DAI

• Location
  Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom
• Sector
  Commercial
• Experience
  Mid Career

Position description

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the USA, the UK, the EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine, and project operations worldwide. DAI tackles fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability: it works on the frontlines of global development, transforming ideas into action-action into impact. DAI is committed to shaping a more liveable world.

DAI is seeking an organized and proactive Project Manager to work as part of its  team providing excellent management of international development projects. Become part of the thriving DAI business, located in spacious, bespoke offices, 30 minutes out of Euston - with excellent rail and motorway links to London and region. The position will be based in Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. 

This will be a full-time role based with DAI’s Evidence, Learning and Technical Assistance Facilities Team (ELTAF).

The ELTAF team manages rapid response services for the UK Government (especially the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO) and other donors, that provide technical assistance (TA), research and evidence, and evaluation teams and experts to clients worldwide.  Working on diverse development and humanitarian challenges and needs, at fast pace, together we deliver portfolios of short to medium term assignments in support of improving security, resilience and opportunity for some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities, and we analyse, synthesise and share learning and evidence from this portfolio with key stakeholders and policy and research communities.

Key tasks, duties and responsibilities:

·       Responding to new requests for support from our clients and helping define and operationalize new projects. This includes:

o   thinking through workplans and approaches for delivering the required support

o   searching for the right expertise and teams

o   co-ordination with potential team candidates and external partners

o   preparing budgets

o   assisting in completing important compliance and vetting processes to ensure we engage only fully qualified and eligible experts and partners in the work we do

·       Contractual, budget and project management of assignments.  This may include support on:

o   set-up of new projects in company financial and project management systems

o   initiating request to our Commercial Team to issue contracts for team members and partners

o   monitoring progress against plans, working with Project Leads to ensure timely progress.

o   financial checks, reviewing invoices from teams, partners, and monitoring spend against budget.

o   reviewing reports and other outputs produced by teams on assignment, and assistance with formatting, copy edit and presentation.

o   supporting technical activities such as workshops or small research tasks.

o   travel bookings and planning for project teams.

·       Applying ELTAF and corporate systems to the projects under the post holders care, keeping relevant registers and databases, and programme specific management information systems up to date (NB, this is with respect to content/data maintenance rather than technology/IT maintenance)

·       Participation in ELTAF team learning and development activities, where we draw together technical and process learning from delivery of the multiple assignments and services to help us improve and share with other DAI colleagues or wider audiences.

A key feature of the role will be managing multiple small projects and initiatives in parallel, and so good organizational approaches for tracking and prioritizing across different activities, and agility are key requirements for the post holder.  We have a particular interest in candidates with interest and aptitude in research and evidence project management.

Qualifications

Essential:

·       Undergraduate degree in relevant discipline e.g. international development; international relations; humanitarian; social policy; politics and economics, languages, business; management or similar discipline or equivalent by experience.

·       Demonstrable understanding of and interest in, international development and working in an  international / multi-cultural environment.

·       Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Fluency in English (written and spoken)

·       Strong initiative and vision for taking projects from idea to practical implementation. Pro-active and action-oriented.

·       Systematic approach, with good organisational skills and attention to detail.

·       Strong numeracy skills to enable effective budget management and forecasting.

·       Ability to work as part of a team and to tight deadlines. 

Desirable:

·       Advanced degree in relevant field.

·       Project management experience (international development) and/or qualifications.

·       Ability to work in other languages (French, Spanish, Arabic or Portuguese, other others)

·       Knowledge of research and evidence contract management for UK Government.

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