Project Manager at Africa Farming Innovations (AFI)

Africa Farming Innovations (AFI) is a groundbreaking initiative bringing together the Oyo State Government, local Farmers’ Cooperatives, the Local Solutions International (LSI) a US 501 (3) (c) nonprofit, tax-exempt organisation, and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) an intergovernmental organisation based in Vienna Austria. AFI aims to promote innovative and sustainable agricultural practices that empower rural communities, especially the youth. At AFI, we focus on integrating cutting-edge solutions to address key challenges in agriculture, climate resilience, and youth unemployment in Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Manager

Vacancy No.: NGSW/2025/YERP/001
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Employment Type: Full-time
Type of Contract: Service Contract - Open to Nigerian Nationals only
Duration: One year, with possibility of renewal - subject to funding availability

Summary of Functions
Project Delivery and Performance:

• Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s)
• Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within framework set by the Project Steering Committee.
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life span.
• Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.
• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
• Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages
• Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
• Control project and work packages changes
• Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers.
• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management/ Project Steering Committee so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved
• Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for AFi.

Compliance:

• Comply with all organizational policy, donor rules, and specifically the Project Management Manual
• Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Project Steering Committee.
• Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement(s) and in the Implementation Plan
• Draft the requirements definitions for procurement processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team.
• Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded
• Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with AFi rules and regulations.
• Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
• Understand and manage AFi overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project
• Understand the unique structures of partner organizations and budget appropriately for personnel
• Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports)
• Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.
• For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager
• Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during the audits and follow up on audit observations/recommendations

Monitoring and reporting:

• Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and AFi requirements for reporting.
• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard procedures.
• Provide routine oversight and analysis of delivery data within the dashboard system.
• Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects’ life span

Stakeholder engagement:

• Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies
• Establish solid working relationships with the Project Steering Committee (Executive, Senior Users and Senior Suppliers), client and key stakeholders
• Enable the formulation of project communications plans. Coordinate internal project communications. Monitor the effectiveness of project communications
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs

Quality assurance:

• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements
• Work with procurement/purchasing staff to ensure effective interface with suppliers’ quality systems
• Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables
• Provide quality control for management outputs (project documents, reports, etc.)

Knowledge management and innovation:

• Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
• Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices
• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
• Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.
• Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of AFi policies

Personnel Management:

• Lead and motivate the project management team
• Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established
• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely
• Select, recruit and train team as required and take into account gender parity and diversity objectives.
• Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harrasement, sexual harrasement and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by AFi policies, standards and commitments.

Educational Qualification and Experience Requirements
Educational Qualification:

• An Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Business Management, Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy, Agric-Economics or related field is required.

Certification:

• PRINCE2 Foundation is desirable

Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in project management, with at least 5 years of experience as project manager in an international organization focusing on the youth development, agricultural projects, rural development or other related projects; and in the implementation and/or monitoring of programs/projects is required
• Experience in writing reports, performing data analysis, and writing technical documents is an asset.
• Knowledge of quality assurance methodologies is an asset
• Experience in risk management is an asset.
• Experience working in multicultural teams is an asset.
• Experience in managing teams is an asset.
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to manage tasks associated with the development of projects.
• Strong Problem Solving Skills.

Remuneration
N1,000,000 / Month+ Benefits

Application Closing Date
17th January, 2025 (Midnight Nigeria Time)

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following documents to AFi Cooperative via: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the email.

Application Documents

• Letter of interest clearly stating suitability for the position;
• Detailed curriculum vitae based on the criteria stated above.
• Degree Certificates.

Note

• Failure to submit supporting documents as specified in the advertisement will result in an incomplete application. Applicants who submit incomplete applications will NOT be considered.
• Due to the high volume of applications, only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
• Do not send more thank one application.