Deputy Country Lead, CFYE Nigeria at Palladium Group

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Deputy Country Lead, CFYE Nigeria

Job Requisition ID: req18031
Location: Nigeria

Project Overview and Role

• The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 6-year and €114 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 200,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and the Horn of Africa regions.
• The Fund will be supporting initiatives in 23 focus countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.
• The portfolio of projects is selected from business cases that were proposed by private sector, civil society and knowledge institutions. Each business case has outlined scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income generating opportunities for youth. Solutions in particular focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply side (skills) and bridging the mismatch between these two in the labour market.

Job Overview

• The Deputy Country Lead will be responsible for supporting CFYE’s Implementing Partners (IPs) in Nigeria. In this role, you will closely work with the existing Country Lead for Nigeria.
• The Deputy Country Lead will work directly with a selection of IPs on project management, Project Administration, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) related activities.
• They will support the Country Lead to ensure that IPs receive target technical support in their impact monitoring efforts and data analytics. This includes monitoring the progress of the IPs’ projects, supporting them with technical and financial reporting, mobilizing (additional) technical assistance, and any other needs that may arise. Although the Country Lead has final responsibility for the portfolio’s performance, the Deputy Country Lead will play a crucial supporting role to this end.
• While most communications with CFYE headquarters will go through the Country Lead, the Deputy Country Lead will also – where requireddirectly liaise with the Central Team (including Fund Management, Technical Assistance, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning, Financial Management, Communications, and Project Delivery)

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
The responsibilities and duties of the Deputy Country Lead include the following;

Portfolio and Project Delivery Administration:

• Support Country Lead the development and implementation of the country delivery plan following the timely planning as per the country workplan.
• Support the Country Lead and the Fund’s central team in project operations and management including periodic review of progress against the due diligence improvement plan, Results Planning (both outputs and outcomes), as well as other areas identified by the team.
• Support the periodic review and provide guidance to individual Implementing Partners on their progress against non-MEL related topics including due diligence improvement plan and Results Planning (mostly activities outputs).
• In case of any in-country events, support the Country Lead and Central Delivery team in their organization.
• Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Relationship Management:

• Work with Implementing Partners to ensure the documentation of key project documents (work plan, risks register, budget, reports, etc.) is complete, meets the CFYE requirements, and has been uploaded in the CFYE IT system.  
• Support the Implementing Partners on any queries related to invoicing and contractual payment processes.
• Support the realization of any Contract Amendments.
• Guide the IPs in the preparation of financial information and supporting documents as part of the Quarterly and Annual Review -Process and internal reviews or external project audits.
• Alert the Country Lead and Finance Management Team when issues arise in relation to financial management that require a response from the fund management team; and
• Liaise with the IPs and Finance team on invoicing and contractual payment processes.  

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL):

• Liaise with MEL Advisor to monitor and evaluate the impact of IPs’ projects in accordance with the CFYE MEL system, and validate documentation tied to Outputs and Outcomes for disbursements.
• Support the quarterly progress review meetings with each Implementing Partner (IP), and document minutes, observations, and reflections, including external conditions and local external factors relevant to project implementation.
• Support IPs to prepare knowledge and communications material and present learnings during learning events or other Learning and Innovation Agenda events, where relevant.

Technical Assistance Delivery:

• Support Country Lead in TA planning to the IPs: assist in drafting the TA assignment (Scope of Work), requesting approval from the central team.
• Support recruitment and on-boarding of the TA service provider.
• Support daily management of TA implementation (receipts, transport, Q&A, Sorting out travel arrangements in Egencia) as well as TA service provider management (Timesheets & invoice management for TA).
• Support the Country Lead in ensuring high-quality TA delivery.

Level of Effort and Reporting:

• The Deputy Country Lead will report to CFYE’s Country Lead for Nigeria. However, she/he will need to work and coordinate closely with other members of the Challenge Fund Team, as and when demanded by assigned tasks. The position will be a full-time employment role, initially for one year with the possibility for an extension. 

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant Academic qualifications in a related field such as Business Administration, Economics, and Finance.
• Proven experience with project management and performing related administrative tasks.
• Proven knowledge of Monitoring & Evaluation concepts and experience engaging with and coordinating M&E activities.
• Relevant technical work experience in one of the following areas: youth employment, private sector development, and/or business consulting.
• Nigerian national, work experience in Nigeria, and based in Nigeria.

Core Competencies:

• Strong Project Management skills.
• Strong affinity with youth empowerment, gender, and social inclusion, and decent work.
• Good knowledge of financial reporting principles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Good organizational and planning skills.
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Comfortable working with Microsoft Office and preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to work successfully as part of a team.

Application Closing Date
27th February, 2023.