Project Manager - Hargeisa & Wajale

Overview

Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a mission-driven, impact-oriented organisation that designs, funds, and operates economic development programmes towards a vibrant, productive, and self-reliant Africa. Over the next decade, our goal is to create maximum impact towards three critical missions:

• Empowering the next generation: Our education mission is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to access a high-quality, affordable education, and become productive citizens of a rapidly changing world.
• Eliminating barriers to employment and productivity: Our productivity mission is to identify and eliminate health, financial, and structural barriers to employment and productivity for working people.
• Solving water scarcity: Our water mission is to ensure that people and communities across Africa have access to a safe and affordable source of water.

Pharo Ventures is the for-profit embodiment of the Foundation's aspirations towards African self-reliance. It is the natural conclusion of its ambition to create a dynamic and sustainable African private sector. Indeed, Pharo Ventures are social enterprises which are geared towards job creation and economic empowerment in Ethiopia and Somaliland.

We are a diverse, multicultural, and passionate organisation, with over 700 employees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Somaliland. Our headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, and we have a liaison office in London, UK, which is home to our parent organisation, Pharo Management.

Opportunity

The Pharo Foundation is keen to deepen its collaboration and support, with local communities and the Government of Somaliland. In line with this, the Foundation is rolling out a transformational project in Wajale, which will provide huge benefit to the Wajale community and the wider Somaliland economy. While the initial focus is on the development of a dam to harvest water for increased access both for- animal and human needs, the subsequent phases of commercial farming and additional water harvesting will provide long term economic and social benefits. In addition, the Foundation will provide support in improving health infrastructure, education and skill development opportunities, and creation of jobs for the community.

We are currently in search of an experienced and exceptional Project Manager (PM) to lead the development and implementation of the Wajale project. As a critical member of the Pharo team in Somaliland, the PM will be responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating the implementation of the Wajale project, ensuring timely, high quality and cost-effective delivery. The PM will coordinate and oversee the work of external parties (consultants and contractors) and will liaise closely with the local community leaders, local government, and other relevant stakeholders at the national level. This role requires a solid individual with a track record of successfully managing water harvesting engineering projects of a value of at least $5m. In addition, he/she should have exposure to commercial agricultural operations and irrigation ventures.

Reporting to the Head of Pharo Ventures, Somaliland, and the Investment Committee of Pharo Ventures globally, the PM will work closely with the Country Director of Pharo Foundation in Somaliland, the Heads of the Water and Agriculture programs in Somaliland and the overall team in Hargeisa. The PM will be critical in ensuring coordination among the various stakeholders and will provide timely information on the performance of the project, opportunities, cost-effectiveness and budget accountability. This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional Project Manager and leader to make a lasting impact on the lives of people in Somaliland.

Key Relationships

Role:                                      Project Manager – Wajale Project 

Location:                               Wajale / Hargeisa, Somaliland

Reporting to:                        Head of Pharo Ventures, Somaliland

Functional Relationships:   Pharo Ventures Investment Committee, Country Director of Pharo Foundation, Head of the Water program, Agriculture Manager and the  larger Pharo team in Somaliland, Key stakeholders, and regulators.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Project Planning & Development

• Based on agreed project scope, outline detailed project scope, goals, and deliverables, and develop implementation plans aligned to the objectives of the Wajale project.
• Define project tasks, resource requirements and develop full-scale project plans.
• Lead the planning and implementation of projects and manage the required resource logistics for excellent project delivery. Track project deliverables using appropriate IT tools.

Financial & Contract Management

• Develop short-term and long-term project budgets in line with the agreed objectives.
• Manage the project resource plan and budget and monitor the project financial performance.
• Manage project resource allocation and negotiate with contracted service providers for cost-effective solutions in line with company policy.
• Monitor project expenditures, compare actual costs to budget, and ensure financial objectives are met with direction from the Head of Pharo Ventures.
• Implement cost-saving measures and strategies to maximise the project's return on investment.

Quality Assurance & Risk Management

• Review and ensure that the project's technical design and implementation expectations are effectively met.
• Provide quality assurance during design and implementation, overseeing the quality of the work on the project and proactively managing any unforeseen technical challenges that arise.
• Ensure regulatory requirements, licences, permits and health and safety requirements are strictly adhered to throughout the project development process.
• Define and enforce quality standards for project deliverables, ensuring compliance with industry best practices and Pharo organisational guidelines.
• Conduct regular quality technical reviews and audits to identify areas for improvement.
• Implement risk response plans and continuously monitor and evaluate risk throughout the project lifecycle.

Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Conduct regular project status meetings and provide project updates to stakeholders, including progress reports and issue resolutions.
• Prepare regular monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, for review by Pharo senior management teams.
• Be a member of the project steering committee and monitor and report on the progress of the project to internal and external stakeholders as required, with the guidance of the Head of Ventures in Somaliland.
• Manage the development of appropriate documentation required by the projects.
• Oversee project progress, tracking key milestones, risks, issues, and resource utilisation.

Change Management:

• Implement effective change management strategies to ensure smooth adoption of project changes and updates by team members and stakeholders.
• Anticipate and address potential resistance to change within the project environment.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including local and national government entities, service providers, consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and local communities.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with all project stakeholders, ensuring their needs/expectations are met.
• Conduct regular project status meetings and provide project updates to stakeholders, including progress reports and issue resolutions.

• a Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field and a Master’s degree in business or related qualifications.
• Minimum of six years as a project manager, with a successful track record of delivering projects on time and within budget, preferably with exposure to the East Africa environment.
• Experience managing large civil engineering project developments, with preference for experience in the development of water harvesting dams.
• Private sector experience is required and exposure to large scale agricultural ventures using irrigation methods will be an added advantage.
• A solid education background with a Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field and a Master’s degree in business or related qualifications.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent and the ability to use MS Project or equivalent tools preferred.
• Experience working with multicultural teams and working in diverse environments.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, and local communities.
• Exceptional problem-solving, risk management and decision-making skills.
• Exhibits Integrity, strives for excellence, and has experience in collaborating with others to new levels of effectiveness.
• Passionate about the Foundation’s vision and mission with the ability to promote and communicate the philosophy, mission, and values of the Foundation to external and internal stakeholders.

Personal Attributes

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify and address project issues effectively.
• Positive and outgoing personality with outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
• Great attention to detail and a flexible approach to work.
• Highly structured and keen on processes that drive project effectiveness.
• Comfortable to work in a diverse team environment.
• Demonstrates high ethical standards and is values driven.
• Ability to foster collaborative approaches to work and build partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Flexible and resilient, with the ability to navigate through change and uncertainty.

This position is open to both male and female candidates. The application deadline is 15 March 2024.

Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received, and only complete applications will be reviewed. If an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested and suitably qualified candidates to apply as soon as possible. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidates.

Application Requirements:

• A detailed CV
• Cover letter. In your cover letter, please indicate your motivation for the role and state where you heard about this position or saw it advertised (e.g. website, LinkedIn, etc.).

• An updated list of at least six references with their names, current email addresses, and phone numbers (the list should contain at least 2 peers, 2 direct reports and 2 former supervisors).