Project Manager at Cambridge Education: (Deadline 19 January 2025)

Project Manager at Cambridge Education: (Deadline 19 January 2025)

Project Manager

Location(s): RW

Contract Type: Contract

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: International Development

Discipline: International development

Job Ref: 5612

Recruiter Contact: Shailesh Chougule

Application Link: Click here 

Deadline: January 19th, 2024

Job Description:

The Project Manager will function as part of the Core Team. S/he will be required to work closely with the Team Leader, Project Principal and Senior Project Manager (SPM). The Project Manager will take on the day-to-day responsibility for providing effective and efficient financial and operational management of the programme, in accordance with MML internal policies and procedures. They will also be central to managing our Operational and commercial relationships with our client, beneficiaries (regional partners) and our consortium partners. The PM should have a good understanding of the project inputs and deliverables to achieve this. The Project Manager will be accountable to the Project Principal and SPM for oversight of Operations, according to Mott MacDonald systems and processes. In the first year, and longer if needed, the PM will be supported by a Senior Project Manager who will check the PM inputs and mentor them. After the agreed time the responsibilities of the Senior PM will be pass to the in-country PM.

The Project Manager will:

1. Project Delivery: Operational Management 

• Support the Senior PM in developing the operational guidelines and procedures; ensure those are reviewed at agreed intervals and that they are disseminated to the team
• Support the technical team in preparing a costed workplan and ensure project staff implement the workplan within budget and record change control when amendments are made.
• Ensure that the team receive adequate operational and logistical support to conduct all technical activities as agreed in the workplan with the client. These include but are not limited to: transport and accommodation, organising technical events, managing logistics for large scale studies or fact-finding missions.
• Management of core and downstream partners (contracting, invoicing, relationships).
• Management of subconsultants (contracting, invoicing, relationships).
• Oversight of supplier contracts and project procurements.
• Proactively identify project risk and scope creep and bring any issues to the attention of both the Senior Project Manager and the Team Leader
• Conduct performance reviews and manage on a day to day basis all administrative and finance staff in the programme (Operations Manager, Operations Officers, Finance Manager, Finance Officers, Drivers)
• Ensure appropriate use of Mott MacDonald’s Business Management Systems (BMS) in supporting the delivery of the programme.

2. Project Delivery: Execute, Monitor and Control:

• Develop a strong relationship with the client, focusing on finance, human resources, procurement & operations. Serve as first point of contact with the client, along with the Senior PM, on commercial matters.
• Support with client audit and compliance requirements
• Promote ethical behaviour, anti-fraud actions and good conduct as defined by MM Code of Conduct.
• Manage performance against PPW and PMP. Make updates and changes when appropriate, in consultation with the SPM
• Support the Senior PM with contract amendments where appropriate.
• Monitor the internal budget and report to key technical team members and budget holders on financial performance and budget availability on a monthly basis.
• Hold monthly project control meetings with the Project Principal, Team Leader and Senior PM.
• Responsible for monthly updates of the internal financial system (Connect Business).
• Support Senior Project Manager with accurate and timely forecasting of programme spend to the client and internally to Mott MacDonald
• With the support of the Senior PM identify risks and implement mitigation actions
• Responsible (with the support from the finance team) in supplying monthly and accurate financial information to the client in the form of annual and monthly budgets and forecasts. In the first months these will be checked by the SPM
• Responsible for (with the support from the finance team) billing the client in accordance to contractual billing schedule. In the first months these will be checked by the SPM
• Report on WIP values monthly, ensure the value is fully justifiable at all times
• Ensure value for money procedures are followed during all the procurements
• Ensure the recruitment of staff and consultants follow STEP due diligence practices.
• Ensure the engagement of 3rd party suppliers are in-line with STEP due diligence and supplier selection processes.
• Maintain project records by ensuring the use of Sharepoint by teams and file storage on OneDrive.
• Contribute to the monthy, quarterly, annual client reporting as needed
• Maintain offline budget tracker and update at quarter end
• Ensure that the operations and financial teams adequately support the technical delivery of the project
• Maintain and update all the project safety, security and wellbeing documents including risks register, country security plan, business continuity plan, evacuation plan etc.
• Review the project asset register and conduct asset verification on a quarterly basis.

3. Close the Project:

• Develop and implement the project closure plan.
• Complete the project on time and to budget.
• Ensure project information is updated on the project database.
• Ensure lessons learnt are recorded and project materials are available on the SharePoint Site.

Note: This job description reflects the present requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop, the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post holder and line manager.

Candidate Specification:

Skills

• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure.
• Ability to work in a collaborative team setting.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to cultural differences in developing countries
• Proficient in using MS packages, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong organisational skills, reliability, and adherence to ethical standards
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong people leadership and influencing skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English, able to also work in Kinyarwanda preferred.

Experience

• Managing and leading sizeable teams of finance and operations professionals
• Experience of navigating complex project structures
• Experience in operations management for large-scale, international development projects, ideally for FCDO/ UK government
• Experience with procurement, contracts management requirements, and cost accounting principles
• Experience in providing administrative, logistical and financial support to projects
• Extensive experience of setting up and managing multi-million-pound project budgets.
• Extensive experience with stakeholder engagement, including international donors and local government, and the ability to develop partnerships with local government, private sector, and the wider international community

Knowledge

• Educated to a degree level (International Business, Economics, Finance, Project Management, or equivalent)
• Undertaken Project Management Professional Qualification (PRINCE, APM)
• High degree of commercial acumen and knowledge of planning and project controls
• Good understanding of contractual issues and risks relating to delivery of projects

Desirable criteria

• Current knowledge of Rwandan procurement, labour, tax, banking, and other laws and regulations
• Able to work without hindrance in Rwanda

Background:

Cambridge Education has been awarded the FCDO funded Girls in Rwanda Learn (GIRL) programme, a 6-year programme (Nov 2024 – Jun 2030). GIRL is the FCDO’s new bilateral education programme in Rwanda, building on components of the previous Learning for All (LFA) programme (2015-2023). The LFA programme worked to improve learning outcomes in English and Mathematics in all government and government-aided schools in Rwanda, with a special focus on girls and including children with special educational needs. GIRL has been designed to build upon this work by continuing to focus on foundational learning outcomes in English and Mathematics, with an even stronger focus on girls’ education and inclusive education. It will work to reduce school drop-out and improve transition to lower secondary or other learning pathways, particularly for girls and children with disabilities. The programme is made up of 3 main components:

• Component 1 will focus on improving learning outcomes in English and Math and providing technical assistance to the Government of Rwanda to strengthen capacity and the policy environment for improved foundational learning.
• Component 3 will focus on managing an innovation fund for out-of-school girls using a test-learn-adapt approach.
• Component 5 will focus on technical assistance and advocacy to the government around foundational learning and out-of-school girls, to ensure approaches are scaled and evidence from the programme feeds into policy and programming in the sector.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team and personal commitments. We embrace agility, flexibility and trust.

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