Project Manager at Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FAcE-PaM)

Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FAcE-PaM) is a not-for profit Non-Governmental organization duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 1998 with registration number 11444. Our conception priority focus areas at inception were Education, Poverty and Malnutrition. Consequent to expanding needs and intervening challenges, we responded to them, leading to the expansion of our areas of intervention and engagement. Although we have never lost focus, but over time, we have either been initiating or implementing (mostly in partnership or with support of donors) programs especially in the areas of Education, Peace Studies and Practice, Peace building and Conflict Management, Mediation, Promotion of peaceful elections, Gender and Disability issues, Water and Sanitation, Nutrition, Health (especially reproductive and public health), Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance, Capacity Building and Mentoring of NGOs, CSOs, CDAs, etc.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Manager

Location: Bauchi
Employment Type: Contract (1 Year Renewable, subject to performance)
Reports To: Head of Programs
Travels: Potential travels as the work demands

Job Description

• The post holder will be expected to manage the effective implementation of the Empower Her project, which aims to increase empowerment of women and girls in gender-responsive SRH and climate-resilient WASH, working with the Bauchi State Programme team.
• S/he would perform a wide range of duties using independent judgment and initiative to determine approaches or actions to take in non-routine situations. In broad terms, the job holder will provide technical, administrative and operational support for programme management (planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, knowledge management and fundraising activities) with reference to the project’s delivery in Bauchi state.
• S/he will be required to interpret guidelines using policies and precedents. Most importantly S/he will be able to demonstrate sufficient professional and personal maturity to be entrusted with what in many cases will be sensitive information to the programme department and the organization at large.
• A key responsibility of the Project Manager will be to support the Project implementation by providing technical and administrative support to the project on gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and WASH to ensure the effective delivery of the project in Bauchi State Nigeria and ensure FAcE-PaM is networked in the right spaces to influence systemic change.

Responsibilities
General/Cross departmental/Collaboration:

• Works closely with the FAcE-PaM Head of Program to ensure quality and standard delivery of the new project’s activities.
• Represents Empower Her at State meetings and provides feedback on progress and development on those platforms and suggests necessary steps/advice to FAcE-PaM.
• With the support of the Project team: Gender Specialist, Sexual Reproductive Specialist, Governance and Influencing Officer and communication officer, develop appropriate activities and events to mark Global Days such as Handwashing Days, World Water Day, Menstrual Hygiene and World Toilet Days in Nigeria.
• Deliver learning products on WASH and SRHR and engage effectively in Knowledge management platforms sharing project learning on system strengthening engagements for improved sanitation and hygiene.
• Develop learning products related to sanitation and hygiene.
• Engage in knowledge management platforms, sharing lessons learned from system-strengthening initiatives for improved sanitation and hygiene.
• Support the development of the annual work plan and budget.

WASH and SRH:

• Lead the implementation of initiatives to improve attitudes of in-school and out- of-school girls and boys to adopt health-promotive behaviours in WASH and SRH in selected schools and communities in Bauchi.
• Improve awareness of families, communities, groups, and leaders to support gender- responsive climate-resilient WASH and SRH information for adolescents, particularly girls and young women.
• Develop capacity of healthcare workers (at HCFs) to integrate quality, climate-resilient gender-responsive WASH (including IPC) into SRH information and services.
• Deliver improved climate-resilient and inclusive WASH at schools and health facilities to support integration of gender-responsive SRH services.
• Facilitate initiatives to Increase knowledge and skills of responsibility holders in planning and delivering gender-responsive WASH, MHH and SRH services for girls and women across sectors.
• Support hygiene interventions targeting behaviour change in women and girls in household, community, and institutional settings, ensuring they are exposed to hygiene messages multiple times for lasting impact.
• Lead research processes to identify the determinants of hygiene and SRH behaviours and social norms affecting women and girls, and develop context- relevant, engaging hygiene-promotion packages.
• Engage with, support and contribute to sector planning processes and discussions around national sanitation approaches and strategies, adequate monitoring Facilitate private sector participation (women’s economic empowerment, job creation, entrepreneurship, SMEs) - Engage collaborators [especially women (social and profit-oriented businesses)] at the various levels to encourage participation along the sanitation value chain at different levels.
• Engage state-level stakeholders to ensure sanitation and hygiene are integrated into the health, nutrition, and education sectors, particularly focusing on menstrual hygiene management and safe sanitation facilities for women and girls.
• Advocate for the development and implementation of sanitation and hygiene policies and strategies that are sensitive to the needs of women and girls, ensuring gender equality is central to these policies.
• Facilitate women’s participation along the sanitation value chain, encouraging women-led businesses, job creation, and entrepreneurship in the sanitation sector.
• Support the process to design programmes that promote non-discrimination and equality, sustainability, accountability, participation and access to information.

