Region: Americas Work location: Panama City, Panama - POSITION PURPOSE
Senior Project Manager (SPM) has the overall responsibility for the successful implementation of WMP projects within and across the sites for the specific countries. The incumbent acts as the most senior leader and representative of WMP at the project sites and in front of local governments and partners. SPM is expected to demonstrate and reflect the WMP values and way of working in a consistent way. Utilising strong leadership and project management skills SPM will lead the WMP implementation team and influence partnering organisations to deliver WMP projects within the budget and schedule.
SPM will work closely with relevant functional teams in WMP to ensure the implementation perspectives and matters are fully incorporated in the project approval process.
Reporting line: The position reports to the Regional Director of Americas.
Supervisory responsibilities: This position has supervisory responsibilities for the implementation team within their region (approximately from 4-6 people).
- KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- A member of the Regional Leadership team and a senior leader of WMP projects, responsible for ensuring successful implementation of the WMP projects.
- Accountable for management of the implementation team including performance management and professional development.
- Lead the implementation team and influence local partnering organisations to deliver assigned projects within the approved budget and schedule
- Identify risks associated with project execution and engage right people and resource (both internal and partners) to manage them.
- Maintain regular communication channels (direct and via project officers) with technical experts to ensure efficient delivery and optimisation of new technologies and capturing project-lead innovations.
- Working with Senior Operations Manager to develop project budget and schedule as part of the project approval process; and monitor project expenditure regularly.
- Provide inputs to the business development team during new project proposal development and government approval process to insure the success of execution at a later stage.
- Support the establishment and activities of regional centres of excellence for training.
- Collaborate with other SDMs and Learning Platform manager to ensure efficient and accurate knowledge transfer and promote Catalyst use as training and onboarding support for new WMP implementation team and relevant staff of local partners.
- Participate in regional and global strategy development.
- Build and maintain trusted valuable relationships with key stakeholders including internal functional leaders, local government and partners to ensure a smooth project execution.
- KEY SELECTION CRITERIA
Education/Qualifications
- Relevant postgraduate qualifications – such as biological science, social science, or a general science degree, or extensive and highly relevant previous experience;
Knowledge and Skills
- Fluency in English and Spanish
- Possessed solid project management experience and skills.
- Demonstrated leadership and team management capability.
- Proven ability to cultivate and sustain trusted valuable relationships, ideally across a range of cultures and countries; and exceptional stakeholder engagement skills.
- Demonstrated high level interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to influence, negotiate, and provide advice with a wide range of individuals and agencies, especially those outside the institution in order to achieve specific objectives.
- Proven experience in planning and implementing large and complex projects, particularly in an environment where continuous change is an expected norm;
- Proven ability to act independently, take initiative within established management guidelines, and have the ability to be self-organising, work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Previous work experience in relevant fields such as international development, to implement healthcare or other change programs that affect communities in developing countries.
- Ability to implement new systems and procedures that will contribute to increased operational efficiency.
- Previous experience in a role requiring deep levels of engagement with regulatory bodies and/or community groups, particularly in a range of cultural settings.
- OTHER JOB-RELATED INFORMATION
- Significant travel to project sites, potentially for extended periods to immerse with local teams
- Out of hours work may be required to accommodate periods of increased work
