Plan International Ghana is looking for a Project Lead to effectively lead a team of professionals and deliver high quality programming and results for a project titled “Women’s Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises (WISE)”. The WISE Project seeks to leverage the enormous potential and agency of Ghanaian women entrepreneurs aged 19 to 55 years in rural and peri-urban areas by employing both demand- and supply-side interventions to contribute to increased realization of rights to economic empowerment, well-being and inclusive economic growth in 3 districts in Bono and Ahafo regions (Sunyani Municipal, Tano North and Techiman Municipal) and 2 districts in Northern region (Kumbungu and Tolon). The project will start in February 2020, has a duration of 4 years, and a budget of over 5.5 million EUR.

Dimensions of Role:

• The Project Lead will be responsible and ultimately accountable for project’s strategic direction, quality programming and results achievement, financial management and compliance, team leadership, stakeholder and partner relations, and donor deliverables.
• The Project Lead will work with stakeholders at multiple levels to address root causes of gender inequalities through gender-transformative approaches. This includes an expressed need to promote women’s agency and ensure meaningful male engagement to support women’s economic empowerment. Feminist principles of collaboration, participation, transparency and respect for the agency of women entrepreneurs will be integrated in all aspects of this role.
• The post-holder will be based in Tamale but travel to project districts where the WISE project operates for approximately 60% of her/his time, as well as to the Plan International Ghana Country Office in Accra.

Typical Responsibilities – Key End Results of Position:

• Project Leadership and Management: Lead high quality and results-oriented program planning, implementation and reporting in compliance with donor and government agreements. A strong understanding of project cycle management, results-based management, and gender transformative women’s economic empowerment programming is essential.

Expected Outcomes:

• Project cycle management processes and tools (including detailed implementation plans) effectively implemented to achieve project results and comply with donor requirements, government requirements, and partnership agreements.
• Ensure program strategies in women’s economic empowerment are gender transformative and responsive to the context, implemented consistently across all project activities, and adhere to best practices in the sector.
• Quality programmatic and financial reports are prepared on time and in line with Plan International and donor standards.
• Compliance tools and frameworks are designed to be responsive to the capacities of partner organisations and meet donor requirements for audit.
• Expenditure is monitored monthly to ensure spending is on track and forecasts are duly updated based on project needs and in compliance with donor regulations.
• Monitoring and evaluation system, tools and processes are developed for measuring the gender transformative and economic empowerment results of the project; and project data is collected, validated and shared with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure that local laws and operational policies and protocols, including for security, are observed and respected.
• Women’s Economic Empowerment: Oversee the establishment of women-friendly business hubs (HerHubs), which will serve as a ‘one-stop shop’ for women to access gender-responsive services to start and grow small enterprises.
• A strong understanding of agricultural value chains, green businesses, enterprise development, and financial inclusion is essential.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Advanced degree in relevant field such as Project Management, Agriculture Economics, Development Studies, or other related social science fields.
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in leading complex development projects that delivers high quality economic empowerment programming and gender transformative results.
• Strong understanding and proven application of project cycle management.
• Proven experience in directly managing a diverse team including technical and finance staff ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork.
• Proven experience managing effective partnerships with private sector, government and non for profit in driving and pioneering economic empowerment solutions that improve cost-effectiveness and challenge traditional models, approaches and partnerships to promote socio-economic well-being of women in Ghana.
• Proven experience in Agricultural Value Chains, Enterprise Development, Green Businesses and Financial Inclusion
• Progressive experience working for INGOs in increasingly senior level management positions.
• Capacity building experience in project design, implementation, reporting, and evaluation.

Location: Tamale