Job Vacancy Opened at Netherlands Development Organisation | How to Apply

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organization that applies practical knowledge to make a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. We use our extensive and long-term in-country presence to apply and adapt our top-notch expertise in agriculture, energy, and WASH to local contexts. SNV has over 1250 staff in more than 25 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We are proud to be a not-for-profit organization that uses project financing to implement our mission. This requires us to work efficiently and to invest in operational excellence.

In its current Strategic Plan period (2019 – 2022), SNV will more explicitly aim for structural change and scale in its programmes, as well as bringing knowledge and initiatives from different programs together at country level to contribute to systems’ change. We will continue to position ourselves as a learning organization striving for excellence and invest in making knowledge flow to and from the frontline.

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

SNV seeks a talented, entrepreneurial, results-oriented, and proven professional who will work with the country team in Zambia to manage the 7million EUR Increasing Climate Resilience in Energy & Agriculture Systems and Entrepreneurship (INCREASE) project, delivering on its goal to address the major challenge of climate change that farmers, agribusinesses, and SMEs are facing. To achieve this the project will strengthen the adaptive capacity of agricultural and energy systems as well as the promotion of climate-smart (CS) diversification practices and productive use of renewable energy. The project works with the larger agribusinesses in Cotton, Dairy, and Horticulture and covers Eastern, Central, Copper belt, Lusaka, and Southern provinces, initially targeting to reach 11,300 small Holder farmers in the 3 value chains. The project has started in January 2020 and will run till the end of 2022.

The Project Manager leads and manages the planning, inception, implementation, closing, and the workforce of the project, within scope, budget, timeline and acceptable quality levels along the commitments specified in the contracts signed with the donor (Sida) and other relevant stakeholders. The Project Manager works in line with SNV standards, SNV`s approach to project management, and donor regulations, in order to achieve high quality of the agreed results and deliverables of the project.

The Project Manager in his/her role as Sector Leader steers the sector program development and quality of practice at the country level, in line with the global sector strategy and in consultation with the Global Sector Team and the Country Management team(s). The Sector Leader oversees all Project Managers in the sector for their implementations to be in line with the global sector agreements and improve the quality of the overall sector performance at the country level. The Sector Leader is a member of the Country Management Team.

Duties and Responsibilities

The selected candidate will have the following key responsibilities:

• Program and Project Management – Lead, manage and motivate the project team, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Plan and assign deliverables and activities, review their progress and address deviations in terms of timelines and quality, based on project planning, deliverables agreed, and budget set. Manage project closure and evaluation process.
• Project quality assurance – Take responsibility for the (technical) content of a project, ensure the quality of the deliverables and ensure sufficient technical input to meet the quality standards.
• Contract Management & Project Accounting – Manage and account for full compliance of administrative, finance, and HR components of the project. Ensure security and (financial risk) mitigation (incl. due diligence).
• People Management & Team Leadership – Guide, develop, coach, and motivate team members.
• Analysis & Reporting – Ensure collection, consolidation, and review of project information, according to SNV’s monitoring and evaluation guidelines. Analyze and provide advice to management on how to incorporate the new insights/best practices into the organization’s policies and practices.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting – Ensure uniform understanding and practice in planning, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of agriculture projects in line with SNV’s internal frameworks and donor guidelines; Account and report to SNV and the donor on project performance
• Knowledge, documentation, and communication – Contribute to internal and external knowledge development, by full documentation and sharing of project insights and results.
• Network and Relationship building – Build and maintain effective relationships, with the team, external partners, and the donor(s) by ensuring a high level of SNV visibility and branding according to donor guidelines. Position SNV within the sector at the country level.
• Business Development: Ensure good positioning of SNV and the agriculture sector in the market, develop proposals and secure funding for agriculture programs.
• Advisory services – Lead complex assignments, set benchmarks for results, and monitor quality of advisory services.
• Country Management Team member – Co-responsible for managing SNV Zambia’s core business operations as a whole.

• Relevant advanced academic qualification in Agriculture (Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Climate change) and/or Energy (for Agriculture) or related field. A post graduate qualification in project management is an added advantage.
• 10+ years of relevant and progressive experience in agriculture and renewable energy service delivery including at least 7 years in a management role, preferably in East Africa;
• Proven abilities in managing large scale and complex development projects in Agriculture;
• International work experience and the ability to effectively coach and lead a team of advisors and project managers in a multi-cultural setting;
• Solid sector background and proven track record in the dairy, cotton, and horticulture sector.
• Experience in Monitoring and Evaluation aspects of a project;
• Has managerial experience of not less than 10 years with professional teams, integrating and steering different processes at the national sector level.
• Solid experience in project management, including financial management and managing multiple donor-funded projects.
• Visionary and able to strategically inspire and energize project teams operating in different parts of the country;
• Knowledge and understanding of the international development context and trends of agriculture, energy, and/or sector with the focus on climate and system change.
• Proven ability to mobilize financial resources from the public and private sector; familiarity with key financiers and actors in the agriculture sector;
• Excellent social and networking skills as well as interpersonal and influencing skills to engage with governments, donors, the private sector, and civil society.
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English;
• Willingness to travel to all project locations in the country to oversee and monitor project works and sites;
• The successful candidate will be a self-motivated achiever with excellent intercultural leadership, teamwork, coaching, communication, networking and organizational skills.

Terms of Appointment:

This is a full-time position with the successful candidate contracted up until and including December 31, 2022, with the possibility to extend for another one year, contingent on performance and funding.

Please apply by uploading your CV and motivation letter in English before January 4, 2022.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Working at SNV:

SNV offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. We offer a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from, and contribute to, an internal global network of experts. For more information, please visit our website: www.snv.org

SNV is an equal opportunities employer and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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