COOPI is looking for a Project Manager in The Gambia

COOPI has started its experience in The Gambia in 2017 with several feasibility missions to assess migration patterns and youth vulnerabilities, their causes and devise possible solutions which led to the opening of its offices in December 2018, both by Banjul and in North Bank. Up to now COOPI has been working on tackling the roots causes of irregular migration through psychosocial support of returnees and livelihood support to young Gambians in the North Bank (NBR) and Central River Regions (CRR).

COOPI is intending to expand its work to support the implementation of Gambia’s National Social Protection Policy to enhance capacity of Government on social protection related issues, particularly to support vulnerable persons with severe disability through cash transfer in Central River Region. 

This position is subject to donor's approval

Context

The Gambia was ranked 174th country out of 188 of the UN Human Development Index and had a poverty rate of 48,6%, according to the Integrated Household Survey 2015/16 produced by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics. 

The Project will intervene in CRR, one of the poorest regions in The Gambia, affected by food insecurity and chronic nutritional insecurity, high exposure to risks associated with climate change and alarming poverty rates. 

Role Purpose

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, the Project Manager:

• is responsible for the project’s execution, in technical, economic/financial terms, and in terms of resources management on the field, in compliance with COOPI and the donor’s procedures;
• ensures the expected results attainment in budget management.

Responsabilities

Activity planning and management

• in cooperation with the project staff, s/he plans and monitors the activities’ progress, in compliance with the contract signed with the donor and with COOPI and the donor’s procedures.

Administrative and financial management

• in collaboration with the Project Administrator, s/he plans all expenditures to make; 
• s/he regularly monitors all made expenditures;
• s/he supervises accounting and the project cash safe/bank account management;
• in cooperation with the Project Administrator and the Country Administrator, s/he prepares the purchases plan;
• s/he ensures the organization and donor’s procedures respect when purchasing goods and services.

Reporting

• in coordination with the Program Manager and with the Country Administrator, s/he ensures the preparation, in compliance with the deadlines, of all financial and narrative reports – interim and final – expected by the project;
• s/he is responsible for the preparation of all formal communication and contract modifications requests (ex. budget modification) of the projects he/she manages.

Staff Management 

• in coordination with the Program Manager and the Head of Mission and in compliance with the country’s rules/laws and with the COOPI’s regulation in The Gambia, s/he selects the local staff to be employed in projects;
• by making use of the organization’s tools, he/she evaluates the local staff employed for projects and s/he participates to the evaluation of his/her own project, upon request by his/her direct supervisor;
• s/he coordinates and supervises the work done by all the project staff, in compliance with the organization’s security procedures;
• s/he is responsible for the initial and continuous training of the local staff under her/his responsibility.

Goods management

• s/he is responsible of the correct management of all goods purchased for the project, both directly and purchased by other offices/field offices;
• for all goods purchased by the project he/she updates the inventory, in cooperation with the Country Administrator.

Institutional relations

• in coordination with the Programme Manager, s/he keeps the relationship with the donors’ officers and collaborates closely with project’s partner;
• together with the project’s staff, he/she communicates with the beneficiaries and in compliance with the organization’s guidelines.

New projects’ writing

• upon request by her/his direct supervisor, and cooperating with the project staff, s/he elaborates, writes and prepares all necessary documents to present for new projects, in accordance with the organization’s processes and procedures.

Requirements

Essentials

• Minimum 3 years experience in the field as project or programme manager or in a similar position;
• Demonstrated field experience in setting up, implementing and monitoring cash transfer programs using varied modalities and delivery mechanism;
• Cash transfer budget management experience including institutional donors (EU);
• Management experience of operational aspects of cash transfer programming (design and implementation of SOPs, procurement and contracting);
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
• Valid driving license.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
• Strong supervisory abilities, and demonstrated capacity of teamwork and of coordination with the relevant actors;
• Very good inter-personal and writing communication skills;
• Ability to organize work efficiently and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under time constraints.

Asset

• Desired experience in working on projects for people with special needs;
• Good knowledge of the context.

We encourage international staff already in the country to apply.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application closing date, once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters. 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.