Deputy Project Manager

JOB PURPOSE

The Deputy Project Manager will be based in Hanoi/Son La office with frequent to travel to the field. S/he leads and manages the planning, inception, implementation, closing and the workforce of the project in Son La Province, within scope, budget, timeline, and acceptable quality levels along the commitments specified in the contracts signed with the donor(s), consortium(s) and other relevant stakeholders.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Deputy Project Manager works in line with SNV standards, SNV’s approach to project management and donor regulations, in order to achieve high quality and achieve the agreed results and deliverables of the project inception phase. The assignment is expected to comprise the following tasks and responsibilities:

1. Project Design & Development:

• Organize and oversee various assessments and analyses to inform the design and development of the RESTORE project.
• Lead design of appropriate project interventions and approaches, aligned with key government policies and programs to develop and strengthen tree plantings, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem, circular bioeconomy, value chains for key products of agroforestry systems and Climate-Smart Agriculture that benefit smallholders and private sectors (SMEs/cooperatives).

2. Project implementation, management and monitoring

• Leads, manages, and motivates the project’s partners, consultants, provincial project team, partners, and relevant stakeholders. Plans and assigns deliverables and activities, reviews their progress and addresses deviations in terms of timelines and quality, based on project planning, deliverables agreed and budget set. Manages project closure and evaluation process including hand-over of complete and up-to-date project files to Project Manager and Sector Leader based on project management procedures.
• Develop the work-plan and manage technical assistance with applying and adapting SNV approaches and tools.
• Lead and manage consultant groups in delivering the selection of priority commodities and inclusive value chain and market assessments.
• Developing detailed work plans and leading/managing tree plantings, key inclusive value-chain development project intervention activities.
• Provide assistance to identify appropriate targets and related indicators as well as monitoring methods for project M&E

3. Provide capacity building in tree plantings, sustainable production, inclusive business, and traceability systems.

• Develop training courses plan for tree plantings, the value chains (coffee and mixed-trees), business plan, and marketing.
• Advise the businesses to obtain sustainable production certifications in various sectors (coffee, fruits, nuts, timber, etc..).
• Counsel/recommend integrating the digital traceability system and/or other monitoring systems in SME operations to adapt the market-based value chains.

4. Project Technical Lead and Quality Assurance in the Province

• Takes responsibility for the technical content of a project, ensures quality of the deliverables, and ensures sufficient technical input to meet the quality standards.
• Facilitate and strengthen the partnership with key forestry and agriculture businesses, financial institutions, and development partners.
• Contribute to achieving the inception phase indicators and annual work plans.

5. Contract Management & Project Accounting related to activities in Son La Province

• Manages and accounts for compliance of administrative, finance and HR components of the project with SNV internal procedures and requirements specified in the donor-, sub-grant-, sub-consultancy-, partner-, consortium- and Local Capacity Builders contracts.
• Ensures that approval for, coding and booking of all expenditures is done according to the relevant procedures and authorization levels. Prepares, accounts for, manages and reports on project budget (and revisions thereof). Discusses and obtains approval of donor for contract / budget deviations. Ensures security and (financial risk) mitigation (incl. due diligence). Fully understands procurement and complies with requirements and contracts.

6. People Management & Team Leadership

• Guides, develops, coaches, and motivates team members and prepares resource estimation based on forecast to attract and recruit (SNV staff, consultants and/or Local Capacity Builders).
• Advises Project Manager and country management on contract conditions for consultants and Local Capacity Builders, within guidelines and project budget.

7. Business development

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with team, external partners, and the donor(s) by ensuring a high level of SNV visibility and branding in the province. Signals and acts on potential for positioning, innovation, upscaling, and potential follow up on project design. Timely recognises and analyses threats and makes sure relevant colleagues are informed.

8. Analysis & Reporting

• Ensures collection, consolidation, and review of project information, according to SNV’s monitoring and evaluation guidelines. Analyses and provides advice to management how to incorporate the new insights/best practices into the organisation’s policies and practices.

9. Knowledge Development

• Contributes to internal and external knowledge development, by full documentation and sharing of project insights and results. Develops knowledge by attending workshops and conferences. Ensures lessons learned are shared and applied in daily practice. When applicable, s/he can be appointed as (provincial) focal point of an expertise network.

10. Development relationship and networking

• Identify and engage key private sectors to build up the market-based value chains in project area.
• Develop and strengthen relationships with local governments/organisations (e.g., microfinance institutions, agri/rural finance institutions), smallholder farmers and relevant government agencies.
• Work closely with project staff (including Agriculture Sector Leader, National Project Manager, project consultants and team members as well as project partners and local stakeholders.

11. Other tasks as required by the Project Manager.

Requirements

Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in environment, forestry, agriculture, rural development, or similar fields.
• At least 5 years’ experience working experience in development work, project management in forestry, agriculture, and rural development in an international, multiple country context.
• Specific working knowledge and professional experience of agroforestry and/or the Central Highlands/Northwestern region will be a distinct advantage.

Other requirements

• Leadership: The ability to provide direction and guidance to a group of people and to encourage cooperation between team members in order to attain an objective.
• Planning and organising: The ability to determine goals and priorities and to assess the actions, time and resources needed to achieve those goals.
• Decisiveness: The ability to make active decisions or to commit oneself by speaking one’s mind and taking position.
• Persuasiveness: The ambition to win over other people for one’s views and ideas and to generate support.
• Problem analysis: The ability to detect problems, recognise important information and link various data to trace potential causes and look for relevant details.
• Conceptual thinking: Having and gaining insight into situations, problems, and processes. Deconstructing problems and systematically investigating the various components. Having a complete picture of the context and overview of the whole problem.
• Result orientation: The ability to take direct action in order to attain or exceed objectives.
• Focus on quality: Setting high quality standards and striving for continuous improvement and quality assurance.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Vietnamese, both spoken and written.
• Good computer skills in MS-applications (Word, Excel, Internet, Email).