Somalia – Project Manager Full Time

COOPI is looking for a Project Manager in Somalia

COOPI has been active with its humanitarian and resilience programs in Somalia since 1984. COOPI has been implementing emergency and long-term resilience building projects including food security & livelihoods, water and sanitation and health, to improve the living conditions of thousands of vulnerable families.

COOPI has been providing response and supporting the most basic and pressing needs of communities in Southwest State, South Central, Banadir, Jubaland and Somaliland. COOPI has a long-standing presence in those locations providing both emergency humanitarian support and building resilient livelihoods through a multi-sectoral approach with specific focus on crisis affected populations. COOPI’s main operational and coordination offices are located in Mogadishu, Baidoa and Dollow. COOPI also has a support and regional office in Nairobi.

Description of the role

The Project Manager is the focal point of COOPI’s program in Somalia and specifically manages the AICS FSL and WASH project. Under the direct supervision of the Head of Mission, and in link with the Program Coordinator, the Project Manager will have direct responsibility on the project coordination and implementation of the AICS FSL and WASH projec. In addition, supports Head of Mission and Program Coordinator in formulaings the strategy for the Somalia mission and ensures its implementation in accordance with COOPI policies, donor expectation, local and international legislation. He/she coordinates and evaluates all aspects of the COOPI projects, and facilitates the flow of information from the field to the capital. The Project Manager also plays a strategic role for COOPI’s external relationships, liaising with donors and stakeholders in collaboration with the HoM.

Main responsibilities

Strategy and planning

• Project planning and management: in cooperation with the project staff, plan and monitor the activities’ progress;
• New projects’ writing: in collaboration with the Head of Mission and Program Coordinator, contribute at analyzing possible opportunities of project designing and funding and elaborate, write and prepare all necessary documents to present new projects.

Coordination and supervision of the program country strategy implementation

• Contribute to the design and update of the country strategy by providing inputs to the Head of Mission;
• Visit COOPI field activities regularly and reporting on problems, challenges and obstacles while building an intimate knowledge of fieldwork realities;
• Ensure the monitoring and evaluation of the program including the identification of needs and gaps;
• Monitor and review the security status of the area(s) of operation on a regular basis, liaising as applicable with local authorities, other NGOs, the UN or other relevant security bodies and keeping the Head of Mission updated on relevant developments.

Administration and financial management

• Expenditures: plan all expenditures to make and assure a monitoring on this aspect;
• Accounting/bank account supervision: supervise accounting, project cash safe/bank account management anddirectly manage the accounting and the project cash safe/bank accounts, making use of the instruments made available by the organization.

Logistics

• Purchase plan: In cooperation with the Project Administrator, Logistics Coordinator and in coordination with the Country Administrator, prepare the Purchases Plan;
• Procurement: ensure the organization and donor’s procedures respect when purchasing goods and services;
• Goods management: Correct management of all goods purchased for the project, both directly and purchased by other offices/field offices.update the inventory, in cooperation with the Administrative Coordinator;
• Security: Contribute to strengthen the security assessment and ad hoc procedures, specifically applying the general country procedures to the specific context of the project.

Human Resources

• Staff Management: select the local staff to be employed in projects, and manage any other project’s expatriate staff;
• Evaluations: using the organization’s tools, evaluate the local staff employed for projects and participate to the evaluation of the project;
• Staff Training: responsible for the initial and continuous training of the local staff under his/her responsibility.

Reports

• Drafting of financial and narrative reports: ensure the preparation, in compliance with the deadlines, of all financial and narrative reports – interim and final – expected by the project;
• Donor communication: responsible for the preparation of all formal communication and contract modifications requests of the project to the donor.

Institutional relations and Representation

• Communicate with the donors’ officers, the local authorities which are competent in the aspects related to the project, the project’s partners and beneficiaries, in compliance with the organization’s guidelines;
• Coordinate and represent COOPI in FSL and WASH clusters and working groups;
• Participate in humanitarian coordination activities;
• Any other task in reasonable agreement with the Head of Mission.

Analyzes Humanitarian needs and response

• Collect, summarize and analyze information from external sources and from technical advisors for future opportunities;
• Support the project team for proposals writing (narrative and financial) to address the identified needs.

Requirements

Essentials

• Advanced degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Health or a related field or equivalent work;
• A minimum of 5 years of work experience in project formulation, implementation and coordination in the humanitarian context with International NGOs;
• Experience in working with different Donors (AICS ECHO, EU, USAID, UN agencies, etc.) with priority to AICS;
• Good leadership, strong managerial skills and ability to organize and supervise a complex team;
• Ability to organize work efficiently and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under time constraints;
• Very good inter-personal and writing communication skills;
• Good knowledge of humanitarian standard and background (ex. Sphere standard);
• Proactive aptitude in terms of planning and coordination with different bodies, institutions and Reference Points;
• Experience of working within an insecure environment with responsibility for security planning, monitoring and management;
• Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
• Positive ability to bear stressful and complicated situations;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English; certified advanced (or mother tongue) knowledge of Italian is mandatory;
• Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Plus

• Professional experience in Somalia or the East Africa region is an asset;
• Experience in FSL, WASH and Nutrition projects management will be a strong asset;
• Ability to conduct sectoral analysis and to understand and transform into possible proposal the policies and strategies of the donors;
• Institutional relations management and cultural context understanding;
• Diplomatic and confidentiality skills.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application closing date, once a sufficient number of applications have been received.
Please note that only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled, thanks for understanding.

Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. For more than 50 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economical Services, Water and Sanitation, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.

Tagged as: COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale, Somalia