Project Manager
Project Manager
Freedom House
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Position Summary
Freedom House seeks a Project Manager for the Burkina Faso Human Rights and Access to Justice Program, a three-year project in Burkina Faso funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The project aims to build the capacity of civil society and human rights institutions to respond to the urgent human rights threats faced by Burkina Faso as a result of the breakdown of the rule of law caused by violent extremism and human rights violations committed by multiple actors. Freedom House is a partner of the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA-ROLI), who is the prime implementer of the project.
The Project Manager leads the implementation of Freedom House’s programming under the project, which will work to strengthen the capacity of civil society to conduct human rights documentation and advocacy. The Project Manager’s duties will include, but not be limited to, working with Freedom House headquarters and Ouagadougou office staff, including close coordination with the CoP, on strategic planning, program design, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation, staff supervision, and administration. The position is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and reports to the consortium Chief of Party (CoP), from ABA-ROLI, and to Freedom House headquarters.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Oversee daily program implementation and operations, ensuring compliance with USG regulations, timeliness, and cost effectiveness of activities;
- Work closely with the CoP to address challenges that may arise during program implementation while guiding strategic planning and program design;
- In collaboration with the Freedom House Senior Human Rights Specialist, oversee program trainings, workshops and mentorship for civil society on human rights documentation and advocacy;
- Identify civil society partners and manage small grants implementation to support human rights documentation and advocacy;
- Manage work and strategic objectives of Freedom House project staff on a daily basis, including the Senior Human Rights Specialist and the Grants and Finance Manager.
- Responsible for timely development and delivery of all program reports;
- Responsible for overseeing day-to-day partner relations, including closely coordinating program operations with core partners;
- Lead program monitoring and evaluation efforts by ensuring quality of data collection, verification, analysis, and reporting as well as working closely with the CoP to facilitate learning from program data and appropriate adaptation of activities;
- In coordination with CoP, network and liaise with program partners, sub-grantees, consultants, government officials, civil society organizations, and international and regional bodies;
- Travel to program sites within the country to monitor activities, as conditions permit;
- Other related duties as assigned.
Job Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree; Master’s degree in human rights, political science, law or other social sciences preferred;
- Substantial experience with civil society engagement and human rights advocacy in Francophone West Africa (with Burkina Faso-specific experience and networks preferred);
- A minimum of 7 years of experience managing donor funded programs; experience managing USG-funded programs preferred, with demonstrated experience in developing activity work plans and budgets, implementing programmatic activities, managing small grants and financial processes and providing technical assistance.
- Strong knowledge of human rights, civil society and rule of law issues in Burkina Faso;
- Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with local and international partners, government officials, media houses, as well as in-country and foreign experts;
- Strong organizational and time management skills;
- Strong knowledge of human rights principles and mechanisms, as well as advocacy strategies concerning these issues;
- Strong ability to communicate effectively in English and French, both orally and in writing;
- Knowledge of, and ability to use MS Office Suite; particularly Word, Outlook, PowerPoint; and Excel.
Attributes and Characteristics
- Eagerness to learn and willingness to embrace change and adapt to the challenging country environment;
- Exhibit strong and sustained commitment to Freedom House’s mission;
- Show good stewardship in use of Freedom House resources;
- Respond promptly to stakeholder needs, and solicit stakeholder feedback to improve service quality;
- Exhibit professional conduct at all times, with a pleasant demeanor, good humor, positive attitude, adaptability to change, and ethical conduct;
- Consistently use good judgment in all circumstances;
- Comply with all applicable policies and procedures;
- Demonstrate strong desire for excellence, and desire to inspire others to attain professional excellence;
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively as part of a team;
- Assess own strengths and weaknesses, pursue training and development opportunities, and strive to continuously build knowledge and skills.
