Project Manager

Job Title: Project Manager

Reports to Position Title: Deputy Director Of Programs

Research Project Title: Promotion of Vancouver Principles in Sub-Saharan Africa

Faculty/ Department: Africa Center of Excellence, The Dallaire Institute

FTE (based on 35 paid hr work week) 100%

Duration: 12 months. Full-time

Date Created/Updated: November, 2024

About the Research

Lt. General Romeo Dallaire founded the Child Soldiers Initiative in 2007 and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, provided a home to the Initiative in 2010. In 2020, the Initiative became the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, an international repository of expertise, research, and advocacy to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed violence. The Dallaire Institute is the co-developer of the 2017 Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. As part of Dalhousie University, the Dallaire Institute hosts a prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair on International Peace, Security and Children and offers undergraduate and graduate courses. Through academic and practitioner training and community engagement, the Dallaire Institute’s interdisciplinary and applied research advances innovative strategies for preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed violence. The Dallaire Institute is supported through private, public and international contributions.

To achieve this important objective, the Dallaire Institute conducts activities on four fronts:

• World-class, interdisciplinary research to build and share knowledge, which in turn leads to new solutions.
• High-level advocacy activities to create and promote the political will to end the use of children in violence as central to the achievement of global peace and security.
• Education and programming to sustain the efforts to make the recruitment and use of children as soldiers unthinkable by inspiring leaders, educators, and policy makers to implement new approaches, conduct research, and actively share their knowledge on the prioritization of the children’s rights upfront approach.
• Comprehensive, prevention-oriented training to security sector actors, in the service of broader security sector reform, as well as collaboration with civil society to create and implement tools that protect children from the dangers associated with recruitment.

Job Purpose

The Project Manager will oversee the implementation of the Institute’s activities under a specific project aimed at enhancing national security sector capabilities to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers in Africa. This role involves strategic project management, including planning, execution, and reporting, primarily focusing on training, capacity building, and advocacy within South Sudan.

Duties and responsibilities
Project Management

• Lead the day-to-day operations of project activities, ensuring compliance with timelines, budget constraints, and quality standards.
• Coordinate project planning, implementation, and monitoring activities, ensuring alignment with the overall strategic objectives of the Institute.
• Manage the logistics of training sessions, workshops, and conferences, both locally and regionally.
• Liaise with local and international partners, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, to enhance project outreach and impact.

Grant and Financial Management

• Oversee project budgeting and financial reporting, ensuring adherence to donor guidelines and organizational financial policies.
• Monitor expenditure and manage financial documentation in collaboration with the financial team.

Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy

• Represent the Institute in national and regional forums related to children, peace, and security.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, government officials, and community leaders.
• Drive advocacy initiatives aligned with the project goals and the Institute’s mission.

Reporting and Communication

• Prepare detailed reports on project progress and outcomes for donors, the Institute’s leadership, and other stakeholders.

• Ensure effective communication strategies are in place to disseminate project achievements and lessons learned.

  Qualifications

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field including International Relations, Political Science, Management, or related field;
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in project management, including overseeing large-scale projects in conflict or post-conflict settings, preferably for an international-based non-profit organization (required);
• Experience working in complex environments, preferably in conflict-affected regions
• Proven ability to manage teams and coordinate with various stakeholders.
• Strong financial and grant management skills.
• Excellent communication skills in English; proficiency in French is highly desirable.

Skills

• Excellent ability to forge relationships at all levels and work across multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary teams.

• Adept at handling confidential information with discretion and in accordance with Dallaire Institute research and other professional standards;

• Ability to take initiative to organize time effectively within a range of often conflicting deadlines and competing priorities, within a busy program and while working to an agreed strategy;

• Ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team.

• Ability to self-teach and problem-solve in difficult situations.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.

• Effectiveness and flexibility to work in a team.

  Knowledge

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office

• Ability to communicate technical concepts to colleagues.

Assets

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field including International Relations, Political Science, Management, or related field;

• 3 years of international work experience in complex environments, preferably in conflict-affected regions

• Experience working in East Africa or other fragile contexts.

• Experience managing or coordinating communities of practice.

  Working conditions

  1. Presential role: Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in person.
  2. Hybrid role: The occupant will be eligible for hybrid work (a combination of in-person work and remote work) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and Institutional guidelines.