Job Details

Position title: Manager II Project
Location: Lusaka
Childfund Office: Zambia Country Office
Manager/Supervisor: Programs and sponsorship Director
Position type: Full time, fixed contract
Grade: 8

About ChildFund
ChildFund is a child-focused international development organization that works in 23 countries to connect children with the people, resources and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, no matter where they are.
ChildFund’s Values
We aspire every person in our organization—program participants, supporters, staff, and volunteers alike—to feel free, safe, and confident to be themselves. In our culture of connection, you will have ample opportunity to grow, learn, and lead while contributing your talents and innovations to our inspiring mission.
ChildFund’s Commitment
ChildFund International has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) and all other forms of harm by its staff, partners, and other representatives in the delivery of its mission and services for children. ChildFund is committed to creating a safe environment in the workplace as well as in the communities where it delivers programs and services. ChildFund expects every staff member, partner, and representative to adhere to this commitment and to ensure all organizational policies and standards are followed. This position is subject to a range of vetting checks, including a criminal records check and/or disclosure to ensure program participants are safeguarded.
About this role
This is a project position that will be responsible for the overall technical oversight of the UNICEF Social Accountability for the EC4HD Programme. The project manager will take a leading role in ensuring technical implementation of high impact programs and ensuring that the Organisation meets its desired goals and targets.
Primary Responsibilities

• Working closely with the technical staff, partners and key stakeholders
• Responsible for ensuring transparency, ethical practices, and community engagement in governance and organizational operations.
• Provide overall technical leadership and strategic oversight for the social accountability intervention under the EC4HD Program, ensuring quality implementation across all ten target districts
• Ensure plans are implemented according to the approved budget and donor guidelines, and that ChildFund procedures and policies are always adhered to.
• Pro-actively identify risks related to contract compliance and prescribe, implement and manage corrective action.
• Leading the co-creation of tools and strategies, strengthening inter-sectoral coordination, overseeing capacity development efforts, and ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Social Accountability Framework and Zambia’s decentralization agenda
• Lead the coordination of mentoring and coaching of partners on project content, M&E and finance to build technical and organizational capacity
• Timely preparation and submission of quality progress reports that meet the organizations/donor requirements, as stipulated in the contract. (Document lessons learnt and best practices)
• Engage and maintain key stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and community groups
• Ensure project staff adhere to the organization’s programming principles, procurement, administrative and financial policies
• To ensure ethical governance, compliance with legal and ethical standards in governance.
• Act as a liaison between stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and communities and Advocate for transparency and public participation in decision-making.
• Any other duties may be assigned by the organization.

Required Experience and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Project Management, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field
• Master’s degree is an added advantage
• Minimum of 6–8 years of experience managing complex, multi-district programs, particularly in social accountability, participatory governance, and rights-based development
• Verification of qualification with Zambia Qualification Authority.
• Proven experience working with government counterparts and local governance structures such as CWACs, WDCs, NHCs, and PTCs
• Experience in policy development and implementation, with sound knowledge of legal and ethical standards in governance.

Required competencies

• Teamwork: Creates a culture of collaboration among teams, departments, external business partners, and all employee levels.
• Communication: Promotes and facilitates inter-departmental communication and transparency
• Results orientation: Provides regular feedback and suggests alternative approaches to meet organizational objectives.
• Decision making: Establishes metrics to aid in decision making and effectively leverages data as important inputs.
• Resilience: Maintains professionalism in difficult situations and unforeseen changes, supporting others in adjusting to change
• Digital Literacy: Encourages and models application of new technology at the departmental level by articulating the importance of digital transformation.

Other Required Competencies

• Demonstrate analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficient in stakeholder engagement and communication.
• Manage multiple projects effectively under pressure.
• Self-driven with excellent organizational skills.
• Proficient in training, facilitation, and team development.
• Upholds integrity and professionalism in all project activities.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities