PROJECT DIRECTOR

JOB SUMMARY:

The Project Director is responsible for the strategic direction, programmatic coordination, and operational management of the project to strengthen the resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral households in the cross-border areas of the Central Corridor of West Africa and the Sahel (CARAVAN), implemented in seven countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Togo.

Based at the Regional Hub for Expertise and Exchange (PEER) in Lomé, the Project Director coordinates a consortium comprised of CARE, ACF France, ACF Spain, APESS, and five national partners (AREN, CIKOD, CPGK, FENAPFIBVTO, and TASSAGHT). In this capacity, the Project Director ensures the coherence of interventions, the quality of implementation, and the successful execution of the project's four main outcomes.

He also represents the project to the European Commission, the main funder, and chairs the Steering Committee responsible for the strategic direction and performance monitoring of the project.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership and Adaptive Management

• Lead the overall vision of the CARAVAN program, ensuring its alignment with its theory of change and core priorities.
• Oversee the launch phase to adapt the program to the context and ensure strong engagement from key stakeholders.
• Adapt program priorities based on the evolving political, security, and environmental context.
• Ensure that key themes such as gender, youth, and resilience are fully integrated into all program activities.
• Coordinate partners and ensure rapid and coherent responses to emerging crises.

Governance and operational coordination of the consortium

• Lead the Project Steering Committee to ensure strategic alignment, coherence between countries, and the effective resolution of key issues among partners.
• Provide leadership and performance monitoring for zonal and thematic managers, ensuring coordinated and results-oriented implementation across all regions and functions.
• Ensure strong integration of technical leadership from key partners (ACF, APESS) in program design and implementation, ensuring consistency with the overall strategy.
• Foster equitable and responsible partnerships with national co-applicants, promoting local embeddedness, mutual accountability, and capacity building.
• Oversee sub-grant management and partner performance to ensure compliance, quality of implementation, and alignment with program standards and objectives.

Representation, external relations and visibility

• Manage relations with the European Commission, ensuring full compliance with regulations, adherence to deadlines, and clarity of reporting.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key ministries to foster program alignment and enhance its influence.
• Represent the program within key regional platforms to strengthen coordination and political influence.
• Coordinate with key donors and programs to ensure complementarity and maximize impact.
• Ensure effective and regulatory-compliant visibility while strengthening CARAVAN's strategic profile.

Financial oversight, monitoring and evaluation, and accountability

• Oversee the overall program budget, ensuring rigorous financial management, compliance with EU rules, and the production of accurate and timely reports for all partners.
• Monitor expenditures, forecasts, and procurement at all levels to ensure efficient use of resources and adherence to the schedule.
• Establish a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system, the data from which informs decision-making, learning, and program adaptation.
• Oversee the Evaluation and Evidence Production Committee and guide key evaluations (initial, mid-term, and final) so that the findings contribute to improving the strategy and program.
• Ensure high-quality and timely reporting and promote strong accountability mechanisms, including social accountability approaches, with all partners.