The  Programs Manager  will provide management support to all project activities implemented in Malawi. Opportunity International Malawi (OIM) plays a critical role as a local implementing partner for Opportunity International (OI). The role will assist the OIM team in achieving program-level outreach and impact targets through effective project management. The projects implemented by OIM aligns with OI’s broader organizational goals of designing, delivering, and scaling innovative financial solutions to help families living in extreme poverty build sustainable livelihoods and access quality education for their children.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:  include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Project Management

• Oversee the administration of projects being implemented in Malawi ensuring that all projects are delivered on time and within scope.
• Work with management to streamline and improve current project management practices and frameworks.
• Develop a detailed project plan to monitor and track project implementation progress, and coordinate impact evaluation data collection activities.
• Provide oversight of project budgets, ensuring that all projects are delivered within scope and within budget.
• Provide technical support to Project Coordinators and other implementation partners in Malawi.
• Collaborate with financial institution partners to facilitate increased access to affordable finance for targeted client groups.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Organize and facilitate Malawi insight visits for external partner staff and associated stakeholders.
• Engage with and manage relationships between stakeholders, and act as the main link between OIM and Partners.
• Attend conferences, meetings, and training as required to maintain proficiency and health stakeholder relationship.

Reporting

• Support data collection to develop internal and external narrative reports.
• Regularly monitor data integrity, analytics, and output metrics; identify data needs and produce monthly reports to share with relevant stakeholders.
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation.

Leadership

• Provide effective, innovative, and strategic leadership and direction to the project staff and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure that professional development activities, including performance roadmaps, performance discussions, monitoring, and needed training and mentoring activities are carried out successfully.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent relevant experience.
• Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in project management at a management or supervisory level.
• Project management skills to effectively perform activities/tasks in a manner that consistently achieves high standards.
• Interpersonal skills to develop and maintain business networks and to effectively communicate with other stakeholders who impact performance.
• Strategic awareness to contribute to the strategy of growing business for partner Financial Institutions.
• Proficiency in use of MS Office applications, Android Apps. Must be able to demonstrate competency in the use of Excel. Experience in Power BI is an added advantage.
• Self-empowerment to enable development of open communication, teamwork and trust that are needed to support performance and customer-service oriented culture in agriculture.
• Passionate about Opportunity’s mission. Able to promote and communicate the organization’s goals and objectives to external and internal stakeholders.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY 

• Project Coordinators.
• Project Officers.

LANGUAGE

• Written and verbal fluency in English, additional 1 or 2 local languages required. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• 40% local travel to project sites within Malawi.

ABOUT OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL?

Opportunity International is a global non-profit that has been empowering people to work their way out of poverty for over 50 years. Last year, Opportunity provided 18.7 million families with innovative financial resources, training, and support to grow their small businesses and send their children to school. Opportunity and its partners released $2 billion in capital across 30 countries and helped fund 8,400 schools that reached 2 million children.