Senior Manager, Projects and Operations

Job Description

Responsibilities:

As the Senior Manager, Projects and Operations you will work as part of a collaborative team implementing projects for a range of clients – from large bilateral and multilateral donors to foundations and private sector companies – to advance the social and economic wellbeing of youth and adults around the world. In this role, you will apply your strong contract management skills to effectively guide the management and execution of agreements (contracts, subcontracts, cooperative agreements, and grants) including backstopping of specific projects. Working closely with the Vice President, Projects and Operations, you will refine existing or develop new systems for the company’s core operations including project management, compliance, finance, information technology, and human resources. You will also contribute to key new business efforts by reviewing budgets and negotiating financial or contractual arrangements with prime and proposed subcontractors. Success in this role requires strong management skills, attention to detail, systems thinking, dedication to teamwork, an ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks, and a commitment to quality.

Principal Duties include:

• Support and supervise project officers who provide direct project backstopping, guiding them in particular on project-level compliance and financial and operational management (budgeting, pipeline analyses, projections); appropriate project documentation; and resource management (subcontractors, vendors, consultants, LOE, and project-level travel/direct cost inputs)
• Oversee implementation and further refinement of project management systems
• Provide ongoing training and coaching to staff on project management related topics
• Oversee periodic reviews of projects’ progress towards financial and operational objectives
• Manage the development, issuance, and implementation of RFP/Qs for project-specific services
• Oversee the company’s facilities, IT infrastructure operations, and human resources
• Periodically review corporate-level insurances so that they meet the evolving needs of company, and are compliant with funder and lender requirements
• Periodically review and make recommendations to the Vice President regarding HR policies and compensation packages that serve to attract, retain, and grow high-quality talent balanced with the corporate-level financial picture
• Maintain current and compliant HR policies, and oversee periodic training and refreshers to ensure policies are followed and appropriately documented
• Actively developing own skills and contribute to the development of other team members through peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and coaching
• Contributing to the development of processes, systems, approaches, and tools to capture and effectively communicate lessons learned and best practices from project activities
• Contribute to Making Cents’ new business efforts by developing and reviewing budgets, negotiating financial or contractual arrangements with prime and proposed subcontractors, and as appropriate contributing to the technical aspects of proposals
• Participating in networking and client relationship development opportunities.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 14 years’ work experience, or Master’s degree plus 8 years’ work experience
• Demonstrated experience managing donor-funded international development projects
• Strong personnel management skills
• Demonstrated understanding of USG contract compliance
• Strong knowledge of MS Office applications
• Ability to work in the US without sponsorship

Our ideal candidates are:

• Graduates of an advanced degree program in the youth development, social sciences, business, education, economics, policy, international relations/development
• Excellent writers, communicators and presenters
• Able to develop strategies and execute with a high degree of ownership
• Resourceful problem-solvers who take the initiative to learn new skills
• Proficient in one or more foreign languages, with a preference for French, Spanish or Arabic

Working Conditions

Normal office environment; ability and willingness to travel and work abroad in less developed countries. Up to 10% travel anticipated.

To Apply

Submit resume and cover letter online through “Join Our Team” under the Contact section of www.makingcents.com. Applicants are encouraged to apply early as interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

About the Organization

Making Cents is a results-driven women-owned small business founded on the principles of social entrepreneurship. Since our founding in 1999, we have been fostering human potential and promoting economic opportunities for disadvantaged populations around the world. We have implemented more than 130 projects in over 60 countries to date and are a trusted partner to public- and private-sector clients who benefit from our expertise and broad industry exposure.