity fund, £1.3 billion globally to help unlock economic growth. Growth with our African partners is good for the trade relationship and therefore good for the UK. We are setting up a programme to deliver targeted projects across the region to help unlock that economic growth. Each programme will consist of multiple projects that require careful attention to ensure that they deliver and contribute to the overall aim. This is a one year renewable contract.
Role and responsibilities:
We have identified two key sectors to unlocking economic growth where the UK can have an impact (renewables, and infrastructure) and are begining the process to identify the most important interventions. Project officers will have an important voice in implementing with roles including:
- Developing project proposals with HMG policy leads, ensuring that theories of change, outcomes, outputs and activities are coherent and strategic, with robust indicators of impact
- Monitoring, analysing and reporting financial spend and feeding into the financial reporting system including through the quarterly report process.
- Advising HMG and implementing partners on procurement and contracting projects focusing on resolving problems quickly and efficiently while ensuring robust adherence to regulations.
- Monitoring the projects in line with the impact indicators (including through regular site visits and meetings with partners). Supporting evaluation work across the programme in line with the evaluation and review schedule.
- Management of a complex network of stakeholders within the UK government across various locations and departments.
- Managing risks associated with the projects including fiduciary risks associated with working in complex business environments
- Lead on the invoicing and payments process using the FCO administration programme PRISM.
- Developing and delivering ideas on project visibility and profile
- Preparing and presenting project briefings for officials and feeding into London briefing where required.
Resources managed:
- A collection of projects that will total £800k in year 1 and more thereafter. The entire programme will cover two strands (renewable and infrastructure) one of which the successful candidate will be responsible for.
What makes this a great job:
This is an opportunity to run a diverse portfolio of projects with real responsibility for ensuring that they are delivered to a high standard. The work will be varied and interesting with the potential for travel to meet implementers and evaluate projects.
What sort of person will be suitable for this role:
The successful candidate will be a competent and dynamic project manager. Relevant experience within the development sector is welcomed (ideally three years) but our priority is to find individuals with great skills.
You should have strong numerical and budget management skills, with a proven ability to track spend efficiently and report against milestones. An excellent command of written and spoken English is essential as are strong IT skills, particularly in Excel and Word. An eye for detail and accuracy are important.
The successful candidate should be a team player with strong interpersonal and communications skills with an ability to build a wide range of complex and productive working relationships. The job holder should be willing to work to frequent and tight deadlines while maintaining a high standard of work. The role requires flexibility, a willingness to adapt to new operational requirements and a willingness to travel.
Essential on arrival:
- 3 years experience in a project management role
- Knowledge of either the renewable or infrastructure sectors within East Africa would be an advantage.
- Experience of working with project management methodologies (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile etc)
- Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies
- Excellent IT skills (advanced skills in Excel and experience of accounting software would also be desirable)
- The BHC Nairobi operates and encourages flexible-working. The flexi-system does not alter the number of hours that staff are asked to work but simply puts in place a system for those who wish to work flexibly, to balance their working hours with their private lives.
- Members of staff are expected to be available for work between the core hours of 0830hours to 1200hours and 1400hours to 1500hours on Monday to Thursday (both days inclusive) and 0830hours to 1300hours on Friday.
- The cycle for flexible working is four weeks, at the end of which members of staff may carry forward a maximum of 14 hours 30 minutes distributed over two working days on the basis of Seven hours Fifteen minutes (7 hours 15 minutes) for each working day.
- All applicants must be legally able to work in Kenya with the correct visa/status or work permit.
- Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Nairobi are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Kenya.
- Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
- Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted.
- If you have not heard from us 3 weeks after the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.
- Any questions you may have about this position will only be answered during interview, should you be invited
This opportunity is closed to applications.