Project Director

Project Director

Blumont

Erbil, Iraq

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Project Director (PD) will ensure the high-quality implementation of a camp management and camp coordination project in Northeast Syria funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) in adherence with Blumont and donor programmatic, financial, administrative, and security procedures. The Project Director will collaborate with the Country Director and Program Quality and Learning (PQL) Division support team to oversee all operations of the project.

The Project Director will work closely with the field and HQ teams to develop programatic reports, track progress toward project deliverables, identify implementation challenges, and recommend project adjustments based on changing needs. The Project Director will be responsible for coordinating communication between the project teams, the Country Director, all key HQ stakeholders, and all administrative and support functions, including finance, procurement, supply chain, logistics, and human resources (HR).

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABLITY:

The Project Director is the strategic lead for the project, and as such s/he plans, oversees, and coordinates all aspects of project implementation with field teams to ensure the objectives of the project are accomplished within the prescribed timeframe and funding parameters. This includes, but is not limited to, monitoring progress toward deliverables, providing necessary reporting and documentation, quality assurance of activities, careful financial and administrative management, and adherence to Blumont policies and procedures and U.S. Department of State/PRM rules and regulations.

Activity Management:

• Provide oversight and support to field teams in all aspects of project implementation, including seamless new arrival registrations and tent assignments, effective ongoing WASH and maintenance services benefiting the camp population, and building the capacity of local leaders to support self-governance;
• Ensure effective quality assurance processes during the procurement and distribution campaigns of non-food items;
• Work closely with Blumont’s CCCM Specialist and field team to coordinate service delivery in the camps, identify gaps, and implement solutions;
• Lead in the development of all project deliverables, including the annual workplan, quarterly and annual reports, and M&E plan, in close coordination with relevant internal teams and the PQL division at HQ;
• Responsible for ensuring that the project is implementing high quality programming in compliance with relevant operational and technical standards and guidelines.
• Assist in the annual proposal development, close-out, and start-up cycle of this annually renewable project;
• Work with field teams to troubleshoot logistical challenges such as road closures and security blocking access to areas of implementation, border bottlenecks, and dynamic security situation.

Project Personnel Management:

• Establish an emotionally and psychologically safe work environment where staff feel confident raising concerns and sharing mistakes to promote learning;
• Approach staff with humility to build effective relationships that lead to trust and openness;
• Mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability, providing regular and timely constructive performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews;
• Collaboratively define the roles and responsibilities of M&E field teams with the Director, MEL in the field and the Director at HQ.

Project Earned-Value Management:

• Develop and manage the project workplan, and use the workplan to identify programmatic bottlenecks, risks, and issues and formulate innovative solutions through coordination with the appropriate field and HQ teams;
• Work with the Deputy Country Director -Operations to ensure effective financial management of the project, close monitoring of the monthly burn rate, and minimize over- and under-spend in the execution of the project;
• Conduct regular analyses of project spend versus project achievement, to ensure the budget stays aligned with project targets;
• In close coordination with the M&E and programs team, collect data to inform project decision making leading to regular adjustments in implementation to continue to achieve project targets in the ever-changing context of Northeast Syria.

Administrative Management and Compliance:

• Work in close coordination with the Finance staff to ensure effective financial management of the project, including accurate accounting of all expenses, close tracking of project expenses against the budget, tracking of budgetary commitments to avoid unexpected invoice submissions, and regular tracking of accounts payable and accounts receivable;
• Work in close coordination with the supply chain team to ensure all procurement and logistics management is conducted in coordination with donor rules and regulations and Blumont standard operating procedures. This includes developing systems for the receipt of goods in Syria to confirm compliance with procurement documents;
• Work in close coordination with the HR team to support effective human resource management for all project staff.

Coordination with Stakeholders:

• Interface with the USG donor representatives to represent Blumont and the project;
• Work closely with UNHCR, Shelter & Settlement Working Group, as well as other relevant Working Groups and the NES NGO Forum members to ensure coordination and avoid duplication of activities;
• Actively engage with the Camp Administration and Local Authorities to advocate for preservation of humanitarian standards in the camps and ensure staff protection and community acceptance;
• Effectively coordinate communication between the project team, Country Director, field-based administrative and finance teams (including procurement, HR, and finance), and HQ-based support teams;
• Closely coordinate all aspects of project implementation with the PQL team at HQ, including project managers, technical and M&E support, and support from administrative and financial divisions.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, humanitarian aid, or relevant field; Masters’s degree preferred;

EXPERIENCE and SKILLS:

• At least 8-10 years of demonstrated management experience, preferably within international non-governmental organizations;
• At least 8-10 years of prior experience with NGO/INGO in humanitarian aid programming, including 4-5 years in camp coordination and camp management;
• Knowledge of U.S. State Department and other donor policies and procedures preferred;
• Demonstrated success interfacing with donor agencies;
• Prior experience in Middle East is required, Syria experience desirable;
• Fluency in English required; proficiency in Arabic and/or Kurdish preferred.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills;
• Flexibility and ability to work in fluid, ambiguous and rapidly changing circumstances;
• Ability to work under pressure, independently and with minimal supervision;
• Ability to recognize problems and bottleneck and provide innovative solutions; and
• Excellent organizational skills.

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