VACANCY – PROJECT MANAGER
The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) is a French non-profit organization working in over 30 countries worldwide to provide emergency response, early recovery, and development assistance to communities in need. ACTED’s interventions seek to cover multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach that is both global and local, and adapted to each context. ACTED’s vision is to establish emergency, rehabilitation, and development. ACTED aims to guarantee the sustainability of relief interventions carried out during crises by remaining in the field after the emergency to engage in long-term support to communities in food security, health, education, economic assistance, microfinance, advocacy, and cultural promotion. ACTED’s actions are needs based and identified in a participatory manner with communities in the areas where we are present. ACTED has been active in Indonesia since April 2005, assisting those affected by the tsunami and Nias earthquake and is now working to support livelihoods, community-based disaster risk reduction, and child protection in North Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), and elsewhere.
Currently ACTED open vacancy for qualified and experienced staff to be part of our project “Youth, Journalist, and Civil Society Capacity-Building Project (YJCS-CBP) in Medan, North Sumatera.” ACTED in partnership with Indonesian NGO, Kajian Informasi, Pendidikan dan Penerbitan Sumatera (KIPPAS) will implement a project to strengthen the capacity of youth, journalists, and civil society organizations to effectively exercise democratic rights and ensure genuine democratic elections in Medan, North Sumatera. The project intervention will work to achieve project’s goal 1) Improving youth, especially students understanding of their democratic rights and how to exercise them, and they engage in political dialogue, 2) Increasing journalists’ knowledge of election regulations, demonstrate commitment to ethics, and practice civic journalism, 3) Increasing the organizational and election monitoring capacity of CSOs. ACTED is recruiting a Project Manager to be based in Medan, North Sumatera to oversee program and partner activities, as well as operations of the Medan office. In order to apply, please submit (1) cover letter stating how your experience and qualifications meet the desired criteria below and stating your expected salary for the position applied, and (2) your Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English labeled with your name (maxiumum file size 200KB) including three (3) references who we may contact about your past employment. Applications must be submitted by e-mail to nias.administration@acted.org by Friday, February 8th, 2013. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Project Management:
- Providing overall leadership and management to ACTED teams in area of intervention;
- To set up, plan, supervise and monitor the implementation of ACTED’s intervention in the assigned area as per ACTED’s procedures, work plans, and objectives described in funded project proposals / intervention strategies;
- To plan, monitor and supervise the work of the program team (activity planning and monitoring, cash forecasts, logistic and administrative issues, HR issues including recruitment of new team members, appraisals and on the job training);
- To supervise the technical aspects and activity implementation of project components implemented directly by ACTED, and provide oversight of local partner activities through regular coordination meetings and reporting;
- To ensure all the project goals described in funded project proposal achieved and handed over to the local authorities.
- Oversee community mobilization and beneficiary selection and monitoring;
- To assist with planning of project budgets and ensure appropriate expenditure of budgets in line with donor requirements and field realities;
- To technically assess the activities undertaken and ensure efficient use of resources;
- Identify needs which are not covered by current projects, develop possible responses and submit them to Southeast Asia Regional Project Development Manager;
- Utilize the PMF or other tracking tools to provide regular (monthly at minimum) reports on progress towards and tracking of overall project progress, outputs and indicators,
- To ensure all the files of the project activities documented
- To lead and control the weekly meeting area (WAM) and dispatch its meeting minutes of the bases of the area to all ACTED Medan and Jakarta bases
- To document lessons learned, best practices, and success stories and ensure they are communicated to country coordination and ACTED HQ;
- To ensure cross-programme integration, learning, sharing and adoption of best practices and lessons learned within ACTED and with external stakeholders;
- To ensure adherence of the documents produced stick to ACTED procedures in collaboration with office manager and in coordination with the Southeast Asia Regional Project Development Manager.
- Ensures an efficient coordination and flow of information between Medan, Jakarta, Medan and other bases;
Coordination:
- Update and adjust existing project management tools, and/or develop new ones as needed;
- Ensure proper coordination with local partner through regular meetings and communication;
- Ensure proper coordination between all ACTED staff (logistics, administration, finance, and technical) in the area of intervention;
- Develop and maintain good communication with local authorities, keeping them informed of all ACTED activities and making sure ACTED and partner activities are aligned with government priorities and strategy; ensure involvement of local authorities in activities whenever possible;
- Ensure coordination and complimentarity amongst projects (and/or program components) within the intervention area;
- Ensure adherence to Finance Logistic and Administration Team (FLAT) procedures in collaboration with Office Manager and ensure its send to Jakarta office on due date each month.
Reporting and communications:
- To provide weekly and monthly reports on project activities, outputs and results against objectives and indicators, as well as planning for the upcoming month to the Southeast Asia Regional Project Development Manager
- To provide quarterly report on project progress activities to relevant stakeholders of local authorities
- Work closely with the Appraisal, Monitoring, and Evaluation Unit in order to design and conduct all necessary surveys and collection of data needed for project indicators;
- Contribute to ACTED news and communications including bi-weekly Flash News updates and monthly newsletter articles;
Other:
- To monitor the humanitarian context in Medan and rapidly update the Jakarta office on important events, especially emergencies;
- To maintain regular communication with disaster management authorities in Medan to ensure that ACTED remains aware of needs and ready to respond in the event of a disaster situation;
- Assist the Southeast Asia Regional Project Development Manager or other Country Focal Point to gather information and develop concepts for new projects in the area of intervention as relevant;
- To occasionally participate in project development activities outside the intervention area if and when relevant;
- Perform other duties as requested and use own judgment to suggest and advise on other duties as he/she sees fit;
Experience and Skills:
- Possess a relevant university degree in Social Science, Law or related field, Masters degree in Social Science or Law is preferable;
- At least five years of work experience with a local or international Non-Government Organization
- At least three years of experience in managing field implementation of social and development programs, preferably in projects related to Democracy and Human Rights;
- Experience in budget follow-up and management;
- Experience managing staff working in Finance, Logistics, and Administration to support program activities;
- Experience working in consortium or partnership, especially experience working for an INGO in local partner programmatic and financial oversight, or experience in grants management desired;
- Strong experience with government relations, especially in Medan or similar context desired;
- Fluency in English, both written and spoken is preferable
Personal Qualities:
- Flexible and adaptable, willing to learn new skills and conform to new systems and situations;
- Honest, responsible, self-motivated and able to take initiative under minimum supervision;
- Dedicated to efficiency and effectiveness;
- Able to give helpful directions, detailed instructions and demonstrations;
- Ability to work as part of a team in a cross cultural environment;
- Able to negotiate and to clarify expectations of both the beneficiaries and team;