Advocacy, Partnership and Innovation:

• Support the formation of effective partnerships at national, state and local levels with government bodies, civil society, academic/ research institutions, international development partners, youth groups, Donors, Researchers, Think Tanks, Innovation Hubs, media and the private sector.
• Advocate and influence to improve integration and prioritization of sanitation and hygiene into other sectors such as Health and Education to improve national planning processes and state-level implementations.
• Work in partnership to maximise impact, share knowledge and experience on sanitation and hygiene behavior with key institutions, stakeholders and platforms.
• Work to influence donors and governments to invest more in sanitation and hygiene, and encourage adequate and consistent budgetary allocations that are effectively and efficiently used at national and sub-national levels to ensure sustainable and quality implementation of sanitation and hygiene plans and policies.
• Improved coordination and support /partnerships for climate-resilient and gender responsive and inclusive WASH, MHH and SRH services across sectors particularly at schools and health facilities.

Research, Evidence, Learning:

• With the support of the communication unit, develop case studies, position papers, policy messages /briefing notes, web articles etc. on key SRH, gender, sanitation and hygiene issues to achieve influencing outcomes of WaterAid work in Bauchi and Nigeria.
• In collaboration with the Advocacy and Communication Team, receive and analyse legislations related to WASH, SRH, gender at the State Houses of Assembly and prepare reports that convey impact of policy and legislative proposals on gender responsive WASH access within specific jurisdictions of state and LGAs.
• Support the design and delivery of activities targeted at strengthening policy analysis and capacity of WANG CSO partners in sanitation and hygiene and WASH in general.
• With the support of the State Programme Lead and Strategy, Programme Effectiveness and Learning (SPEL) department document and share learning on sanitation and hygiene policy issues and civil society engagement, citizenship engagement/empowerment, rights of stakeholders, gender, equity, and inclusion.
• With the support of the WaterAid SPEL team synthesize findings and recommendations from completed research(es) conducted by WaterAid Nigeria into practical actions in sanitation and hygiene.
• Manage collaborative case studies, impact surveys and other research to adequately inform stakeholders about the critical issues in WASH service delivery and design.
• Initiate and support in dissemination events to share policy research reports in sanitation and hygiene.
• With the support of SPEL team develop, administer, and periodically evaluate institutional development tools which consider access and rights, equity & inclusion and other key components to effectively evaluate performance of the WASH sector in sanitation and hygiene.

Requirements
Essential Criteria:

• Must have a University Degree in Environmental / Public Health, Social Sciences, Gender or Development studies or related fields.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience, of which at least 5 years must be in WASH, Gender, and/or SRH Programme/project management, sanitation and hygiene promotion, community management, WASH programmes advocacy with any reputable international agency.
• Experience with high-level stakeholder engagements (government/ development agencies), especially stakeholders from the health sector driving and delivering strategic priorities.
• Experience with building capacity of implementing partner organizations especially CSO’s and government.
• Experience of managing multiple project stakeholders including community level stakeholders; government officials; CSOs etc.
• Experience in project documentation for use in influencing, writing case studies and success stories.

Desirable Criteria:

• A Master’s Degree in Public Health, Gender, Education and Awareness and any of Project Management, International Development / Human Rights, Sociology, Public Policy or Political Science will be an added advantage.

Application Closing Date
24th April, 2025.