Agribusiness
Project Manager
Background
Concern Universal
(CU) 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
1,200,000 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.
CU Malawi is seeking
to recruit an experienced, dynamic and agribusiness Project Manager for an
anticipated large-scale European Union (through the National Authorising Office
in the Ministry of Finance, Malawi)-funded agribusiness project, called
DIVERSIFY (Developing Integrated Value chains to Enhance Rural Smallholders’
Incomes and Food security Year-round).
This anticipated
42-month project is an innovative and pioneering agribusiness
NGO-research-technical advisory-private partnership initiative led by CU
Malawi, together with the International Potato Centre (CIP) and Imani
Development, working with some of the leading baking and agro-processing
companies in the country.
The overall
objective of this anticipated project is to contribute to poverty reduction in
Malawi and improved livelihoods of smallholders, with a focus on women farmers
by promoting innovative and transformative pro-poor agribusiness.
The specific
objective is to improve the livelihoods of 3,000 rural households in Balaka,
Chiradzulu, and Thyolo districts through increased, diversified production,
stronger value chains, and better market access. This will be through
developing commercially-viable, nutrition-sensitive agribusiness value chains
for orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and pigeon pea. The anticipated project
will be working all along the respective value chains, and will involve
supporting farmer training and organisation (farmer club and association
formation), value addition, and the commercial piloting of new mass products,
including OFSP-based baked goods through key players in the baking industry.
Developing women’s agency and effective gender mainstreaming is a central focus
of the project and all interventions are aimed at strengthening women’s
economic and social position.
The Project Manager
and the whole accompanying team we are recruiting must all be firmly committed
to delivering lasting positive improvements to the communities that we serve,
and delivering CU’s mission and upholding our values of integrity, dignity, and
environmental respect.
The contract will be
for approximately 42 months up until around May 2020.
The availability of this position
is contingent upon the award and funding to CU Malawi.
Project
Manager
(Blantyre-based, with extensive regional travel)
Job Purpose:** The Project Manager is
accountable for the overall vision and leadership of the project and is
accountable for delivering results. S/he will be responsible for the overall planning,
implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the project, as well as
coordination with all project partners and stakeholders. S/he will manage the
human, financial and other resources available to the project and is
responsible for creating and nurturing a team that will successfully implement
the project.
Key duties
and responsibilities:
· Develop, implement
and monitor project workplans and budgets, in line with project logical
frameworks, agreed deliverables, and resources, in collaboration with partners
and stakeholders. This includes ensuring effective project budgetary control
and monitoring in line with CU’s financial procedures and guidelines, and fraud
and risk management policies.
· Provide leadership
and direct line management support to all staff reporting to this project,
including coordinating workplans, building team spirit and working, conducting
performance appraisals, supporting staff development, etc.
· Deliver expert
technical support and guidance in all aspects of project implementation and
budgets. This is particularly in terms of formal and informal agribusiness
development, farmer mobilization and capacity building, market integration, and
gender equality into the implementation of the project.
· Ensure close
collaboration and networking with all partners, including government, partners,
private companies and communities, as well as other Concern Universal projects,
during all stages of project implementation.
· Coordinate the
preparation of high-quality, timely and accurate contractual and other reports
(as required) for submission to their line manager, as well as the donor.
· Ensure that
effective monitoring, accountability, evaluation and learning systems are in
place and used by all stakeholders.
· Undertake any
other duties that contribute to the sustainability and visibility of the
project, including fundraising, networking, and representation at various
internal and external fora, including internationally.
The
successful candidate will have:
· At least a
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (agribusiness, economics, business
development, international development), while a Master degree would be
advantageous.
· Extensive work
experience in areas such as agribusiness, value chain development, inclusive
business, farmer-market integration, or market systems approach or similar.
· Significant
experience managing programme, financial, and operations of EU or other
international donor-funded rural development projects.
· Experience of
working in Malawi or southern Africa, strongly preferred.
· Good technical
knowledge of roots, tubers and legumes value chains would be advantageous.
· Excellent
interpersonal, planning, coordination, and facilitation skills.
· Confidence to
develop strong relationships with senior level clients and stakeholders i.e.
government officials, donor partners and business executives.
· Fluency in spoken
and written English, including excellent English report writing skills and high
attention to detail.
· Proven ability to
work under pressure and meet tight and competing deadlines.
· Well-refined
people management, team working and interpersonal skills.
· Strong respect and
empathy for rural communities; a deep personal commitment to promoting women’s
rights; as well as an affinity to CU’s mission and values of integrity,
dignity, and environmental respect.
· A full clean
driving licence and ability to drive a four-wheel drive manual vehicle is
preferred.
Terms and
conditions:
The position will attract a generous benefits packages including a competitive
salary, housing allowance, medical, insurance, annual leave, leave grant, etc
(negotiable).
To apply for this
position, candidates must submit a completed Application Form. Please note that
CVs and cover letters will not
be accepted. Please visit http://concern-universal.org/who-we-are/vacancies/
to download the Application Form, and then submit the completed form via email
to malawi.jobs@concern-universal.org. When submitting, please put YOUR NAME_DIVERSIFY
PROJECT MANAGER in the email title.
If you have
difficulty accessing the form, then contact us at cublantyre@concern-universal.org
Closing date for the
receipt of completed application forms is midnight 25th October 2016.
Only short listed
candidates will be contacted. For more information about CU, please visit our
website at www.concern-universal.org.
Concern
Universal is an equal opportunity employer, and women are particularly
encouraged to apply.