Project Manager

Job title: Manager, Implementation / Project Manager

Unit: Delivery - EU

Main purpose of role:

Operating at Project Director or Project Manager level depending on contract size and seniority, serving as DAI's principal interface with the client, typically the European Commission, an EU Delegation, or an equivalent institutional donor. The role holds ultimate accountability for the quality, profitability, compliance, and operational integrity of one or more EU-funded contracts. 

Key tasks, duties and responsibilities

• 1.1 Client Engagement
  
  • Manages day-to-day donor relationships, leads project meetings, ensures that client expectations are understood and managed, and escalates serious issues.
  • Positions DAI for contract amendments, top-ups, and extensions. 
  • The Project Manager provides coverage in the Project Director's absence and may serve as the primary client contact where agreed.
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• 1.2 Financial and Contractual Responsibility
  
  • Owns profitability on assigned contracts.
  • Maintains and update internal tracking tools, approve budget revisions and expert cost forecasts, oversee invoicing targets, and negotiate the financial conditions of expert contracts. 
  • Approves supplier accounts, advance and wire requests, and procurements in accordance with DAI's Schedule of Authority.
  • Prepares and checks client invoices prior to submission and leads procurement processes.
  • Ensures the accuracy of financial records and the timely resolution of invoicing queries.
• 1.3 Technical Quality and Delivery
  
  • Responsible for the technical quality of delivery, including monitoring progress against the work plan, logframe, and KPIs.
  • Deputises for the Team Leader when required; 
  • Leads quality assurance of deliverables, provides technical inputs as agreed with the Team Leader, and participates in technical discussions with both the team and the client.
• 1.4 Team and Operational Management
  
  • Guides the key expert team in delivering the project scope, manages performance, and serves as the primary contractor representative.
  • Serves as the first point of contact for support staff and holds direct responsibility for all aspects of expert deployment, field office logistics, project start-up, and contracting and mobilization of individual experts.
  • Holds ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all HR, logistics, and procurement activities are executed in accordance with DAI policy and contractual requirements.

Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge and Experience

 Essential

• Degree in relevant field or equivalent
• Project management experience preferably gained from managing disparate or remote teams  
• Work experience in a development environment (either in a developing country or with a development consultancy/ organisation) alongside experience of working with European Union funded projects
• Commercially astute with demonstrable aptitude in client service and management
• Good understanding of proposal development, programme management systems and standards
• Excellent level of written and verbal English (able to write technically, and to write client reports; along with excellent communication skills. Also, the ability to negotiate in contexts with complex, cross cultural, multi-lingual teams). 
• Driven and motivated combined with the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships both internally and externally to deliver against programme and business targets
• Flexibility, versatile and tolerant in a changing work environment with the ability to work effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Willingness to travel to any of DAI’s countries of operation 

 Desirable:

• Post-graduate degree in relevant field or equivalent
• Fluency in French is a strong advantage
• Experience in or knowledge of relevant technical areas (climate/environment, and/or private sector development, and/or governance) 
• Fluency in another language, especially Spanish and/or Portuguese