Project Manager Role and Responsibilities:

• The Project Manager’s main role is to lead the Civic Engagement Support Facility’s strategy and daily operations, inspired by Diakonia’s Partnership Policy, and in line with decisions and instructions of the Executive Committee that represents the donors to the Facility.

This entails:

• Strategic Leadership and Program Management
• Drive program design and delivery in close collaboration with Facility staff, exploring new forms of partnering with change actors across Somalia, including Somaliland.
• Set up and manage the Facility according to Executive Committee directives, including strategy development, managing calls for proposals, and overseeing all grant processes in compliance with back donor guidelines.
• Lead the Facility’s operations and staff across its various locations, including Nairobi, Mogadishu, and Hargeisa, fostering a collaborative work environment and ensuring efficient resource allocation.
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Build and maintain strong relationships with civil society leaders, government officials, and international donors to facilitate smooth implementation and enhance project outcomes.
• Regularly engage with stakeholders through workshops, meetings, and forums to gather input and align project objectives with community and donor priorities.
• Provide regular, detailed updates and reports to the Executive Committee and other key stakeholders, demonstrating the progress and impact of the Facility’s initiatives.
• Analysis and Monitoring
• Oversee comprehensive political-economy and civic-space analyses and stakeholder mapping to guide the Facility’s strategic planning and decision-making.
• Ensure rigorous monitoring of project deliverables and financial expenditures, maintaining high standards of transparency and accountability.
• Communication and Advocacy:
• Supervise the Facility’s communication strategies, ensuring that all messaging effectively conveys the Facility’s mission and achievements to a broad audience.
• Produce and oversee the dissemination of progress reports, policy briefs, and other communication materials that highlight the learning of the Facility.
• Act as the face of the Facility in public forums, articulating and advocating for the Facility’s strategic goals and impacts.

Experience and qualifications:

• We are looking for an experienced program manager, an expert in supporting Civil Society in its diversity, in particular women’s rights organizations, youth movements and informal actors. They have:
• A university degree at least equivalent to a master’s degree in a relevant field such as, e.g., social sciences or development studies.
• Experience of at least 10 years of post-degree working experience as Head of major development projects in Africa (i.e., multi-year projects, each with budgets of USD 10 million at least).
• At least 7 years’ experience from working in fragile or conflict-affected contexts.
• At least 5 years of post-degree working experience with supporting civil-society organisations in developing countries.
• At least 5 years of working experience with fund management in development contexts.
• At least 5 years’ experience from the Horn of Africa.
• At least 3 years’ experience working in Somalia including Somaliland or with Somalia/Somaliland as primary job content.
• Experience in program management in at least three developing countries using the human-rights-based approach, including gender justice programming and conflict and environmental mainstreaming.
• English language proficiency at level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages scale.
• As a person, you are solution-oriented, creative, and a good team player.