Food Security & Livelihood Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description
Position: Food Security & Livelihood Project Manager

Location: Kismayo, Lower Juba, Somalia

Duration: 5 months, renewable based on performance, funds, and need for the position

Posted: 18th, July 2024

Closing date: 26th July 2024

Organization: Alight

ABOUT ALIGHT.

Alight is built on the way we see people. Understanding that a life is about so much more than simply satisfying basic needs, we’re working on how best to help the people we serve find connection, purpose, and joy in the challenging situations they find themselves in today.

We are dedicated to the principles that: abundance is everywhere; humans deserve human worthy service; radical accountability transforms our impact; everyone has the power to make change through democratic co-design; and by scaling deep we can rise to the size of the problem while staying close enough to respond to everyone.

The overall objective of the ALIGHT in Somalia program is to prevent death and alleviate human suffering among affected internally displaced persons (IDPs) in settlements and host communities where we work. ALIGHT has embarked on WASH, Health, Protection, shelter, and livelihood activities in lower juba region of Somalia and health and WASH program in both Banadir, Middle Shabelle Jubaland, Sool region and maroodijeex of Somaliland expand to other parts of the Country. Alight is taking a multi-sectoral approach in responding to the severe drought conditions through a range of activities including Health, Relief Commodities and WASH.

The Somalia Program of the Alight has fully-fledged offices in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Dhobley, Hargeisa, and Laas Anood in Somaliland besides a liaison office in Nairobi, Kenya. Alight is working closely with national and regional authorities and with several Somalia-based international and national organizations to galvanize coordinated lifesaving humanitarian assistance to the people in need.

PPROJECT DESCRIPTION.

The project will be implemented in Jubaland State, Federal Government of Somalia mainly in Kismayo (Gobweyn, Luglaw, Yontoy and Bula-gadud). The goal of the project is to enhance the resilience and economic stability of vulnerable communities affected by drought & flooding in Lower Juba region of Somalia.

The project will use multi-sectoral response strategy by combining Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), Agriculture, Economic Recovery and Market Systems (ERMS), and off-farm livelihoods. MPCA will stabilize households and reduce food insecurity, while ERMS activities will provide short-term income to cover basic needs and prevent harmful practices. Farmers affected by flooding will receive cash and equipment to re-start farming, contributing to economic recovery and food security for the community and region. Off-farm livelihoods will also be supported through cash grants, entrepreneurship training, temporary employment, and market systems support. These activities will create an environment for communities to recover, become resilient, and become economically stabilized. MPCA will be distributed to the most vulnerable households in each target location, while Agriculture and ERMS activities will vary based on population and livelihood source. Alight plans to hire a competent candidate to support these activities.

JOB SUMMARY

The Project Manager will be responsible for the timely and effective implementation of BHA funded Economic recovery and Market system development sector. and other sector-related activities at all stages of project cycle management complying with technical, Alight/donor standards to accomplish objectives and outcomes within the contextual constraints.

Under the direct responsibility of Alight’s FSL program coordinator, the Project Manager will oversee the overall implementation of the activities of the project, in close collaboration with other field staff and support departments. Other responsibilities will include Project management, staff management, internal and external coordination, reporting, and planning of activities and participation in the procurement process.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project management and Implementation.

· Responsible for overseeing the effective execution, management, and reporting of all project components.

· Oversees and evaluates the performance of project staff.

· Serves as the budget manager for the project, responsible for financial oversight.

Project Knowledge Management.

· Contributes to the development of project knowledge by creating activity sheets, designing necessary documentation, with guidance from the FSL coordinator.

· Regularly assesses the project’s progress and recommends adjustments as necessary for continued relevance.

Monitoring and evaluation / Data collection

· Creates detailed reports for donors and internal use, as well as presenting findings in internal meetings.

· Manages the monitoring, evaluation, and learning aspects of the project by developing appropriate tools for data collection, analyzing results, and producing reports.

· Develop program monitoring tools and support in monitoring of outcomes and outputs in coordination with the MEAL and other relevant teams.

· Conduct regular audits of Project Management databases to ensure the accuracy of data and maintenance of tools.

Stakeholder coordination

· Establishes necessary connections with donors, partners, local authorities, and stakeholders engaged in project implementation.

· Maintains positive relationships and facilitates coordination with other NGOs working in the project area.

· Make sure to regularly participate in Food Security and Livelihoods clusters coordination meetings.

Internal coordination

· Attends weekly Programs Coordination meetings when possible and stays in communication with the Country Director for Programs.

· Works closely with the FSL program coordinator for technical guidance on project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, discussing challenges and proposing solutions.

· Contributes to writing the project section of the Internal Coordination Report.

· Participates in sharing project communication materials such as pictures, videos, and success stories.

Logistics and administration

· Make sure that the project’s logistical, administrative, and financial processes align with TGH and donor guidelines and notifies superiors of any discrepancies to take corrective action.

· Foresees and plans for the project’s logistical (purchases, staff arrangements), administrative, and financial requirements (hiring, payments, funding requests) in advance.

Staff Management.

· Plays a role in the recruitment and hiring the operational team under his/her supervision.

· Collaborates with the HR department to manage administrative tasks related to their team, such as monitoring daily attendance and managing leaves.

· Ensures that the team follows internal policies and initiates disciplinary actions as necessary.

· Manages the project team by conducting staff evaluations, tracking progress towards objectives, and promoting skill development.

Strategy/Project development

· Assist in conducting need assessments as instructed by supervisor.

· Help in creating new intervention strategies based on identified needs, especially in the FSL sectors.

· Analyze and gather pertinent information related to FSL conditions in the country and identify important trends in coordination with FSL Program coordinator.

· Undertake additional duties as delegated by immediate supervisor.

· Carry out any other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

Skills and Qualifications
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

· A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, agriculture, development studies, project management or related field from Recognized university.

· Proven experience of minimum 5 years within international humanitarian and development programs with minimum 3 years in managerial positions with NGOs, INGOs in leading program/projects with specific work experience in promoting entrepreneurship development support services.

· Excellent working knowledge of English and Somali (spoken and written).

· Experience and willingness to work in complex and volatile environments

KEY COMPETENCIES

· Ability to maintain good working relations with colleagues, beneficiaries, other agencies and other project stakeholders/local authorities.

· Ability to work efficiently under pressure

· Strong negotiation skills

· Knowledge of project cycle management and tools

· Management skills

· Skills in the transfer of competencies and capacity building

· Excellent working knowledge of English and Somali (spoken and written)

· Proficiency in MS Word, Excel

· Experience in implementing emergency recovery programs will be an added advantage.

· Ability to use of community-based targeting approach in which well constituted Village Committees are formed with gender and clan balance considerations. To avoid risk of exclusion of vulnerable groups, the project will use available information and third-party reports.

· Have knowledge on various Business skills training modules; Candidates who possess business skills training of trainers from accredited Business skills training platforms such as ILO’s business training, CEFE trainers; among others shall be considered as added advantage.

How to apply
Kindly send your CV, Cover letter and copies of relevant academic and technical qualifications to: SMJobs@wearealight.org not later than 26th, July, 2024

NB: Please state on the Subject line of the e-mail: FSL Project Manager.