National Project Manager at the International Labour Organization (ILO)

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work. We bring together governments, employers and workers to drive a human-centred approach to the future of work through employment creation, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: National Project Manager

Job ID: 9663
Location: Abuja
Vacancy No.: ABUJA/DC/NO/2022/12
Grade: NOC
Department: RO-Africa
Contract type: Fixed Term

Introduction

• The position will be located in the ILO Abuja Office, which maintains overall responsibility for the ILO's presence and activities in four Anglophone Countries of West Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
• It also serves as the liaison office for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
• It takes supports its constituents in defining programme priorities, activities, monitoring, and overall programme delivery.
• The National Project Manager will lead the implementation of a project on Supporting Regional, National, and Local Action to Address Child Labor in West African Agriculture, funded by the US Department of Labour’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB).  

The National Project Manager will lead the project team to design, implement and report on activities aiming at meeting the project Outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Increased capacity of ECOWAS to implement the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan to eliminate child labor.
• Outcome 2: Increased mobilization of ECOWAS Member States to implement National Action Plans to eliminate child labor.
  • Outcome 2.1: Improved legislative, policy, and enforcement environment for enabling national action to address child labor.
  • Outcome 2.2: Increased action by communities to develop and implement Community Action Plans to reduce child labor in agriculture.
  • Outcome 2.3: Increased access to education, livelihoods, or other forms of social protection in agricultural communities.
• At the regional level, the project will strengthen ECOWAS to carry out, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate its Regional Action Plan to eliminate child labor, and at the national level, it will support the Government of Nigeria to improve the enabling environment to implement its National Action Plan to eliminate child labor.
• At the community level, the project will support cocoa-growing communities in Ondo State, Nigeria to carry out child labor elimination activities through implementation of Community Action Plans determined by the communities themselves, as well as provision of education, livelihoods, or social protection services.

Reporting lines:

• Under the overall responsibility of the Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone (CO-Abuja), the National Project Manager will report directly to the CO-Abuja 
• He/she will receive technical guidance and support from the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch (FUNDAMENTALS). 
• The National Project Manager will give guidance and supervise a project team of national officers and general service staff.

Description of Duties

• Plan, manage, coordinate, implement and monitor the project through timely provision of inputs, project activities and timely and efficient delivery of output and in conformity with ILO policies and project strategies, and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and Country Programme Outcomes (CPOs), and administrative and financial procedures and USDOL guidelines
• Ensure that the results are regularly documented, monitored, evaluated, reported, communicated and used for learning and adjustment of the project. Develop a strong results measurement framework, including a monitoring system to track progress and results at various levels. Mainstream gender, disability, and ethnic culture concerns into all project-related activities.
• Plan, organize, supervise, monitor and manage efficiently the work of the project team (incl. national experts and general service staff, as well as external collaborators). Allocate work to staff, assign staff to particular work streams, control the quality of outputs, provide guidance and training and evaluate the work performed by staff
• Liaise with other organizations in the target country (ies) to implement project activities to advance the objective of the project
• Ensure administration and internal control of project resources for effective and cost-efficient management of funds/budgets assigned to the project as well as ensure that reporting is adequately carried out, as elaborated in the Project Document and USDOL guidelines
• Work in partnership with ECOWAS’ Department of Social Affairs & Gender (DSAG), in particular its Social Affairs Division and Human Security Division, to expand ECOWAS’ actions to address child labor.
• Strengthen relationship to cooperate and coordinate with the host government officials and work with government stakeholders at the national and/or local level, including relevant ministries or government bodies.
• Represent the Office in interagency fora and meetings with a view to identifying areas for joint activities.
• Draft and review, including in cooperation with technical specialists, substantive inputs for programme framework documents, project proposals, reports and other documents for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• Provide leadership on the provision of technical support to ILO constituents, government agencies, other relevant stakeholders, and in particular the Project Steering Committee in undertaking their advisory responsibilities under the project
• Strengthen relationship to cooperate and coordinate with the concerned governments, ministries and the employers’ and workers’ organisations, non-governmental organizations, the target groups and the donors, in the planning and implementation of activities under the project. Lead the representation of the ILO at inter-agency, governing body, stakeholder, donor and other meetings, and maintain close relations with donor and other partner agencies, including through promoting ILO principles, policies and procedures.
• Ensure that the results of the project at impact, outcomes and output levels are achieved through the activities and interventions of the project, are deemed sustainable, and the results are regularly documented, monitored, evaluated, reported, communicated and used for learning and adjustment of project implementation.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the Supervisor

Required Qualifications
Education:

• First-level University Degree in Public Policy, International Development, Social Science, Anthropology, Education, Economics, or related field

Experience:

• At least five years of experience working on projects that address labor-related issues, including child labor and related issues, such as education and women’s economic empowerment,in the agricultural sector.
• Experience in managing and implementing development cooperation projects, project management, supervision, administration, and implementation of cooperative agreement and/or contract requirements (including meeting deadlines, achieving targets, budgeting, and overseeing the preparation and submission of required reports), preferably in Nigeria,  
• Demonstrated experience working with regional institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, such as ECOWAS or the African Union.
• Experience maintaining working relationships with all project stakeholders and effectively building partnerships between them.

Languages:

• Fluency in English. Working knowledge of French would be a strong advantage

Competencies:

• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice;
• Excellent leadership skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes;
• Ability to unite or find convergence in an inclusive manner among diverging perspectives and to build bridges among different stakeholders.
• Excellent knowledge of programming and results-based management (RBM) principles and concepts.
• Excellent knowledge of the programming cycle (planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation).
• Excellent knowledge of resource mobilization.
• Political awareness and understanding of socio-economic factors.
• Knowledge of the substantive nature of Organization’s work programmes and activities.
• Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.
• Research and analytical skills.
• Drafting skills.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques for designing and assessing quality and efficiency of process execution.
• Ability to interpret and work within applicable rules, regulations policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
• Ability to plan, manage and supervise staff.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

Application Closing Date
30th September, 2022 (midnight local time).