Project manager

Purpose of the Role

The Project Manager provides overall strategic, technical and operational leadership for PAPDA’s IMPAACT Project. The post holder ensures timely, high-quality and compliant implementation; coordinates head-office and field teams; manages relationships with the donor, consortium lead, government and other stakeholders; and ensures that project resources, risks, learning and results are managed effectively.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Strategic and Programme Leadership

• Lead project  planning, implementation and periodic review of the project strategy, workplan, targets and budget.

• Translate the approved proposal, logframe and donor requirements into clear operational priorities for the field team.

• Ensure integrated, conflict-sensitive and technically sound implementation across anticipatory action, DRM, health/WASH preparedness, cash preparedness, crisis-modifier and community-engagement components.

• Provide regular management direction, problem-solving support and timely decisions to maintain delivery against milestones.

Team Management and Technical Oversight

• Supervise, coach and appraise the two Project Officers and provide functional oversight to Social and Outreach Workers.
• Clarify roles, approve team plans and travel, monitor workloads and foster a respectful, accountable and high-performing team culture.
• Coordinate technical inputs from PAPDA, consortium members, consultants and government counterparts.
• Ensure staff induction, capacity strengthening and compliance with organizational policies and humanitarian standards.

Coordination, Partnership and Representation

• Serve as PAPDA’s principal focal person for the IMPAACT Project and maintain effective communication with the consortium lead, donor and partners.
• coordinate with ACF, EDRMC and regional DRM structures, oversee trigger activation, ensure rapid response within 48 hours where applicable, and document lessons for national scaling.
• Represent PAPDA in national, regional and project-level coordination, technical working groups, dialogue events and review meetings.
• Build constructive working relationships with Afar regional bureaus, woreda administrations, DRM structures, sector offices, communities and humanitarian actors.
• Ensure agreements, action points and partner commitments are documented and followed up.

Financial, Operational and Risk Management

• Prepare budget forecasting, expenditure review and activity-based financial planning with Finance, Logistics and Procurement teams.
• Ensure value for money, timely procurement, appropriate asset and supply management, and full compliance with PAPDA and donor procedures.
• Maintain and periodically update programme, access, safeguarding and operational risk registers; escalate critical risks promptly.
• Support security analysis and ensure field movement and duty-of-care measures are applied.

MEAL, Reporting and Learning

• Ensure the project MEAL plan, indicators, data-quality controls, accountability mechanisms and learning agenda are implemented.
• Compile, review and approve narrative reports from field, donor updates, workplans, case studies, after-action reviews and other project documentation.
• Use monitoring evidence and community feedback analysis to adapt implementation and improve results.
• Ensure timely documentation and dissemination of lessons, evidence and good practices from pilot activations and preparedness actions.

Expected Deliverables and Outputs

• Prepare annual, quarterly and monthly implementation plans and forecasts.
• Timely, accurate and high-quality narrative reports.
• Effective coordination and documented follow-up with consortium, government and community stakeholders.
• Project activities delivered within approved scope, schedule, budget and quality standards.
• Updated risk register, issue tracker, procurement plan and management action log.
• Staff performance plans, monthly performance reports, supervision records, and capacity development activities completed and documented in accordance with PAPDA's performance management system.