ACT Project Coordinator at World University Service of Canada

Responsibilities

• The position will report to the Project Director, working closely with the country teams based in Kenya and Malawi, and will primarily support the day to day implementation of project activities. The Project Coordinator will play a critical role in: supporting the Project Director to meet WUSC and donor policies and project reporting requirements; managing the project budget; fostering collaboration and communication between project partners; and ensuring the quality implementation of project activities in a timely manner. Duties include:

Project Management

• Support the Project Director in effectively establishing relationships for project management and governance (i.e. partnership agreements, supporting the Project Steering Committee, etc.);
• Support the preparation and implementation of work plans, results reports, financial reports, monitoring and evaluation plans, project gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) strategy, and other relevant documents required by the donor;
• Provide general troubleshooting and facilitation support to requests from the ACT project team members and act as a coordinator with various functional units (e.g. HR and contracting, procurement, communications, IT, human resources, finance, etc.);
• In conjunction with the finance team, develop and monitor the project budget, including partner budgets and financial reports, and ensure regular reporting to the donor;
• Maintain open and effective communication among strategic partners and project team members in Kenya, Malawi and Canada
• Support the convening of the Project Steering and Advisory Committees at regular intervals.

Partner Relations and Communications

• Establish and maintain effective relationships between key project partners, including those based in Kenya and Malawi;
• Follow up with partners on effective implementation of project activities, monitoring and reporting on results, and financial reporting;
• Support the collection of multimedia content from project activities for the development of communications products highlighting the project’s impact, success stories, and lessons learned.

Donor Liaison & Coordination

• Support the Project Director in establishing and maintaining a strong working relationship with the donor in Kenya;
• Support the Project Director in organizing donor and HQ monitoring missions and other project events;

Qualifications and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (social sciences, business); Master’s degree in a related field an asset;
• A minimum of five years supporting the management of development initiatives;
• Knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship ecosystem support, gender lens investment and financial inclusion desired;
• Demonstrated capacity to work in cross-sectoral collaboration;
• Experience working with a variety of donor agencies; experience with Global Affairs Canada is an added value
• Knowledge of Results Based Management (RBM) and environmental and gender policies and reporting requirements;
• Proven financial, administrative and organizational skills;
• Knowledge of donor financial and narrative reporting procedures and requirements;
• Diplomatic skills and the knowledge of cross-cultural, inter-personal communication;
• Excellent administration and organizational skills, including ability to prioritize tasks and handle multiple initiatives under tight deadlines;
• Proven ability to work productively with a variety of stakeholders to run participatory processes and meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products;
• Effective interpersonal and influencing skills, including the ability to build relationships, network, communicate and represent at a senior level are essential;
• Share in WUSC’s commitment and approach to advance gender equality and social inclusion for all young people;

Language and other

• Fluency in oral and written English is required
• Ability to travel as required (especially to Malawi)
• Legally eligible to work in Kenya (WUSC will not provide any work permits)
• Ability to work a flexible schedule with multiple time zones.