Job Description

Solidaridad is a global civil society organization (CSO) that provides market driven solutions for sustainable production practices across different supply chains. We envision a world in which all we produce, and all we consume, can sustain us while respecting the planet, each other and the next generations. Our mission is to bring together supply chain players and engage them with innovative solutions to improve production, ensuring the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy that maximizes the benefit for all stakeholders.

Main objective of the function

The Coffee Projects Manager will be responsible for the successful implementation of the organization’s related coffee projects, mostly the Food Security in Ethiopia and Kenya (FOSEK) and Irish Aid projects and lead the overall growth of the coffee program in Ethiopia. S/he will be responsible for coordinating implementing partners’ activities and for conducting trainings in the field on agronomic practices.

FOSEK Project

FOSEK Project stands for food security through improved resilience of small scale farmers in Ethiopia and Kenya. The project component in Ethiopia is in partnership with 3 coffee unions. The project’s main objective is to improve food security in Ethiopia by increasing local agricultural production and the income of small scale coffee farmers in Ethiopia. The project will demonstrate improved farmer and community food security based upon combining coffee as a cash crop with the production of a considered selection of food crops (intercropping) for farmers’ own consumption and for sale on the local markets. It will generate a more stable income for coffee farmers throughout the year, access to improved and nutritious food and availability of food for local markets.

Position in the Organization

The Project Manager reports to the Ethiopia Country Manager. The Project Manager coordinates people and processes to ensure that Solidaridad’s FOSEK project is delivered on time and produce the desired results within scope and allocated resource envelope. S/he will also be expected to work closely with the national and regional programming team, as well as the regional innovation team.

Result areas

Project Planning;

• Review the project proposal, budget, targets, key performance indicators and ensure that the planning is realistic (Measurable, Reportable & Verifiable), both in terms of budget and implementation.
• Develop detailed work plans and budget in coordination with the respective partners as required
• Assist project partners to develop their plans in line with the required project objectives and deliverables.
• Support the project team by providing longer-term vision, strategic direction and appropriate planning aligned with Solidaridad’s regional and global network business plan.

Project Implementation;

• Work with the concerned staff and partners to ensure effective implementation of the project.
• Review the project plans annually to ensure that they are realistic, both in terms of budget and overall project plan.
• Regularly review & track the project progress against milestones and take corrective action where required, raising issues with the concerned personnel as needed timely and professionally.

Project Management;

• Promote and maintain effective partnerships with the partners and beneficiaries.
• Guide and lead the project team to achieve specific goals, objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the project.
• Ensure that work is appropriately delegated and staff members are empowered to carry out tasks independently where appropriate matching their skills and capacity.
• Ensure efficient project management procedures are implemented to enable monitoring of projects and accurate reporting of progress.
• Ensure strict adherence to Solidaridad’s ethics, policy and pro-actively encourage transparency and openness in all activities.
• Ensure procurement and contracts are prepared and issued to Solidaridad’s standards and procedures/ in-country legal frameworks / partners’ requirements and are managed effectively.
• Manage financial resources of selected tasks and components while coordinating with the Regional Project Finance Manager regarding budget control and financial procedures.
• Support collection and accurate reporting of impact data related to the project as guided by the PMEL Manager.

Networking with Government and non-Government Organizations, and Private Sectors;

• Build strong relationships with the government authorities and arrange field visits and regular progress review meetings where necessary.
• Learn good practices from other organizations and reflect these in the project.
• Represent Solidaridad, building and maintaining relationships and partnerships with relevant service providers, government, national and international development partners, local stakeholders and communities, private sector and funder Partners representatives for effective implementation of projects.
• Contribute to public communication while supporting a strong and positive Solidaridad brand that is visible and recognizable while working closely with Country Manager and the Regional Communications Officer.

Project Monitoring and Reporting;

• Pay regular field visits to intervention areas to observe progress, with a focus on ensuring ‘quality’ outputs.
• Prepare project progress reports (Monthly and Quarterly) based on a structured M&E framework including a review on financial report and provide necessary feedback.
• Ensure quality monitoring data collection from the field and timely reporting.

Staff Management;

• Supervise, coach and provide mentorship to the project staff.
• Assist in the recruitment of project staff (as and when required)
• Manage the performance of the project staff.
• Develop plans for capacity-building of the project team to enable the team to be more self-standing in the future.
• Support effective communications and joint working within the team and with other teams across the organization.

Fundraising;

• Identify and discuss with the Country Manager and Regional BD Manager any potential future funding opportunities which present themselves in-country and provide advice on their suitability and potential alignment with the Solidaridad strategic direction.
• Initiate and participate in developing funding proposals

Other Ad-hoc Tasks

• Be cognizant of the wider implications of the project, working effectively with other Solidaridad functions in-country and sometimes at Regional level: Finance, Quality team, the Innovation team as appropriate. 

Duration: 1-year contract (extension based on performance and availability of resources)

Reporting line: Ethiopia Country Manager

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• Relevant academic level education; Master degree in a relevant field (Agriculture, rural development, Social Science, Management, Business Administration, international development, Project Management etc.).
• At least five (5) years’ experience in managing projects funded by international agencies or development partners.
• At least three (3) years’ experience in a management position with international organizations.
• Vast experience managing coffee and food security projects in Ethiopia.
• Must be familiar with the coffee industry and food crops supply chains and especially in production and marketing
• An understanding of the policy environment, issues and stakeholders in the agriculture and/or agribusiness sector in East and Central Africa.
• Experience setting up new projects and programmes.
• Track record of delivering project goals within deadlines and budgets across public and private sectors and with NGOs.
• Demonstrable track record of effectively building and sustaining key external and internal relationships at community, utility and governmental levels to realize project goals.
• Leading and managing project teams of stakeholders including staff.

Specific Job Requirement

• Ability to work independently and lead diverse multi-disciplinary team; stakeholder management skills.
• Project management skills including strategy, planning, setting objectives and planning to meet those objectives, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, budgeting, financial management and sustainability.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Ability to define new projects, establish overall scope and budget able to influence at senior management level, take a strategic outlook and to manage change where necessary empowering project staff and others to strengthen their capacity and capability through mentoring and coaching.
• Excellent planning, organizational and time management skills, able to work well under pressure both proactively and prioritize a challenging workload.
• Good communication skills; able to communicate complex concepts in a clear and concise way to non-technical managers both in writing and verbally and to provide professional advice with confidence and tact.
• Motivating and developing teams, including performance management and appraisals.
• Collaborative approach to partnership working in a cross-cultural context; a team player, with strong problem-solving ability.
• Able to carry out regular in-country (and potentially) international visits and to deliver effective presentations.
• Experience in designing and implementing certification programs is desirable.
• Demonstrate experience in proposal development.
• Demonstrate experience in a similar position.

How to Apply

Interested candidates that meet the above qualifications should send their cover letter, CVs and salary expectation to:

 Emails: hr.eca@solidaridadnetwork.org

Subject: “Project Manager - Coffee

Deadline: 20 January 2021 at 5:00 pm (EAT).

The CVs will be evaluated as they are received only shortlisted candidates will be contacted