The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking a highly skilled, results-oriented Project Manager to provide overall leadership and management for the implementation of VISTA Malawi’s project. CIP seeks diversity and gender balance in its staff. Women and citizens of developing countries are particularly urged to apply.
****The Center:**** CIP is a not-for-profit international agricultural research for development with a focus on potatoes, sweetpotatoes, and Andean roots and tubers. Its vision is to emphasize the use of roots and tubers to improve the lives of the poor. CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved well-being, and gender equality for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world. CIP is headquartered in Lima, Peru with staff and activities over 30 locations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CIP is a member of the CGIAR Consortium, a network of 15 research centers that are mostly located in the developing world and supported by more than 50 donor members.
****The Project:**** CIP is implementing the VISTA (Viable Sweetpotato Technologies in Africa) program to scale up the production and utilization of biofortified, nutritious orange sweetpotato in several African countries. With support from USAID/Feed the Future, VISTA Malawi aims to improve diet diversity and food security and enhance farm productivity and resilience among 50,000 smallholder households in seven districts in Central Malawi through integrated agriculture-nutrition interventions, and to reach a further 300,000 households with sweetpotato planting material. VISTA is specifically targeted at households with children under 5 years of age that are vulnerable to undernutrition, in particular vitamin A deficiency. The project is implemented in partnership with the Government of Malawi, NGOs and private sector partners and emphasizes capacity strengthening and monitoring and learning across these partnerships. VISTA Malawi is implemented as part of a consortium of agricultural research and development projects by four CGIAR Centers. The project is closely aligned to the objectives and monitoring processes of the Feed the Future program in Malawi.
****The Position****: The Project Manager will report to the CIP Country Manager Malawi and to the CIP Sweetpotato Leader and will be based in Lilongwe.
****Duties and Responsibilities:****
- Project Implementation:
Provide management, leadership and strategic vision in all aspects of project implementation. Ensure that project implementation is responsive to communities and partners and aligned with CIP principles, values and strategic plan. Monitor adherence to grant agreement, CIP policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations including the CGIAR Consortium. Select, oversee and advise performance of partners and sub-grantees. Lead the reporting requirement of technical and financial progress and annual reports.
- Coordination and Representation:
Represent the project vis-à-vis USAID, the CGIAR implementing consortium, Government of Malawi, NGOs, and private sector partners. Work closely with the CGIAR consortium for harmonized planning and integrated reporting. Build and manage strong and productive partnerships with GoM and implementing partners and facilitate learning and knowledge exchange across the entire project partnership. Participate in regular review meetings with USAID and ensure that the project is well understood and highly regarded by the donor and all project partners.
- Reporting and Communications:
As responsible manager for all technical and financial reporting to the donor, ensure timeliness, quality, and responsiveness to donor requests in all areas of reporting. Work with relevant units at CIP Malawi and in regional and global CIP offices to obtain technical and administrative support as required. In particular, ensure that monitoring of project indicators is timely and of excellent quality to support reporting and adaptive management. Promote the project with stakeholders, the donor community, and the general public in Malawi through sound and innovative communications.
- Staff Management, Professional Development and Team Building:
Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels. Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that all staff members are effectively using the performance planning and management system. Contribute to project team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
- Project Support Operations:
Coordinate with M&E, finance and administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics, procurement, security, administration and human resources. In coordination with the CIP Country Manager, propose and design new local operational policies as needed and in accordance with donor and CIP regulations.
- Gender:
The Project Leader is expected to take a leadership role in the mainstreaming of gender sensitive project interventions, through support and promotion of gender throughout all areas of the project.
Selection Criteria:
- Masters level degree in relevant discipline such as agriculture, economics, social sciences, nutrition, or marketing. Specific training related to sweetpotato, nutrition, or gender is an added advantage.
- Strong experience of at least 10 years as a field-based project manager, with at least 5 years working as a Project Leader on large-scale agricultural development projects, preferably in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Direct experience working on large USAID funded interventions, preferably focused in agriculture. Specific experience of Feed the Future is an advantage.
- Experience in developing agricultural markets and value chains.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate international and local staff into a cohesive team.
- Demonstrated awareness and responsiveness to gender and social issues in cross-cultural and gender integration programming.
- Strong experience with communication technologies as research and development tools.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are required.
- Record of publications and citations.
- Willingness to travel frequently and work under field conditions.
Conditions:Employment contract will be for an initial three-year term (with a three month probation period) with possibility of renewal, subject to availability of funding. Salary will be internationally competitive, paid in US dollars, and commensurate with experience. CIP prides itself on its collegial and supportive working environment, which allows space for personal and professional growth.
How to apply:
Applications:Applicants should apply by email, sending a cover letter summarizing their relevance to this position, a full C.V. and the names and contact information of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience tocip-recruitment@cgiar.org. The reference name of the position should be clearly marked on the subject line of the email message. Screening of applications will begin on ****29 October 2014**** and will continue until the post is filled. All applications will be acknowledged, however only short listed candidates will be contacted.
Learn more about CIP by accessing our web site athttp://www.cipotato.org*.*
