Head Of Project Department

Degree in Social Sciences or other relevant discipline.

Role Summary:
The Head of Projects Dept. reports to the National Director and is responsible for the timely and quality implementation - including the monitoring and evaluation as well as the reporting - of all projects either directly carried out by GD ('Youth Empowerment Programme', 'Legal Aid Programme' - in Lahore, Quetta, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar) or by its field partners (in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Gwadar). The position requires the management of a team of 35 - including the 4 Projects officers - and providing key ongoing guidance and support to this staff. It is estimated that the workload should be split as follows: 40% for the projects supervision and coordination; 40% for the staff management; 20% for the projects evaluation. The position requires close cooperation with the Programmes Dept.

Role Details:

Human Resource Management:

• Supervising and directing projects staff, including monitoring workloads and work planning.

• Provide ongoing guidance and support to projects staff, including the use of best practices for projects development and implementation, and for the projects monitoring and evaluation/reporting, in line with GD's principles and tools.

• Ensure proper transfer of know-how, at all staff levels.

• Ensure the monitoring of staff performance, development, training; conduct annual team performance appraisals.

• Oversee the process of selecting/hiring suitable individuals for the Dept.

Ongoing Project Management:

• Ensure regular participation in the Joint Management Committee (JMC).

• Ensure that projects' organizational structures and participatory management structures are in place to meet the needs of both GD and its partners, and review/revise these structures regularly to ensure that they remain in line with projects needs.

• Create and execute project work plans and revise as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements.

• Coordinate and approve with the concerned project officers and the programme team the analysis of all concept notes proposed by the partners as per GD's agreements with them (trainings, awareness raising events/materials, IEC-BCC tools, etc.). Do a critical review of materials and trainings developed by partners, provide internal feedback.

• Organize the field visits of GD's foreign staff, donor representatives, regional partners, etc.

• Provide feedback to partners, search for consultants able to provide guidance and assistance if needed.

• Ensure the visibility of donors as required.

• Ensure that reports to donors and others are prepared and submitted in a timely and quality manner, and work closely with the Reporting officer.

Overall Project Quality (monitoring and evaluation):

• Take lead responsibility for ensuring that the projects monitoring and evaluation systems are efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs of key stakeholders such as beneficiaries, donors, partners, and GD.

• Take lead responsibility for developing indicators and measurement systems of outputs, outcomes, and impact of all the projects and programmes monitored by GD's office. Therefore, liaise as necessary with the Reporting/Communication Manager. Take responsibility with external consultants for developing a corresponding MIS.

• Review report elements prepared by the project officers before passing them to the Reporting/Communication Manager (who is in charge of writing reports as per donors' requirements).

• Ensure that the projects are accurately reporting project results, responding to the needs of participants, and increasing the sharing of lessons learned.

• With the projects team, evaluate the quality and productivity of partners; recommend to the JMC either the continuation, modification, or discontinuation of partnerships; also, with the Programme team and the National director, prioritize issues related to capacity building of partners.

• In coordination with the financial department, manage project budgets and expenditures.

Job Specification

• Education required: Degree in Social Sciences or other relevant discipline.

• Experience required: 5 to 10 years experience in field development work with NGOs (preferably in Asia), and a minimum of 3 years as the Head of Projects Dept. or equivalent.

• Technical skills required:

• Demonstrated success in implementing and monitoring/evaluation of projects (including logical framework and related indicators and reporting).

• Knowledge of contracting and negotiating.

• Analytical and organizational skills.

• Solid experience in budget oversight.

• Strong staff management interpersonal and team leading skills including transfer of know-how.

• Proven experience gained at examining and re-engineering policies, operations, and procedures.

• Previous experience of relationship building with multilateral donors and partners, and a proven ability to interact with a multitude of stakeholders.

• Computer literacy: MS office, accounts management software (Excel), database software (e.g., Access), etc.

• Excellent English verbal and written communication + Urdu (and Pashto if possible).

Personal skills:

• High level of integrity.

• Results orientation.

• Highly independent and self-motivated, energetic.

• Fair, ethical, and principled.

• Critical thinking.

Information Technology and Services - Lahore, Pakistan.