Senior Program Associate
Kigali, Rwanda
Requirements in a nutshell
Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree
Experience: At least 5 years of experience including managing research projects in Rwanda
Nationality: Rwandan citizens only
Languages: English
Must-have: Strong interest in development research, outstanding writing skills, excellent client communication & project management skills
About Laterite
Laterite is a data, research, and technical advisory firm that helps clients understand and analyze complex development challenges. We work with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donor organizations, and government ministries and agencies. Our clients include, for example, the World Bank, USAID, TechnoServe, Promundo, the Mastercard Foundation, and several UN agencies.
Our network of offices currently includes the Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The team brings together more than 55 full time local and international staff, as well as 1,000 enumerators across countries, in a dynamic work environment. We are proud to be a culturally diverse organization. Learn more: www.laterite.com
Job Description & Key Responsibilities
Laterite was founded in Rwanda in 2010, and Kigali is our oldest and largest office, both in terms of team size and volume of work. The team in Rwanda comprises researchers, data collection experts, data quality specialists, and a finance and admin team. Our project portfolio is varied and ranges from data collection (including mixed-methods studies with observational assessments or anthropometric measurement modules) to long-term learning partnerships. The team works across all our key sectors with the majority of projects in education, public health and early childhood development topics.
Within this context, the Senior Program Associate in Rwanda will:
- Manage a portfolio of data collection and research projects, including leading budgeting and work planning and liaising with our research, data and finance teams to deliver activities within timelines and budgets.
- Build and strengthen relationships with our clients and government partners through proposal development, communication efforts and overseeing the contractual and ethical compliance of projects.
- Mentor our growing research and data teams, especially on project management
- Contribute to country-level strategic decisions such as which projects to pursue, team development, and how to increase the impact of our research.
As part of Laterite’s management team, you will have a voice in project selection, corporate strategy, process improvements, and structuring Laterite’s research agenda. You will serve as role model for the team, actively promoting our organizational culture, and helping us to grow and achieve our mission as an organization.
Profile
We are looking for an accomplished project manager with direct experience running programs in education, public health or early childhood development for international organizations in Rwanda, or Rwandan organizations with international stakeholders.
Our future colleague has:
- A bachelor’s degree
- At least 5 years of experience managing complex projects with external funding
- Work experience and/or education in Project Management, Economics, International Development, Public Policy, Public Health or Education
- Demonstrated experience developing and managing budgets
- Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, self-motivation and drive
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English and experience building relationships with clients and stakeholders from the public and private sectors
In addition, we welcome:
- Experience managing research activities or data collection field work
Application Process
Application deadline: 24 June (5:00PM, CAT)
Steps in the application process:
Step 1) Fill an application form https://form.jotform.com/220864167419562 and please upload:
- a) your CV;
- b) personal statement describing your motivation to apply and your experience with managing education or health projects;
- c) writing sample(s): we want to see an example of something you wrote for a client, donor or stakeholder (a short report, a slide deck, or even a good email) in which you communicated a complex idea or issue. Our goal is to get a sense of your communication skills. Please add a short paragraph to explain the context of the writing sample.
(please make sure you upload all requested elements)
Step 2) Complete a short online assessment (5 questions), for which no special preparation is needed
Step 3) Successful candidates will be invited for a series of two interviews
