Senior Project Manager
Kigali, Rwanda
ABOUT YLABS
YLabs is a leading global design and research organization working to improve health and economic opportunity for young people 10–24 years old. Founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs partners with young people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central America to design, test, and advocate for youth-driven solutions that address key challenges to young people’s health and economic opportunity worldwide. YLabs’ focus areas are sexual/reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and economic inclusion. Find out more about our projects here: https://www.ylabsglobal.org/work
Our team of physicians, designers, economists, developers, public health professionals, and educators bring a unique mix of human-centered design, adolescent health, economic and health outcome evaluation, behavioral science, and implementation know-how to the global problems facing youth.
YLabs is committed to building teams and policies that promote equity, justice, and belonging at work. We strongly encourage people from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, marital status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
JOB SUMMARY
The Senior Project Manager is responsible for the management and delivery of medium to large-scale global design and research projects. As a key member of the project team, you will ensure seamless cross-functional coordination of all activities related to your assigned projects, leading to high-quality work. In consultation with the Director of Programs, and in collaboration with Project Leads, the Senior Project Manager will lead the management of assigned projects helping to ensure that all project activities, budgets, and deliverables are on track.
This role is based out of YLabs’ office in Kigali Rwanda (hybrid working).
ABOUT YLABS’ COMPENSATION
YLabs adheres to Project Fair’s principles and standards to establish equity in pay with the overriding principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. All salary ranges are based on the level within the organization and are competitive to regional and national salary benchmarks, based on the respective office location.
PAY RATE
The pay range for this position is per year, commensurate with experience.
YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
Project Management
- Collaborate closely with all project team members across YLabs’ Design, Technical, Programs, and Ops/Finance departments to monitor the day-to-day activities of the project team and ensure that work is progressing as planned and within budget.
- Lead the management and delivery of the project’s scope of work. Ensure project milestones and deliverables are met according to the approved work plans and that all deliverables undergo internal reviews to ensure quality
- In collaboration with senior leadership: develop, implement, and monitor the overall project strategy and ensure alignment across the project team
- Implement and maintain consistent project management tools and systems to support collaboration and effective and timely delivery of project deliverables
- Lead the coordination and management of all team meetings, in collaboration with the Project Lead and other key staff, taking a proactive approach to support effective internal communication
- Lead project budget management, ensuring that project costs remain within budget and any variances and/or issues are proactively mitigated and communicated to internal stakeholders
- Develop risk mitigation plans in partnership with the project team and monitor their implementation, ensuring the team is proactively mitigating high-impact risks
- Lead collaborative problem-solving and troubleshooting to resolve timeline delays, project staffing needs, and any other issues that may hinder the on-time delivery of high-quality work
- Identify, hire, and manage contractors, ensuring compliance with YLabs’ policies and procedures
- Facilitate intermittent reflection and review meetings with project teams, to identify and mitigate any current or anticipated challenges
- Work collaboratively across departments and teams as needed to launch new projects, brief staff as needed to onboard and inform new project team members
Logistics
- Plan logistics related to in-person/virtual events, workshops, and convenings, relevant to the project, with support from the project team
- Manage all administrative needs pertaining to fieldwork and travel
Reporting & Client Management
- Lead on the coordination of in-person and virtual review meetings with external project partners and relevant internal stakeholders
- Oversee knowledge management for project activities; ensure proper storage and access permission for all necessary documents. Monitor the security of confidential project materials, in line with our established processes.
- With support from the Director of Programs and Finance Team, lead the timely submission all financial and narrative reports
- Proactively identify and escalate project issues to the appropriate internal and external stakeholders to ensure the health of the project, project team, and organization is maintained
Organizational Strategy
- Take initiative to identify gaps in YLabs project management processes, and proactively bring forward ideas and solutions to strengthen team collaboration and project execution
- Participate in the Programs Departmental meetings and initiatives that support the achievement of the organization’s strategic priorities
- Support the development, testing, and implementation of new processes, procedures, and tools relating to project management, budgeting, and people operations using change management principles
- Participate in other working groups as needed
YOU ARE:
- A self-starter – able to operate autonomously, while also having the judgment to seek guidance as appropriate and gracefully accept and apply constructive feedback.
- A strong communicator; able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders and funders.
- An organization and prioritization pro, who is proactive and flexible. Excited to help implement innovative programs for young people.
- Passionate about YLabs’ mission to design solutions with youth that measurably and meaningfully improve their lives.
- Enthusiastic to work as part of a dynamic and supportive multi-disciplinary team of designers, public health specialists, writers, and evaluation experts;
- A natural collaborator who understands how to build strong relationships across the organization;
- Willing to work flexible hours to accommodate evening calls with staff in other timezones
- Able to work in a fast-paced, dynamic start-up environment.
YOU HAVE:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; with a preferred 5-8 years of project coordination or project management experience
- Experience working in public health or international development fields
- Experience managing large budgets for complex projects and collaborating with Finance teams to ensure accurate monitoring and reporting
- Proficiency in Google Suite (preferred)
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a rapidly moving environment
- Previous experience with basic project management tools (i.e.Trello, Asana, Gantt charts, Microsoft Project, etc.)
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; fluency in English
- Experience working with donors, government stakeholders, and partners in a highly collaborative environment
- Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to track and record projects through to completion
- Experience managing complex logistics related to team travel and both virtual and in-person workshop and meeting planning
- Ability to work efficiently with minimal supervision
- Strong attention to detail
- Experience working effectively with a multidisciplinary team across different time zones.
DESIRABLE:
- Digital health experience
- Working proficiency in another language
- Experience with resource management and allocation (preferred)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This role is based in Kigali, Rwanda. It is a 24-month, fixed term contract. To apply, send a resume, cover letter and link to your portfolio to talent@ylabsglobal.org with the subject line: Senior Project Manager – Rwanda. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
This role is contingent upon YLabs being successfully awarded an upcoming contract, which is expected to start by April 30th. At this stage, we expect to hear back from the donor no later than March 30th and will actively communicate any relevant updates to applicants.
This posting will be open from March 17, 2023 to March 31, 2023. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; all applications submitted within the posting period will be reviewed by our Hiring Committee. YLabs recognizes the effort that goes into submitting an application; all candidates will be notified of their application status once the hiring process begins. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. All YLabs offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory background check and criminal record clearances.
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