Project Manager

Region: Middle East & North Africa

Location:  Tunisia

Reports to: Regional Director, MENA

Hours: 36 hours per week

Availability: As soon as possible

Application deadline: 29th of April 2025

Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. Together with citizens and their organizations, we aim to contribute towards just, inclusive and life sustaining societies where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources. We work in partnership with others in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America on three impact areas: Civic Rights in a Digital Age; Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Climate Justice.

For more information about Hivos’ strategy and impact areas, refer to the following link: https://hivos.org/document/strategic-compass-2021-2024-concise-version/

Hivos is implementing a nearly two-year project with the aim of increasing the resilience of civil society organizations through equipping them with legal tools, safety mechanisms and evidence-based advocacy messages to strengthen civic space in Tunisia. This includes providing legal, administrative and compliance information, skills & support, along with physical and digital safety assistance.

Purpose of the role

The Project Manager (PM) will oversee the implementation of this project both strategically and operationally. The postholder is responsible for ensuring delivery of project results and for sound financial management & compliance, effective monitoring of partner implementation, stakeholder relationship management and upholding Hivos values and principles. The PM manages and leads the project’s Steering Committee, which includes representatives from each consortium partner.

The PM is expected to provide strategic guidance and promote teamwork across the consortium towards fulfilment of project goals. The PM is also responsible for operational & strategic relationship and contract management with the donor. Moreover, the PM has a role to play in promoting and representing Hivos MENA’s Civic Rights thematic area in professional fora, both internal and external.

The PM is also expected to assume the role of legal representative of the Tunisia operation. This involves representing the organizations with key stakeholders – government entities, banks, financial and legal advisers and consultants, ensuring the smooth running of the Tunisia operations, remaining up to date with all relevant laws in Tunisia, and ensuring Hivos is in full compliance.

Responsibilities

Project & partner management and accountability

• Guides and oversees timely, participatory and qualitative project planning, budgeting and implementation. Ensures that local organizations and groups, and consortium members actively participate.

• Oversees and ensures full compliance according to Hivos and donor procedures and regulations & signed contracts and promotes dynamic and mutual accountability by Hivos staff and partners.

• Leads on monitoring of partners and ensures adherence with strategic direction and relevance, timely delivery and adherence with approved budgets, timeline and monitoring and evaluation plan.

• Ensures transparent and timely quarterly narrative and financial donor reporting against agreed objectives and results framework, and continuous planning, including fulfilling internal reporting requirements.

• Proactively encourages and supports learning across the project and within the partnership, stimulates generation of knowledge and sharing of results and lessons learned, and ensures integration of learnings into practice.

• Provides guidance and support to the external evaluation process.

• Prepares terms of references and/or specifications for project requests for quotations (RFQs) and proposals (RFPs) in line with Hivos policies and processes.

• Identifies potential risks and challenges to project implementation and work with the project team to develop mitigation strategies, in coordination with management

Representation, networking, positioning and advocacy

• Acts as the ambassador of the project and builds proactive relations with likeminded organizations and networks from Tunisia, as well as with decision-makers and other stakeholders.
• Ensures strategic participation and visibility of the project in relevant fora to have influence on the civic space agenda. Creates space in such arenas for voices and ideas for local actors.
• Establishes and maintains good relationships with stakeholders regionally and globally when relevant including current and potential donors, current and potential future partners and other strategically relevant organizations (civil society, government, private sector, development partners and media).
• Regularly documents and shares project highlights, learnings and achievements through various communication tools and platforms in such forms as blogs, articles, etc. in English.
• Supports the capacity building of Civil Society Actors through training sessions, workshops, and knowledge sharing initiatives.

Program design and business development

• Support or leads the proposal development process (in coordination with the Business Development Unit) for new and follow-on local or regional projects
• Participates in relevant program-BD discussions to share relevant strategic and donor information.

Legal representative tasks

• Acts as the legal representative for the Tunisia office, dedicating a minimum of 4 hours per week to the office's legal, financial and administrative operations to maintain compliance.
• Supports other programs in terms of representation and mitigating operational and legal challenges.
• Serves as security focal point.
• Supports the Regional Director in resolving potential operational challenges as they may arise.
• Other tasks as requested by Regional Director.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in international development, law, political science, public administration, or another relevant field.
• A minimum of five years of experience in project management, with several years on projects in a similar thematic area (civic space) and regional/multi-country & multi-partner.
• Substantial experience (at least 3 years) with sub-granting to other organizations, and directly monitoring partner deliverables & budgets.
• Substantial knowledge of donor and program compliance & budget management, and ability to enforce best practices.
• Legal understanding and experience strongly desirable.
• Experience working with international NGO.
• Previous legal/country representation experience is a strong advantage - with various stakeholders, including supporting non-project processes for smooth functioning of country operations.
• Staff & team management experience.
• Solid knowledge and awareness of civic space issues as well as the legal framework and compliance to associations law in Tunisia.
• Experience in safety and security, and supporting emergency response
• Solid understanding of M&E processes and practices.
• Experience writing blogs and articles in English about project impact and achievements.
• Experience in advocacy and influencing is a strong advantage.
• Keen understanding of country political and social dynamics in Tunisia; analytical and conceptual skills, and ability to translate these into relevant and timely actions.
• Excellent verbal, writing and communication skills in English, Arabic and French. Able to deliver well written reports in English is essential.
• Willingness and able to travel if required.
• Legally able to work in Tunisia without requiring a residency/work permit through Hivos.
• Excellent networking, relationship building and negotiation skills.
• Job & behavioral skills: strategic, critical & analytical thinker; able to navigate sensitivities; strong team player; positive attitude; organized; takes initiative; strong interpersonal & communication skills; demonstrated proactiveness and flexibility; can work independently & collaboratively with diverse teams & partners; excellent organizational and time-management skills, able to handle competing priorities and meet deadlines; trustworthy and reliable; and work requires minimal review.

What we offer

We offer a one-year commitment in stimulating work environment in a professional international organization with very dedicated staff. We offer a national contract based on Hivos local labor conditions, with remuneration commensurate with the relevant experience and expertise. Contract renewable depending on performance and funding. The gross monthly ranges between 6000-6500 per month, plus end of year bonus based on income earned during calendar year.

Want to apply?

Please apply by 29th April 2025. Both a letter of motivation and resume/CV in PDF format need to be submitted in English.

Candidates are expected to provide a clear track record in their CV and description in cover letter that matches the requirements of the position elaborated above.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting a work environment where diversity and inclusion is valued, and people are treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnicity/race, national or social origin, disability, religion, political affiliation, age, family size, marital status, or any other form of personal identity. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we regret that we can only respond to shortlisted candidates.

Hivos reserves the right to close the position before the application deadline if a suitable candidate is identified. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

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