Project Manager

Job description

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

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Key Responsibilities:

Project Planning, Implementation and Oversight

Provide overall leadership, coordination, and management of the education project, ensuring quality, timely, and cost-effective implementation in line with the approved project design, scope, and objectives.
Lead the development and implementation of strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and Detailed Implementation Plans (DIP’s) to ensure delivery of agreed project results throughout the project life cycle.
Ensure that all project interventions are implemented in compliance with donor guidelines, contractual requirements, and World Vision policies and procedures.
Ensure alignment of project interventions with Ministry of Education (MoE) national strategies, policies, standards, and priorities in Zambia, and support government ownership and sustainability.
Oversee sub-grantee implementation, provide strategic guidance and supervision, and monitor performance to ensure compliance, quality, and achievement of results.
Identify, assess, and manage operational, contextual, financial, and technical risks; develop and implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies in collaboration with Field Office leadership.
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Financial and Grant Management

Work closely with grants and finance teams to ensure sound financial management of the project, including budget planning, expenditure tracking, forecasting, and achievement of agreed burn rates.
Ensure that project expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and aligned with approved budgets, and that financial reports are accurate and submitted on time.
Monitor budget and programmatic performance, flag variances promptly, and recommend corrective actions in line with donor and organizational requirements.
Support resource mobilization and scale-up efforts, as appropriate, to deepen impact and sustainability of education interventions.

Programme Quality, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability

Ensure the establishment and effective use of strong monitoring, evaluation, learning, and accountability (MEL) systems, tools, and processes to track progress against targets.
In collaboration with the M&E Specialist World Vision Education Technical Program Manager, lead regular project reviews, learning, reflection, and adaptive management to improve programme quality.
Facilitate joint monitoring and review activities with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to strengthen implementation quality and accountability.
Ensure the use of evidence, learning, and data to inform decision-making and continuous improvement of project strategies and approaches.
Compile and submit high-quality monthly, quarterly, and annual narrative and results-based reports in line with donor requirements and internal standards.
Document, synthesize, and share project lessons learned, best practices, and promising approaches with internal and external stakeholders.

Partnerships, Coordination and Representation

Build, maintain, and strengthen effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, local and national government authorities, donor representatives, civil society organizations, and community structures.
Represent the organization and the project in coordination forums, technical working groups, donor meetings, and other relevant platforms at national and sub-national levels.
Provide technical, policy, and strategic input to government and partners, as appropriate, to support education system strengthening, sustainability, and institutionalization.
Promote collaboration and synergy with internal teams and external partners to maximize impact, avoid duplication, and enhance sustainability of interventions.

Inclusion, Equity and Safeguarding

Ensure the integration of gender equality, disability inclusion, and equity principles across all aspects of project design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
Promote inclusive approaches that improve access to quality education for the most vulnerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged children.
Model and enforce organizational values, safeguarding standards, and ethical conduct in all project activities and staff interactions.
Demonstrate principles of equity and inclusion in implementation, and with staff.

People Management, Leadership and Capacity Building

Provide strategic leadership and supervision to project staff, fostering a clear chain of authority, accountability, and effective communication.
Support staff recruitment, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and mentoring to strengthen technical capacity, motivation, and accountability.
Contribute to staff performance appraisals and professional development planning.
Create and maintain a fair, inclusive, and enabling work environment that supports staff well-being, collaboration, and high performance.
Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams, including finance, M&E, operations, and communications, to ensure integrated and effective project delivery.

Communication and Knowledge Management

Work with communications and knowledge management teams to support effective internal and external communication, visibility, and documentation of project achievements.
Ensure timely sharing of information, results, and learning across the organization and with partners to support organizational learning and advocacy.

Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience

Master’s degree in education, project management especially with a focus on Education Project Management program or equivalent experience in education project program management.
10+ years of extensive international development experience managing large education grant-funded projects in developing countries.
Minimum of 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience managing or coordinating institutional donor-funded education projects, preferably in Zambia or other similar contexts
Experience managing or supporting projects funded by major institutional donors.
Demonstrated experience in education project planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, including development of work plans and tracking of results.
Solid understanding of donor compliance and accountability requirements, including narrative and financial reporting.
Practical experience working with the Ministry of Education and decentralized education authorities, with knowledge of national education policies, strategies, and systems.
Experience supporting budget management, expenditure tracking, and coordination with finance teams to ensure compliance with approved budgets.
Proven ability to oversee field implementation and support sub-partners or community-based organizations, where applicable.
Demonstrated ability to integrate gender equality, disability inclusion, equity, and safeguarding principles into education programme implementation.
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Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only