Project Manager – Enhancing crop yield and profitability in Kenya through biological plant protection Project Project Assistant – Global Climate

JOB SUMMARY
 Reporting to the Program Director, the project manager is responsible for technical oversight for the overall project and budget management, and line management of key project staff by ensuring timely and adequate implementation. Proper planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, partner management and innovations for the project.
ROLES AND RESPOSIBILITIES
R1: Support Technical Excellence in Programme Implementation Via Direct Support To Consortium Project Teams

Deliver market and value chain related outputs in collaboration with project teams including scoping studies for biological products, market assessments, market systems development and associated business cases
Develop, iterate and deliver training materials required for markets and value chain interventions for project team deployment in consultation with the County Government – with a focus on Farmer Field and Business School establishment and management, environmentally sustainable agricultural production, quality farm inputs, enterprise development, gender integration and value chain development.
Provide advice on access to finance for smallholder farmers and rural enterprises, with regard in particular to the scaling of our interventions, including impact investment, micro credit and bank finance

R2:      Internal and External Networking And Support

Promote project consortium in numerous external, high-profile events to showcase our impact and learnings and develop new partnerships
Support the consortium in developing relationships with private sector actors for partnerships both in the country and in our counties of operation
Actively network and participate in industry events to identify potential opportunities for the organization and relevant resources to ensure consortium is aware of industry innovation and best practice.
Participate in internal and external webinars and events as a panelist to promote consortium’s work and share our successes, learnings and insights.
Represent CARE in relevant community development planning meetings.
Establish and maintain a good working relationship with other CARE colleagues and project staff, Partner agencies, County government, CBOs, collaborators, other stakeholders and enhance CARE image.
Liaise with the National, County government officials, CBOs, collaborators and other stakeholders as appropriate.
Enhance teamwork and synergy in programming and CARE’s activities.

R3:      Project Management and Coordination

 Approve all travel expenses reports (TERs), Project advances and Procurement requests
Liaise with the Procurement Manager and Field staff to ensure smooth and timeliness in the operations of the project financial and procurement services’ need.
Prepare quarterly procurement schedules and process according to CARE and donor regulations with the Program Coordinator.
Monitor project expenses in coordination with the CARE Finance’s tracking systems and monthly
Contract Budget Statement reports and maintain strict adherence to CARE financial policy.
Ensure rationalized utility of the program assets

 R4:      Reporting and Contract Compliance

Facilitate the collaborative development of a comprehensive M&E Plan, Detailed Project Implementation Plan and Operational Plan together with the program team and implementing partners.
Support in organizing M&E strengthening workshop for implementing partners and using the results of the workshops to improve on the PMF and overall project delivery.
Support in the development of action plan for operationalizing the M&E plan for Project.
Support in mentorship of the partner M&E staff to support the development of the M&E system
Review M&E reports from partners and in accordance to contracts and develop a system for validation of information provided by partners.
Organize and oversee field visits and monitoring plans for ongoing monitoring and review of ongoing project activities; with a view to ascertain that activities are ongoing and that results and outputs shared with CARE are genuine and within approved priorities funded, which will be used to make decisions concerning revisions/adjustments to implementing partner’s contracts.
Develop management project progress update reports.
Support in the organization of partner review meetings taking into consideration performance review by various actors, in order to inform challenges and progress in program implementation.
Support in the organization of partner review and sharing sessions for CARE and partners to present project progress updates, lessons learnt and best practices to enhance performance.

R5:  Staff Management

Supervise staff, while ensuring that they fully understand their responsibilities, work as a team and deliver on their tasks in a timely manner.
Ensure staffs have detailed implementation plans and these are reviewed and updated regularly with feedbacks provided on areas requiring improvements.
Guide, supervise, coach, manage, mentor, provide leadership and support to the project staff on a day to day basis to meet program tasks and responsibilities, to deliver within contractual obligations.
Support hiring of competent staff and orient them in a timely manner to implement in line with contractual obligations and CAREs policies and procedures.
Support staff to develop Individual Operating Plans for purposes of strengthening their performance and the performance of the program.
Undertake annual staff appraisal in line with JD and IOP requirements on a timely manner.
In a timely manner notify and consult the supervisor and human resource department and CAREs management on any staff concerns related to their conduct, performance, confirmation and disciplinary issues while ensuring that policies and procedures are adhered to.

Qualifications

Must have a bachelor’s degree, and preferably an advanced degree, or equivalent in Agriculture, Rural development/livelihoods, agribusiness or other relevant field.
Minimum of five years’ experience working in agricultural development, value chains, enterprise, access to finance and/or agribusiness in an East African setting and Kenya in particular
Consulting, corporate sustainability, start-up and/or financial sector experience preferred.
Experience in agricultural market & value chain analysis, designing and piloting outgrower schemes or other activities linking small holder farmers to agricultural commodities markets
Experience in potatoes coffee, maize and sugarcane value chains preferred
Experience in enterprise development, business analytics and SME financing – with a particular focus on agri-businesses and producer organisations
Experience in commodity price risk management, and financial modelling for agribusinesses
Experience building capacity development plans for SMEs and producer organisations
Experience with certification of farmers and their associations like Fair Trade or organic
Demonstrated experience providing financial and business analysis that increase the competitiveness and inclusiveness of SME and value chain actors
Capable of working largely independently.   In addition to managing the members of the Country Project Team, s/he is expected to interact extensively with the Programme Technical Team

Additional Information
WORKING CONDITIONS
This position will be based in Nairobi with travel to the project sites in 2 counties, Nyandarua and Machakos.
Contacts/Key Relationships 
This role is expected to establish and maintain open, professional, and cordial relations with the COs internal and external customers. These include and not limited to:
External: Government agencies, partner organizations, key project stakeholders, service providers
Internal: CARE staff, Project team
Deadline to receive all applications will be on or before  23rd August 2021, at 5.00 P.M EAT. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.

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