Job Opportunity at Adam Smith International

Adam Smith International is an award-winning professional services business that delivers real impact, value and lasting change through projects supporting economic growth and government reform internationally. Our reputation as a global leader has been built on the positive results our projects have achieved in many of the world’s most challenging environments.

SENIOR MANAGER, INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH TEAM

JOB DESCRIPTION

About The Inclusive Economic Growth Team
The Inclusive Economic Growth team is one of our core areas of expertise. We spe...e in the design and implementation of programmes that adopt a market systems approach (often referred to as “Making Markets Work for the Poor”), and work on numerous projects related to agriculture, public-private dialogue, business environment reform, business for development, and trade across the world.

ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Mafita programme is a high profile project involving high levels of senior stakeholder engagement and is DFID’s flagship Skills Development programme. The programme is based in Kano and covers three key states: Kano, Kaduna and Katsina. The programme is focussed on supporting 68,000 marginalised young people in northern Nigeria, with an emphasis on women, adolescent girls and (the socially and economically marginalised) Almajirai, to find full-time, skilled employment or self-employment through skills development. MAFITA addresses a number of challenges, including socio-cultural norms which limit women’s access to education, particularly formal schooling and skills training, and their ability to attend formal schools or training centres

ABOUT THE ROLE
You will join the Investment Climate, Skills and Urban Markets team within the wider Inclusive Economic Growth Practice. The role will be Kano-based and key responsibilities will include taking on project management responsibilities for the MAFITA project. You will also support the team’s research, communication and knowledge management activities, liaising closely with external stakeholders and Adam Smith International colleagues.

Specific Responsibilities Include
Act as member of the programme’s Senior Management Team, taking decisions on programme strategy, approval of spending on projects and resource planning;
Provide financial oversight of interventions including maintenance of a resource burn-rate, an accurate financial forecast and provision of other management reports;
Ensure the project milestones are met and project deliverables completed on time and to a high standard;
Manage key stakeholders and building and developing client relationships;
Support technical teams in the design, planning and budgeting of interventions;
Ensure project plans are maintained effectively and that they feed into a master plan;
Maintain a milestones dashboard and an issues and risk register and effectively escalate and issues;
Maintain a resource plan of resource requirements;
Identify and recruit local staff and project consultants;
Supervise the local finance and administration team;
Support implementation of interventions including logistics and administration, financial management, organisational development, reporting, recruitment, and contracting;
Support weekly, quarterly and annual reporting to the client;
Identify opportunities for new business development, and lead development of small to medium size tenders; with minimal supervision. Play a key role in securing large programmes as part of a wider bid team;
Develop a strong network of advisers and partners to support winning and delivery of new programmes;
Support research and knowledge management for the Investment Climate, Skills and Urban Markets team, in particular driving forward thought leadership/communication pieces on issues relating to Skills Economic Development.

REQUIRED SKILLS
About you
Outstanding written and spoken English. Hausa language ability a plus.
Experience
A postgraduate degree in economics, political science, international development, business management, or other relevant field from a top-tier university;
Experience in a blue chip consultancy, development, or a relevant field;
Practical experience implementing relevant development projects in developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa;
Knowledge of other inclusive economic growth themes (investment climate, market systems development, skills development and urban markets). Experience relevant to Skills Development and Market Systems development is particularly desirable;
Experience managing project teams, consultants and other stakeholders, in particular private sector firms is desirable.
Experience undertaking relevant research and producing high quality written research outputs;
Experience leading business development initiatives, or tendering new opportunities working for a development agency;
Experience of working with donors, key implementers and thought leaders;
Demonstrate a track record of successfully delivering complex multi-year projects and business development;
Be willing to be based in Kano;
Demonstrated experience of using initiative, client-orientation, risk taking, and working in complex and time-pressured contexts;

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