Reporting to the Country Director, the Project Director Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment-SAYE will provide leadership in the development and implementation of a holistic, impact-driven strategy and plan that will facilitate the empowerment of 250,000 young people between the ages of 16-35 in Busoga sub-region to secure decent and dignified employment through agribusiness enterprise development by the end of 2029. The project will focus on four intervention areas; skills development, equitable access to markets, innovative and inclusive finance and creating an enabling environment to realize the desired outcomes. The Project Director will be a member of the senior management team for Heifer Uganda country program.

The Project Director will provide overall, leadership, management, and general technical direction of the entire project, ensuring an integrated vision among different components and actors. The Project Director will provide strategic vision and technical leadership, supervise team members, and implementing partners to ensure proper planning, implementation, reporting, financial management, and compliance. S/he will act as the key liaison between Mastercard Foundation and all other counterparts, implementing partners including districts and line ministry officials involved with the project, and will ensure the project is planned and executed with quality, accountability, and measurable impact. S/he will coordinate and lead partners, supervise members of the project team, monitor, analyze and address relevant policies and regulatory environment affecting the success of the project.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES

A. Effective project management (50%)

Provide overall leadership and management of the project including, technical, administrative, operational, and logistical direction.
Coordinate the overall operational modalities for the project, including interactions and relationships with HPI’s regional office and headquarters.

Monitor and provide feedback on project quality through regular team meetings, field visits, and regular communication.

Maintain excellent oversight of all project components and meet expectations for project successes and impact.
Ensure that project staff execute approved work plan activities and operations in response to technical direction and recommend appropriate adjustments to achieve project objectives.
Effectively manage project risk throughout each phase of project from start up, implementation and closure to ensure fulfillment of objectives by identifying issues and risks related to project implementation in a timely manner and suggesting appropriate adjustment.
Oversee the development of a monitoring and evaluation plan for the successive phases of the project to capture project performance and results.
B. Partnership & Donor management (20%)

Effectively manage project partnerships with partners and stakeholders.
Develop and implement plans for multi-stakeholder engagement, communication, and learnings.
Lead the assessment and selection of the appropriate project partners for project implementation.
Maintain close coordination with Mastercard Foundation and other stake holders ensuring harmony in approaches and strategy as well as maintaining quality in project delivery.
Facilitate inter-institutional coordination, mainly at the government level, and with other development partners.
Provide supervision, control, technical backstopping, liaise with partners and other stakeholders and reporting to Mastercard Foundation.
Work with local governments on identifying and addressing social and economic barriers to increase youth participation, especially young women in agribusiness and non-agribusiness activities.
C. Compliance (15%)

Conduct monthly reviews to ensure accountability of all project activities as well as accurate and timely reporting of financial deliverables.
Ensure that the project progresses within Heifer and other implementing partners are in accordance with its contractual obligations and complies with partner regulations and internal organization policies.
Ensure all Project teams develop annual budgets and work plans consistent with project documents.
Work with the Finance teams to undertake monthly budget monitoring and variance analysis to adhere to annual budgets. d5tHrP3 u3BgA
Ensure that all Mastercard Foundation reports, and project progress reports are compliant with the highest quality standards, timelines, and formats.
Ensure monitoring and continuous learning and adaptation of project implementation.
D. People management (10%)

Build a collaborative team environment, empower, and support team performance. Provide training, coaching, and mentoring of project managers.
Motivate staff to perform effectively towards project objectives through communication, teambuilding, and responsiveness.
Deal with personnel issues and concerns of team members, ensuring their welfare and safety along with the Country Human Resource Manager.
Lead a multi-disciplinary team to achieve project objectives and results.
Nature a project team who can communicate effectively across different stake holders.
E. May perform any other duties as maybe be guided by the supervisor (5%)

Minimum Requirements

The project director should have an advanced degree (minimum master’s degree) in a relevant field from an accredited university with at least 10 years’ experience in a leadership position, extensive experience, and proven expertise in the areas of technical /Project management skills in employment and skills development focused projects.
He/she shall demonstrate diplomatic management and communication skills to liaise and advocate with governments, partners, thought leaders and other key stake holders including other implementing agencies.
Most critical proficiencies

Experience managing multi-million-dollar projects funded by major bilateral and multilateral partners.
Sound understanding of youth workforce development issues especially in the rural communities of the Busoga region in Uganda.
A good understanding and sensitivity to issues associated with poverty, hunger and environment, and knowledge of the context to which non-profit organizations operate.
Experience in agribusiness development; a good understanding of agricultural and non-agricultural value chains.
Must demonstrate diplomatic management and communication skills to liaise and advocate with governments, partners, thought leaders and other key stake holders including other implementing agencies.
Good understanding of gender and youth dynamics in development.
Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

Strong leadership, teamwork, mentoring and coaching skills.
Ability to prepare and present project reports in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
Must be able to assign and review the work of line managed staff and to use participatory management skills with senior and junior staff.
High level of interpersonal, technical, and analytical skills including a demonstrated ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with a broad range of public and private sector counterparts and other key stakeholders.
Excellent organizational, analytical, and oral and written communication skills in English.
Excellent skills and experience in collaborative working relationships with senior level government leadership, internal teams and partners.
NOTE: The Mastercard Foundation adheres to the highest standards of care related to its programs, those involved in carrying out its mission, and the millions of young people it supports in accessing dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of misconduct and takes seriously its responsibility to improve the safety and well-being of the young people who participate in its programs. This duty of care is shared by the Foundation’s partners. As such, during recruitment of staff for Foundation supported programs, all necessary mechanisms are put in place to ascertain that candidates under consideration share our commitment to safeguarding.

Application Deadline: 17th November 2023