- Project: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Benefits
- Reports to: Project Director; with technical guidance from the Research Director and administrative guidance from the Country Director
- Location: Western Kenya
- Application deadline: July 15, 2013 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis)
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate “what works” in development and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.
Project Summary:
Currently in the midst of a five-year study, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Benefits is collecting rigorous evidence on the health impacts of improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices, alongside improved nutrition in rural Kenya. Low-cost technologies and behavior change communications strategies are being implemented to promote drinking water treatment, good sanitation practices, hand washing with soap and improved nutrition.
Position Summary:
The Project Implementation Manager offers an opportunity to help design and manage several facets of the project implementation aspects of the research study in an organization undertaking cutting-edge public health and development research. This position is located in Western Kenya, and the principal investigators (PI) are Clair Null and Michael Kremer.S/he will work closely with counterparts, supervisors, and staff to implement, support and supervise a variety of tasks across two offices.
The WASH Benefits project will be spread over a relatively large geographic area, so willingness to travel and ability to manage across project sites is essential. The Project Implementation Manager will be based in Kisumu with regular travel to Kakamega and Bungoma.
Responsibilities:
Operations
- Develop, modify, and oversee systems to ensure efficient operations (specifically logistical planning, budgeting, procurement, human resources, document management) for a complex set of inter-related activities in accordance with project objectives, timelines, budget constraints, and approved research protocols;
- In coordination with the Research Manager, develop and utilize a reporting system which will generate updates for PIs and other managers on project implementation status, targets and recommendations for corrective action if targets are not being met;
- In coordination with the Research Manager, put in place the necessary infrastructure (hardware and software) for a data management system that is comprehensive, secure, well-documented, and used consistently by staff;
- Develop, maintain and enforce compliance with user-friendly systems for document management and workflow/timeline planning that facilitate an efficient work environment, possibly by choosing and institutionalizing commercial software for these purposes;
- Under the guidance of the Project Director, ensure compliance with IPA policies, including identifying needs for new project-specific policies and working with the IPAK Country Office staff where necessary to establish these;
- Closely coordinate with Deputy Project Directors, Research Manager, and Data Collection, Intervention Delivery, Lab and Behavior Change personnel; and
- Directly supervise the Intervention Delivery and Behavior Change Coordinators and provide technical guidance to the Lab and Data Coordinators and to administrative staff.
Financial Management
- Ensure that project resources are utilized cost effectively and activities are implemented in accordance with available budget; and
- Contribute to financial reports and the development of budgets for new proposals.
Procurement (under the guidance of the Project Director):
- Maintain inventory of project assets;
- Ensure safety of project supplies, including maintaining accurate insurance policies and secure storage facilities;
- Participate in the negotiation process for valuable or sensitive contracts and liaise with IPA tendering committee;
- Communicate and follow-through with IPA headquarters, vendors, shipping companies and customs;
- Review and approve contracts and payments; and
- Ensure compliance with USAID policies.
Human Resources
- Develop staffing projections in accordance with the timeline, budget and project objectives;
- Contribute to the development of job descriptions for new positions in addition to interview and onboarding processes;
- Support the Project Director with necessary immigration paperwork; and
- Provide mentorship and help develop management capacity by holding regular meetings and coordinating trainings (this will require an average of two nights per week spent in project-provided accommodation at the field offices).
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree with 5 years of work experience or a master’s degree in a relevant field such as Public Health, Public Administration, or Business Administration;
- At least two years of experience supervising implementation of a large scale project, preferably in a developing country;
- Experience with budgets, procurement and logistical oversight;
- Experience working within a complex organizational structure and managing work across multiple offices or field sites;
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and to delegate effectively, including to remote staff;
- Strong computer skills required, especially the ability to use, create, edit and manipulate Microsoft Excel files;
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English;
- Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research methods;
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials;
- Experience working on WASH and/or nutrition issues in developing countries (particularly sub-Saharan Africa);
- Excellent management, organizational, critical thinking and interpersonal skills;
- Experience with project management and/or document management software highly desirable; and
- Kiswahili proficiency is preferred.
Please note: Kenyan work authorization is preferred.
Application Instructions:
1. Send an email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org and cc jobs@poverty-action.org, following these instructions:
- In the subject line: Copy the following position line: 100931IPAKenya, Implementation Manager, WASH Benefits
- Attachments: Please attach Only your CV and cover letter
- In the email body: Put your full name, first (given) name followed by last (family) name.
Please do not include any text besides your name in the body of the e-mail. Adding extra text will interfere with the processing of your application
2. Qualified candidates: Please submit an application through J-PAL’s common application, indicating that you are interested in applying for a "Type 3" position. Please note: you are not required to include transcripts or letters of recommendation upon initial submission. After submitting, you can edit your application at any time and may add these materials, if requested.
3. Fill out our EEO-1 Voluntary Self Identification Form.
IPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer.
All persons shall have the opportunity to be considered for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org.
DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the Implementation Manager. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs-info@poverty-action.org.
