Delivery Manager at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change we are dedicated to making globalisation work for the many, not the few. We do this by helping countries, their people and their governments, address some of the most difficult challenges in the world today – beginning with those where we think we can break new ground, offering leaders new thinking and new approaches. Our staff – over 200 of them, based all over the world – are working on some of the most intractable problems around issues of co-existence, governance, the peace process in the Middle East and renewing the centre.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Delivery Manager

Job ID.: JR000614
Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Full Time

Role Summary

• The Tony Blair Institute will be working with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to support delivery of the ECOWAS Integrated Human Capital Development Strategy (2020 - 2030), developed in a first phase of work on the strategy.
• ECOWAS is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa.
• The strategy supports ECOWAS’ ambitions to become a top performing regional economic community in human capital development in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. The strategy focusses on health and nutrition; education, skills, and labour participation; entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and digital payments. 
• In the second phase of work, TBI will be working closely with ECOWAS leadership to deliver this strategy and embedding an advisory team in the Office of the Vice President to support effective implementation of this HCD strategy.
• In the first phase of this work, an index dashboard was developed to track baseline HCD indicators across priority areas.
• There is a need to operationalise the dashboard within the ECOWAS secretariat and Member State level, and lead focal point engagement, systems for data collection, management, and analysis of emerging data, as well as ensure there are mechanisms to use the data effectively.
• As such, we are seeking a Project Manager with expertise in project management, reporting and engaging across countries to support focal points effectively develop strategies and processes for HCD and data collection, engaging government ministries and units, as well as multilateral institutions. The role holder will manage the day-to-day work of the Associate and key workstreams for the ECOWAS HCD Secretariate, including the HCD index dashboard, HCD annual index report, engagement with focal points and knowledge management.
•  In addition, the role will include support to build the expertise of the ECOWAS HCD team, supporting the eventual transfer of the position fully to ECOWAS.
• The role will be based in Abuja, Nigeria at the Office of the ECOWAS Vice President, working directly with the ECOWAS HCD Secretariat.
• This role will report to the Senior Programme/Delivery Manager and overall oversight from ECOWAS’ HCD Coordinator who is the senior most leader under the VP on HCD.  
• The position will help oversee the embedded delivery team, in particular the associate on data management, knowledge management and overall systems development of the HCD teams in member states and data management into the secretariate.
• They would also be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with our clients, especially and work closely with TBI’s Global Client Solutions delivery anchor team.
• This is a role that will require an exceptional candidate with relevant technical experience, and experience working with governments.
• The Project Manager will be responsible for supporting ECOWAS to effectively track and deliver on ECOWAS’ HCD results for this year, engaging with key stakeholders internally and externally, and helping the ECOWAS HCD Secretariate utilize the HCD index digital dashboard, which will then be used by ECOWAS and Member states for decision making, advocacy and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Support the Sr. Project Manager and HCD Coordinator to maintain a team, ensuring motivation, collaboration and working well to create an open, collaborative, and safe environment for the team to thrive.
• Ensure implementation momentum is maintained, identify obstacles, blockers, risks, and dependencies and help the team to overcome them, or report upwards where required.
• Ensure appropriate governance and transparency of delivery is in place and focus the team on what is most important to the delivery of products and services, especially the HCD Index dashboard, the HCD Index Report, key events and knowledge management systems.
• Ensure teams clearly communicate their plans and progress through their plans using recognised agile practices.
• Provide data to help report on the programme to the portfolio and senior management team.
• Support the user research to build user-centred best practices and standards, through presentations, training sessions and hands-on delivery, to drive greater user orientation across the team.
• Turn high-level plans into more discrete, deliverable and manageable tasks.
• Help communicate the value that the team brings to client, donors and stakeholders.

Specific Responsibilities for ECOWAS HCD Secretariate:

• Manage and adapt the systems for meeting key results and reporting for ECOWAS HCD secretariat and related to ECOWAS M&E team.
• Support ECOWAS HCD secretariat and member states with roll out and training on the dashboard within the secretariat the ECOWAS M&E team and across Member States so it is fully owned and operated by ECOWAS and member states.
• Creating and managing system for data input and integrity into the dashboard, including coordinating data input with Member States, this includes with key ministries and troubleshooting on internal country data alignment.
• Ensure accuracy and timelines of data flow through the dashboard. Uphold strong and collaborative relationships with focal points and key member state stakeholders.
• Lead ECOWAS HCD team and the ECOWAS M&E team to support data analysis and management.
• Identify gaps in the existing knowledge management system and how these can be solved with existing or new partners/donors or leveraging other units.
• Leadership to help create and strengthen ECOWAS HCD Secretariat knowledge management processes and system, working closely with the associate.
• Ensure clear buy-in and accountability for critical milestones related to the work plan for the HCD secretariate, ECOWAS and information needs for milestones. 
• Lead to support TBI’s internal MEL and data reporting requirements; support donor and client presentations, reporting and engagements to effectively present TBI’s value add and the ECOWAS HCD Secretariate’s success.
• Additional activities and duties as needed to meet the requirements of the grant and engagement with ECOWAS.
• Work closely and effectively with TBI staff, HCD Secretariate staff, ECOWAS internal and external stakeholders.

Person Specification

• We’re looking for a manager with strong interpersonal skills who enjoy working in a results focused, agile environment. Who care about digital and technology and who know how to make projects succeed, as well as stopping them failing.
• Preferably ECOWAS member state citizen. Fluency in French and English - spoken and written is required, Portuguese language skills a plus.
• At least 7 years of experience in Project Management in West Africa or on the continent.
• Experience as a political staffer, public servant, or in consulting, economics, finance, multilateral institutions, high impact civil society organisations, and many other previous roles are all considered relevant at TBI. 
• Passion for tech and an interest in using new software beyond the traditional MS Office Suite; IT analytical skills helpful, experience in software engineering and tech-based toolkit understanding.
• Extensive experience with data analysis, and experience with IT systems and database software, as well as systems for knowledge management.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Willingness to travel - sometimes at short notice, particularly across the ECOWAS region.
• Ability to maintain high level of ethics, integrity and discretion in handling confidential data and information.
• A work ethos focused on team success with genuine motivation for colleagues’ performance, growth and well-being.
• Ability to perform in-depth analysis across various topics, generate original insights and produce high-quality deliverables which are fit for delivery to senior government clients, perform challenging analysis and structured problem solving.
• Insatiable curiosity for data, with a proven ability to process it with attention to detail.
• Strong time management skills and a demonstrable strength in project management
• Demonstrable experience of being an entrepreneurial self-starter
• Skilled at communicating, from executive office level through to technical level, adept at speaking to senior leadership, knowing how to navigate ambiguous environments and comfortable at managing up and beyond hierarchy.
• Confidence matrix-managing multi-disciplinary teams; demonstrating a proactive and hands-on attitude, not afraid to roll-up their sleeves to get the job done and take ownership of their workstream.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline 12th February, 2024.