Assistant Project and Partnerships Manager for BRIGHT Project

Background Information/Objectives

The Water and Land Resource Center 

WLRC is an autonomous research-for-development entity and its overarching goal is to generate knowledge that informs to sustainably transform the water and land resources management of Ethiopia and Horn of Africa. Over the years, WLRC has secured grants and implements projects that focus on IWRM, ILM, Climate, Resource Governance, Livelihoods improvement and knowledge management systems development and use. For details, please visit https://wlrc-eth.org/. 

Recently, WLRC  in collaboration with MOWE has secured and launched another five-year project that centers on Integrated Water Resource Management in the Abbay, Awash, Rift Valley, Omo-Gibie and Tekeze Basins. The project is known as Basin Management Support for Resilient, Inclusive Growth and Harmonized Transformation (BRIGHT) for the National Integrated Water Resource Management Programme of Ethiopia. 

The BRIGHT project

BRIGHT is aimed to improve water management in Ethiopia by promoting sustainable and equitable water use for agriculture, industry, and domestic needs in the five basins Abbay, Awash, Omo-Gibe, Rift Valley Lakes, and Tekeze and sub-basins. The Ministry of Water, through its basin administration offices, is responsible for promoting and achieving integrated water resources management in its basins. The focus of the BRIGHT project lies on capacity building, an operationalization of the Basin Administration Offices and of MoWE at large to achieve better water management in the selected basins. Activities of the project are organized under six work packages, namely:

• WP1: Project Management and Coordination;

• WP2: Inception Phase; 

• WP3: Enhancing IWRM capacity of the MoWE, Basin Administration Offices and Regional Bureaus; 

• WP4: Supporting establishment of basin information system for IWRM and generating additional evidence to fill knowledge gaps in the selected river basins;

• WP5: Supporting the preparation/revision of basin plans and facilitating implementation by supporting priority and high impact IWRM projects in target basins; and

• WP6: Supporting establishment of climate-smart IWRM learning sub-basins in the target basins.

All of these packages support institution building.

The project is financially supported jointly by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) and the European Union (EU) and substantial in-kind contributions by WLRC and The Ministry of Water and Energy of Ethiopia (MoWE). 

WLRC is looking for a well experienced competent Assistant Project and Partnership Manager who, in close consultation with the BRIGHT Project Manager, the Deputy Director General, WLRC Directors, technical specialists, and staffs of partner organisations such as the MoWE, BAOs, and Regional Bureaus of Water and Energy, Irrigation and Lowlands, and Agriculture will assist the BRIGHT Project Manager in managing all aspects of the Project and initiate/solicit, forge/create, and maintain partnerships with different partner organizations to lead the project to success. 

Duties and Responsibilities of the BRIGHT Assistant Project  and Partnership Manager 

The Assistant Project and Partnership Manager is primarily responsible for assisting in the management of the project and forging partnerships that benefit the project. S(he) shall be answerable to the BRIGHT Project Manager and WLRC Deputy Director General (DG) and shall have the following responsibilities:

I. Assistance in Managing and Leading the Project

In consultation with the Project Manager, the Assistant Project and Partnership Manager shall:

• Assist the Project Manager in leading the Project Management and Administration Unit (PMAU) of BRIGHT in WLRC;

• Mobilise the project team to facilitate maximum performance, by providing direction and motivation;

• Coordinate the Annual planning and implementation of the project activities as per schedules/plans, scopes, and budget estimations; 

• Identify and mobilize support and advice required from Thematic and Programme leaders in WLRC for the successful implementation, management, planning and control of the project; 

• Follow up and review implementation status of the project activities;

• Ensure seamless alignment of logistic and financial requirements to the technical demands of the project; 

• In consultation with the Project Manager, map opportunities and challenges, and devise risk mitigation strategies and scenarios of maximizing success of the Project;

• Assist the Project Manager in analyzing project status and, when necessary, revise the scope, schedule, and budget to ensure attainment of the project goals;

• Ensure proper alignment of the BRIGHT Project activities to the strategic objectives and targets of the WLRC Strategic Plan;

• Assist the Project Manager in leading administrative tasks including contract administration, compliance to budget, legal requirements, etc. as required;

• Organize and facilitate cross-site and cross-basin experience sharing opportunities;

• Document key lessons from the project and share those with the rest of the project team and the Communication and MELA Staffs;

• Follow up day-to-day administrative activities;

• In consultation with the PRO Division (People and Organizational Development Unit, Finance Unit, Procurement Unit), ensure responsible usage of project resources, logistics and facility, including vehicles of the project at regional and Head Office levels;

• Ensure that the project’s asset inventories at Head Office and BAOs are properly done, documented and used as per the rules and regulations of the organization;

• Assist the Project Manager in the preparation of all payments and transactions to be made by the project;

• Assist in preparing comprehensive high quality periodic reports (activity performance reports, scientific narrative reports, financial reports) and professionally handle correspondence on same;

