Project Manager P4 at International Labour Organization (ILO): Deadline:01 August 2023

Introduction

The ILO is looking to recruit a Project Manager to be based in Kigali (Rwanda) for a new development cooperation project, titled “Boosting Decent Jobs and Enhancing Skills for Youth in Rwanda’s Digital Economy.”

Rwanda’s Vision 2050 formulates the ambition of fully developing the country’s economic and social potential. The blueprint recognizes the critical importance of the Rwandan “demographic dividend” as young people (16 to 30 years old) make up 27 per cent of the total population. However, young people face a severe lack of decent and productive employment. Many youth in Rwanda are un- and under-employment, with young women being considerably over-represented. At the same time, Rwanda has highly prioritized digitalization as means to transform Rwanda’s socio-economic development. The digitalization of the Rwandan economy is conceived as a cross-cutting enabler for the growth of other sectors of the economy but also and a source for the creation of decent and productive jobs within and beyond the ICT sector.

The project “Boosting Decent Jobs and Enhancing Skills for Youth in Rwanda’s Digital Economy” (the Project) will support Rwanda’s structural transformation and contribute to a just transition towards a digital economy. It is financially supported by the Government of Luxembourg with an implementation period of four years. Its main goal is to enable more young women and men in Rwanda to access decent jobs in Rwanda’s digital economy, focusing on the youth between the age brackets of 16 and 30 years from Secondary Cities as well as Kigali.

The three main components of the project are:

• Promoting job creation and entrepreneurship opportunities in the digital economy, including through supporting employment policy development and implementing interventions that stimulate enterprise growth.
• Improve digital skills of young women and men, including by supporting Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions in developing and implementing digital skills trainings.
• Facilitate young people’s transition to decent work in the digital economy, including through digital internship and career guidance schemes as well as strengthening online job search platforms.

The project thus takes a systemic approach focussing on labour demand, labour supply and labour mediation. Implementation will be based on evidence and research and will emphasise public-private partnerships, collaboration with national and sectoral stakeholders and development partners and involvement of young people .

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the project, the Project Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project implementation and provide technical advisory services to ILO constituents and other key implementing partners and stakeholders involved in project implementation . He/she will ensure that the objectives stated in the project document are attained within the stated time frame and budget and ensure compliance with the ILO’s financial and operating procedures. The incumbent will promote ILO policies in the project related technical areas.

Reporting Lines: 

The Project Manager will work under the direct supervision of the ILO Director of the Country Office for the United Republic of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and will receive technical support from technical specialists based in the ILO Regional Office for Africa and in the Decent Work Team for Eastern and Southern Africa. Administrative support will be provided by the Country Office in Dar es Salaam.

Day to day activities will be implemented through a project team based at the ILO Project Office in Kigali, Rwanda. The Project Manager will supervise a National Project Officer, a Finance and Administrative Assistant and a Driver as well as any international and local consultants that might be contracted during the project.

Description of Duties

Project management:

• Ensure effective implementation of the project through timely provision of inputs, timely and efficient delivery of outputs, and planning, control, monitoring and evaluation of the project activities, in conformity with ILO policies and project strategies, and in accordance with ILO programming guidelines and country/action programs, and administrative and financial procedures in consultation with the responsible field office.
• Responsible for the effective management of funds assigned to the project.
• Manage efficiently the project team, including performance, and talent management aspects, taking into account gender equality and non-discrimination.
• Coordinate the implementation of all outcomes of the project and seek synergies where applicable, in particular in view of the holistic approach of the project.

Technical leadership and advice:

• Provide technical expertise and advice to relevant government agencies and other key institutions, in implementing the project, and coordinate the project’s Technical Working Group with a view to promoting the formulation of inclusive and gender-responsive policies and programmes, and their impactful implementation and monitoring to ensure equitable outcomes.
• In close cooperation with ILO Technical Specialists, provide technical expertise to develop and implement gender-responsive interventions across all three major components of the projects (enterprise development, skills development and labour market intermediation) that respond to the evolving needs of constituents as well as young women and men.
  
  
  

Advocacy, networking and partnership:

•  Develop and strengthen relationships to cooperate and coordinate with the concerned governments, ministries and the employers’ and workers’ organizations, the target groups and the donor, in the planning and implementation of activities under the project.
• Liaise UN organisation and other development partners to seek synergies and co-implement project activities where applicable, including to increase the project’s visibility and facilitate the scaling-up of the project’s interventions.
• Undertake resource mobilization activities with the multi-lateral and bilateral donor community for the development of future activities linked to the project in coordination with the responsible Country Office, technical specialists and relevant HQ departments.
• Develop and disseminate information materials on project in close collaboration with relevant technical specialists covering ILO technical activities covered by the project, prepare periodic and ad hoc reports on the status of program planning and implementation, and establish coordination with concerned ILO departments and programs.
• Any other duties requested by the supervisor.
  
  
  

Required qualifications

Advanced university degree in economics, management, social science or a related field. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in one of the afore-mentioned fields or other relevant field with an additional two years of relevant experience, in addition to the experience stated below, will be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

Seven years’ experience in the management of technical cooperation activities, including at the international level.

Experience and expertise in the fields of employment policy and enterprise development in the digital economy is considered and asset. Experience in skills and employability is considered an advantage. Experience in implementing youth employment projects is considered an asset. Familiarity with working with officials of ministries (such as labour, education, innovation/ITC) as well as worker’s and employer’s organisation would be an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of English. Working knowledge of French is considered an asset.

Competencies

• Proven ability to take ownership of all responsibilities, to act with integrity and transparency by maintaining social, ethical and organisational norms, and to meet all commitments within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
• Ability to develop clear strategic goals consistent with the project/programme’s objectives, and to design and synthesise strategies for programme development;
• Excellent management and leadership skills, ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills;
• Ability to formulate new concepts and methodologies, and to synthesise research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subjects by understanding both the qualitative and quantitative approaches in social science research;
• Ability to develop training materials, alternative courses of action, project proposals, policy, procedural matters and present them at high-level meetings;
• Ability to promote knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office, and to focus and guide others to meet objectives at individual and group level;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write accurate reports and to build networks to obtain cooperation with partners;
• Ability to plan and support the development of individual’s skills and abilities for a more effective fulfilment of current or future job/role responsibilities;
• Develop self-awareness and show empathy by demonstrating the qualities, traits, or attributes that contribute to the ability to effectively relate to and identify with others.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-responsive, non- discriminatory and inclusive behaviour and attitudes.