Project Manager

Development Pathways Limited
Position: Project Manager

Reporting to: Director of Project Delivery

Location: Sidcup (Greater London) and hybrid working of 2 days in the office and 3 days remote

Contract Type: Permanent and full-time

Starting Salary: £35,000 – £40,0000 gross per annum (negotiable based on experience) plus benefits

Purpose

The Project Manager will be responsible for managing and coordinating the effective delivery of existing and new projects across our portfolio, predominantly based across Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

The post holder will be responsible for projects delivering to quality expectations (internal and client), delivering to scope of project, within budgeted resources and in line with timelines managing challenges and change as these emerge. The post holder will work closely with delivery partners, consultants and internal technical experts to ensure projects maximise their positive impact.

The Project Manager will also support the Director of Project Delivery and the Programme Management Officer to disseminate good management practice across the organisation, and advise on delivery approaches.

Main Responsibilities

Project Management (60%)

• Provide high-quality project management for the delivery of major projects, working independently and proactively to ensure delivery is on time, on budget, within scope and meeting client expectations and contracts
• Plan and manage workplans including change requests ensuring that approvals are formally documented, and amendments included in changes to the contract as necessary
• Ensure that the project team deliver their tasks and responsibilities effectively and efficiently, including technical specialists and administrative officers
• Collect, analyse, and report against project delivery and financial data on a regular basis, supporting additional deep-dives into project progress and challenges
• Manage day-to-day relationships with delivery partners and the internal team(s), and build solid understanding of delivery needs and timelines across projects and programmes
• Ensure capacity is in place to delivery the project, undertake quality assurance processes and contracts against clear TORs
• Provide timely client invoicing and support payment request approvals
• Ensure project Duty of Care (DoC) arrangements are in place and all travel follows the travel and security process
• Coordinate communications products generated from the project with the Communications Lead
• Support effective knowledge management across DP, based on project reporting and management activities
• Deliver effective due diligence, onboarding and contract management of consultants
• Produce high quality and appropriate client project update reports as required.

Financial and Contract Management (25%)

• Oversee and monitor financial forecasts and budget reports, as well as project invoicing
• Ensure financial outcomes are met, with any risks to timelines or over/under-spend escalated appropriately
• Manage consultants’ timesheets, invoices and expenses against contracts, and ensure these comply with Development Pathways’ policies related to contracts
• Ensure any procurements are managed in line with client contract compliance requirements and Pathways’ policies
• Prepare internal project update reporting including finances and resourcing using required management tools.

Organisational Support and Learning (10%)

• Providing support in strengthening policies, procedures, and management tools for Development Pathways
• Coordinate with wider the wider projects team to ensure technical capacity is well planned across Development Pathways’ portfolio of projects
• Signpost colleagues to relevant project management tools and processes, when required
• Support project closure processes as required, capturing and sharing lessons internally.
• Provide ad hoc input to evolving organisational requirements as directed by the Director of Project Delivery.

Business Development (5%)

• Collaborate with the wider DP business development team to provide input to bids
• Collate and share project information to support the Business Development and Communications departments.

Terms of Employment and Benefits

Recruitment will be at the mid-level and is a permanent and full-time post. Along with basic salary, the successful candidate would receive an attractive package of the following:

• Fulfilling work – working to make a difference to some of the world’s most under-served communities.
• Flexible working – Development Pathways offers employees flexible work hours and remote work options.
• Generous time off – recharge with 30-holiday entitlement plus public/bank holidays.
• Excellent health and well-being provision – access to the company private health care scheme (after the satisfactory completion of the probationary period), pension scheme and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Commitment to professional development opportunities – we encourage our staff to participate in professional learning and development.
• Provision of a company laptop and working at home benefit.
• Monthly travel allowance if attends the office two days per week.

Selection Criteria

The Project Manager will require the following combination of applied skills, knowledge and behaviours to successfully contribute to team goals:

Essential

• An undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject
• Around 3-5 years’ experience working within international development, research and/or the consultancy sector
• Demonstrable experience in project management and/or operations, ideally within international development
• Experience of working with delivery partners including procurement and contract management
• An ability to build, develop and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, showing diplomacy, sensitivity and decisiveness.
• Well-developed interpersonal communication skills demonstrated by successful liaison and rapport building; negotiating, consulting and influencing a wide variety of stakeholders
• Ability to analyse and effectively use financial information
• Ability to prioritise, plan and organise workflow to tight timeframes, handle multiple tasks and be flexible with changing priorities
• Proven ability to resolve problems, anticipate barriers and create practical solutions including proactive response to managing delivery risks
• Fully capable with Microsoft Office and aptitude for digital tools
• Excellent attention to detail ensuring quality standards are maintained
• Ability to travel internationally if required.

Desirable

• Project management experience with multilateral institutions and bilateral donors
• Experience in contract negotiation, drafting and amendments.

How to apply

We invite interested candidates to please apply for the post by including the following:

1. A cover letter explaining why you are applying for this position, and how you would meet the selection criteria for the post of Project Manager
2. A detailed CV (curriculum vitae) specifying your qualifications, education, and relevant work experience
3. All applicants will be required to specify if they have the right to work and live in the UK.

Closing date for this post will be the close of business on the 30th June 2023.

Applications should be submitted by email.

Applicants must confirm if they have the right to live and work in the UK.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we retain the right to close this role without notice.

Due to the high number of applications expected, unfortunately only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Applicants please note the Privacy Notice on our website.

Development Pathways is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate and support diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications and abilities. without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, family or parental status, or disability status.

Background

Founded in 2010, Development Pathways has grown rapidly into an internationally renowned and respected consultancy business, providing high quality consultancies and project management throughout Africa, Asia, Middle East and the Pacific in social protection, inclusive programming and management information systems (MIS). We have offices in the United Kingdom and Kenya and Australia, focused on social protection policy development; program design and implementation; research and evaluations; training and capacity building and are a recognised leading provider of MIS.

We are committed to transformative social policies to promote social justice and gender equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion. We work hard and are passionate about what we do. We find time to discuss important issues and how we, as a company, can support initiatives that we care about.

Please note our staff have a hybrid working arrangement of 3 days remote and 2 days working in the office per week.
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