Project Manager – XCEPT At Rift Valley Institute

Employment type: Full time until March 2025 – renewable subject to funding.

Location: TBC – but preferred locations is Kenya, South Sudan or Ethiopia

Reporting structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Programmes and manages independent research consultants.

Key Working Relationships

• Works closely with RVI staff working on the XCEPT (Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends) project, particularly the RVI Senior Publications and Programme Manager, the Ethiopia Head of Office and the South Sudan Head of Office to implement the project – setting overall research priorities, capacity building activities, and research dissemination events.
• Works with other RVI colleague, ensuring collaborative integration with other RVI projects such as the South Sudan Women’s Research Network, the Research Communities of Practice, the Peace Research Facility, Somali Dialogue Platform project and the RVI Forum and courses.
• Works with RVI finance colleagues to ensure the project budget is effectively managed in line with RVI’s project and budget management guidelines and the terms and conditions of the grant agreement.
• Works with RVI Publications Senior Programme Manager ensuring the high quality of the production and dissemination of publications.
• Works with consortium partners – The Asia Foundation, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center and Chemonics – and with FCDO focal points as the donor for the project.

Scope and limits of authority

• In consultation with RVI colleague and relevant consultants, the Project Manager is responsible for the inception, design, implementation of research projects, dissemination of analytical products and related activities, and capacity building and networking events for RVI researchers engaged in XCEPT.
• Responsible for day-to-day decision-making in the planning and implementation of project activities.
• Manages research consultants, including: developing ToRs (in collaboration with colleagues), recruitment and contracting, communication with researchers, convening of research teams for studies, overseeing consultants’ adherence to RVI’s policies on safeguarding, anti-bribery, research ethics.
• Ensure consultants deliver agreed work on time and to the expected quality and payments are made consistent with agreed milestones.
• Interact with consortium partners and report to them as required.
• Interact with FCDO around project implementation.
• Responsible for the budget management of project activities, and contractual performance of partners and consultants, advising RVI colleagues on progress and status regularly as well as reporting to the donor on agreed timeframes.

Job Purpose

The role of the XCEPT Project Manager is to manage RVI’s component of the XCEPT project. Funded by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by Chemonics, the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) project seeks to better understand conflict-affected borderlands, how conflicts connect across borders, and the factors that shape violent and peaceful behaviour, to inform effective policy and programme responses. RVI’s cross-border (X-Border) research and capacity-building component of XCEPT is implemented in a consortium with The Asia Foundation (TAF) and the Malcolm H. Kerr, Carnegie Middle East Center (CMEC), under the broader XCEPT programme, led by Chemonics.

The X-Border component of the project will end in March 2025, with the potential for an extension for project close out. The Project Manager will manage the final fifteen months of the project, in collaboration with RVI colleagues, specifically the RVI Senior Publications Manager, the Senior Horn of Africa Programme Manager and Head of Ethiopia Office and the South Sudan Head of Office. The work will involve finalising research projects, synthesising the research conducted since the project inception, disseminating and showcasing the work done, convening meetings of researchers who have worked with the project from the project inception, organising training of local researchers, organising networking events, and overseeing a final evaluation of the project.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead in the development, management and delivery of RVI’s XCEPT research and analysis projects (20%)

• Lead the conceptualisation, planning and implementation of the project’s remaining research activities, working closely with RVI staff and research consultants and partners, with updates to FCDO.
• Identify, coordinate and support commissioned researchers to ensure the project’s research is based on robust design and methodologies and is relevant and responsive to the needs of agreed stakeholders, including FCDO, and is produced in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
• Lead on the development and implementation of a research synthesis report, that will draw together learning from RVI’s research work conducted under the XCEPT project since 2018.
• Ensure duty of care of researchers.
• Oversee the production of research outputs and publications, with support from RVI’s publications team, as well as consultant copy-editors and graphic designers.
• Adhere to and promote RVI’s research ethics policy.
• Be an active team member of the RVI’s project managers forums and participate in and contribute to other organisation wide activities.
• Manage and support consultants working on research activities, including on logistics and administration.
• Manage, record and store data related to projects, research and analytical products, ensuring adherence to RVI data protection policies.

Organise learning, networking and dissemination events (40%)

• Support creative dissemination and uptake strategies of research findings and analytical insights in various formats, such as donor briefings, policy advisory workshops, public seminars, podcast, and videos. These events will draw together RVI’s work, and researchers, from across the XCEPT project since 2018, in collaboration with consortium partners.
• Work with consortium partners to organise and support events in their respective regions.
• Maintain and strengthen RVI’s contacts with researchers in the region who have worked under the XCEPT project to organise skills training and networking events, complementing other RVI work where possible.
• Work with RVI communications staff to develop an outreach programme to generate communications outputs including documenting the successes of the project.
• Collaborate with TAF and CMEC on the delivery of a fellowship programme over the next year.
• Develop opportunities that complement other ongoing RVI projects, including the South Sudan Women’s Research Network and the Research Communities of Practice, in collaboration with the respective project managers.

Overall project management (40%)

• Lead the financial and budget management of the project, ensuring activities are within budget and providing value-for-money, working closely with RVI’s finance team.
• Lead on collaboration and communication with TAF, Chemonics, etc.
• Lead on donor correspondence.
• Lead on donor reporting (narrative and finance), including documenting programme outputs, impacts, learning and adaptation.
• Lead on capturing feedback and evidence of impact of the XCEPT project.

These are the duties which the RVI requires from the post holder at the time of appointing a candidate. It may be necessary to alter these duties in accordance with the needs of the project, the job and the organisation. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

• Minimum of a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study (e.g. social science, political science or anthropology).
• Excellent knowledge of programme management under tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of organising and delivering on research projects
• Experience in event organisation and management.
• Understanding of current and historical political dynamics in the Horn of Africa and the Sudans.
• Engaged in research networks across the Horn of Africa (including with relevant government authorities and NGOs).
• The right to work in one of the following three locations: Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Experience

• A minimum of five years’ experience in managing research projects, including commissioning research, managing research teams and the production of research outputs.
• Track record of overseeing the delivery of policy-relevant research to a range of high-level audiences (UN, government, institutional donors).
• Experience in managing and delivering large, complex projects with tight reporting time frames.
• Experience in organising training, learning and network events with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience in programme financial management.
• Experience in coordinating research uptake and dissemination.
• Experience working with an NGO is an advantage.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent writing, editing and oral skills in English. Working knowledge of an additional East African language is an advantage.
• Demonstrable ability to manage research projects
• Track record in organising large, multi-country attendee events.
• Track record in working with early career researchers.
• Cultural sensitivity and experience of working with diverse constituencies.
• Strong people skills and ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.