Nigeria Program Manager at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 15 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Nigeria Program Manager

Req No: NIGER01583
Location: Abuja
Job Type: Full Time

Position Summary

• Creative Associates seeks a Nigeria Program Manager to guide program activities through the Activity Cycle, from concept to closure, working with and through multiple teams: Programs, Engineering, Grants, Procurement and Finance.
• The position will be based in the head program office, located in Abuja, with frequent travel and work expected to be carried out in the North East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. The Program Manager will also ensure continued program collaboration with Creative Home Office in Washington DC.

Reporting & Supervision

• Reporting directly to the Chief of Party (COP), the Nigeria Program Manager will ensure that program activities are designed, implemented and completed in line with a fast-paced program strategy.
• S/he will closely coordinate with all program-related team members in Abuja and in field offices to ensure on-time and on-message delivery of activity and program aims. S/he will directly supervise the Grants Manager and Engineering Manager.

Primary Responsibilities

• Propose, put in place, and oversee mechanisms to ensure that activity development and implementation are in line with activity aims and program objectives, and drive continuous improvement in process and outcomes;
• Directly oversee the coordination mechanism between Grants, Engineering, Procurement and Program teams, ensuring activity development and clearance keeps pace with demand and remains compliant with program strategy and rules/regulations;
• Guide Community Development Facilitators (CDFs), Program Managers (PMs), and Grants Officers in activity development and design where necessary;
• Propose, put in place, and oversee mechanisms that support managers’ oversight of program implementation to ensure activities deliver to intention and to schedule, and drive continuous improvement in process and outcomes;
• Through managing the Grants Manager, oversee the function, effectiveness, and compliance of the Grants Department to ensure all activities are conceived, delivered, and closed in compliance with the approved Activity Cycle and Activity Manual Addendum;
• Through managing the Engineering Manager, oversee the function, effectiveness, and compliance of the Engineering Department to ensure the timely design and delivery of all engineering activities and compliance with prevailing environmental regulations;
• Review, revise and update Task Order-level environment monitoring and mitigation documentation as required;
• Oversee or directly maintain financial management tools and financial projections for program activity (Transition Activity Pool) spending;
• Advise the Senior Management Team, OTI, and HQ team on expected and actual commitments and expenditure and provide quality control on both cash requests and internal/external projections;
• Along with the COP, Operations Managers and Deputy Chief of Party-Programs, engage OTI counterparts to guide program strategy, including setting objectives, developing theories of change, and supporting program expansion if required;
• Conduct research to identify innovative technical solutions and providers to stabilization and transition activities. Typical areas include alternative construction technologies, off-grid energy generation and storage, mobile connectivity and mobile money, civil society capacity-building strategies, etc;
• Travel to field offices in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa to ensure that lessons (both operational and thematic) are consistently and practically applied into activity design and program operations, supporting state teams as needed; and
• Perform additional tasks as assigned by the COP.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• A Master’s degree and three (3) years of relevant professional experience, or a bachelor’s degree and five (5) years of relevant professional experience;
• A minimum of one (1) year of previous field-based experience working on complex, high-speed and challenging operations in transition environments as a Program Manager, Regional Program Manager (RPM), DCOP or other similar role;
• A minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience, preferably in an international setting;
• Programming experience with a donor, contractor or international NGO managing an office or program with demonstrated supervisory experience of diverse field teams;
• Experience with activity and program design, strategy development, implementation, activity close-out and adaptive management;
• Experience with grant management;
• Exceptional written skills;
• Exceptional organization skills and ability to work and multi-task under pressure;
• Exceptional analysis, logical reasoning and presentation skills, enabling training and capacity building of team members;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with culturally and geographically diverse staff, fostering overall good dynamics within and between teams;
• Ability and willingness to travel to and work in Northeast Nigeria; and
• Fluency in written and oral English is required, with French language proficiency desired. 

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience with in-kind and small grants, preferably programs that require various and simultaneous procurements of goods and services and management of providers of short-term technical assistance.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online