• Facilitate the regular monitoring of project performance and coordinate the mid-term and end-term external project evaluations;

• Attend and cascade training programs organized by partner organizations that can help improve project implementation; and 

• Carry out other duties related to the project as assigned by the Project Manager or the Senior Directors of the Center; 

II. Partnership Management

• Serve as a Liaison person linking the project team to the concerned staff and management of partner and stakeholder organizations and communities in the project sites;

• Undertake proper environmental scanning, facilitate field entry and create enabling working conditions for the project team and stakeholders;

• In consultation with the Project Manager, design and apply appropriate project management manuals, guidelines, strategies, plans, protocols for the different groups involved in the project such as the PMAU, PCU, BIU, and involved partners and submit same to the Project Manager for review and presentation for approval by the DG and project taskforces;

• Upon approval of the project leadership, ensure effective implementation of those project management manuals, guidelines, strategies and plans;

• Liaise with and follow up staff and partners employed for the BRIGHT project, including supporting, monitoring, and appraising their performances;

• Provide logistical and administrative support to basin administrative office focal persons, thematic specialists, basin and sub-basin resident coordinators and implementing partners;

• Communicate with MOWE and NIWRM – PCU, Basin Administrative Offices, Regional Bureaus, and other partners at all levels, on issues related to the implementation of the project;

• Participate as a member of Committees and other workgroups, and promote the causes of the project; 

• Share lessons, and seek informed advice on important challenges, where required;

• In consultation with the DG, initiate, establish and maintain relationships with relevant partners and stakeholders, providing appropriate information on the status, opportunities for and challenges confronting implementation of the project ;

• Synthesize the key legal requirements and guidelines of the GOE, the EU and EKN and ensure all project operations are undertaken in accordance with those legal requirements and guidelines;

• Proactively liaise with partners and stakeholders and ensure stakeholder engagement  by creating platforms for joint planning, joint implementation, and joint review/follow up;

• Foster smooth coordination and synergy among the different stakeholders and partners such as MOWE, Basin Administration Offices, Regions, and Communities and ensure that work is neither overlooked nor duplicated;

• Create strong collaboration between the PMAU at WLRC with Project Coordination Unit (PCU) in MoWE and Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in the five basins and make sure these units are operational as per the agreed protocol for them and the signed MOU with MoWE;

III. Reporting

• Deliver flawless activity plans and reports to both EKN and the EU reporting portal.

IV. Other Duties 

• Assume the duties and responsibilities of the BRIGHT Project Manager when the Manager may be away from or off-duty for any reason.

Qualifications/Competencies

• We are looking for a dedicated professional who’s ready for a challenging assignment, who knows how to build a strong team and partnership and who is passionate about improving water management in Ethiopia. 

The Assistant Project and Partnership Manager shall have: 

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in water resource management, Project Management, NRM, IWRM, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, or -related fields,  

• Project Management Expertise: Proven experience in managing complex projects (ideally in water management). This should include experience in:

  • Project planning and scheduling

  • Budget development and control

  • Risk management

  • Networking and partnerships (including government agencies, donors, and local communities)

  • Quality control and assurance

  • Performance management,

• Experience in handling, analyzing, and presenting water and land resource data and experience of similar writing /facilitation work of developing national level planning/strategy /policy document.

• Ability to work and lead a team in a transdisciplinary team and in general a good team player.

• Training in and in-depth knowledge of project management principles and supervisory practices,

• At least 8 years of proven experience in project management at similar scopes to the BRIGHT Project or above;

• Technical Knowledge: A strong understanding of water management principles and technologies relevant to the Ethiopian context and familiarity with the Ethiopian water sector.

• Desired Skills and Qualities:

  • Leadership: ability to provide strong and motivating leadership to a team of researchers, development workers, civil servants, and private sector players;

  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Amharic; high experience of effectively communicating complex technical content to both technical and non-technical audiences;

  • Experience working effectively in a multi-cultural environment and build trust with diverse stakeholders.

  • Strong track record of analytical skills; problem-solving and decision-making, particularly in challenging environments;

  • Adaptive: The ability to adapt to changing priorities and unforeseen circumstances;

  • Good at Team building;

  • Experience working in multi-tasking environment;

  • Proven coordination and networking skills

  • Dedication to meet deadlines and working in tight schedules;

• Additional Considerations:

  • In addition to English and Amharic, knowledge of and experience using other local languages in Ethiopia.

  • Experience working on water management projects in Ethiopia is a plus, but not mandatory.

  • Gender Balance: in line with WLRC’s gender policies, women are especially encouraged to apply.

  • Proven experience in working in all or some of the five basins in projects similar to BRIGHT.

How To Apply

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

• A cover/Application letter 
• Up-to-date CV with copies of academic credentials and related testimonies;
• Names and addresses of three references;
• Application files shall be compiled as one PDF file and sent as e-mail attachment to: Jobs@wlrc-eth.org, for any queries, please contact our HR office at: 0116612236