Our client is a Development Finance Institution (DFI) that provides financing to various projects in diverse sectors like commerce, housing, industry, tourism and agriculture.

Location
Kampala – Uganda

Department
Finance and Business Operations

Reports To
Director Finance & Business Operations

Job Purpose
The Project Management Officer is responsible for directing, coordinating, managing, monitoring, and overseeing execution of the DFI’s operational projects and ensuring that they are compliant with the approved projects governance policies, structures, and completed within approved scope, on time and within the approved budget. The role is also responsible for coordinating internal and external change within the organization to ensure optimal efficiency and effectiveness.

Accountability Statement
The Project Management Officer is responsible for ensuring that all stakeholders i.e., internal, and external who have been assigned the responsibility of implementation specific projects, deliver stipulated projects in compliance with the DFI’s stipulated standards, project constraints and policies throughout the entire project planning, development, and execution cycle.

Key Duties and Responsibilities
• Provision of leadership for projects governance at the DFI by ensuring establishment and enforcement of a standardized projects management framework along best practice frameworks that will be followed for all bank operational projects.
• Reviewing the current policies for project management and recommending policy improvements/new policies where appropriate.
• Analyzing business needs in respect to intended project out comes, impact, budgets, risks, and resource allocation.
• Ensuring compliance to the DFI’s policies and procedures for project implementation and mitigate associated risks.
• Providing guidance and oversight over execution of various projects within the DFI and collaborate with other heads of department to implement projects and programs within their sphere of influence.
• Monitoring implementation of project activities and budgets to assure accountability as per the approved work plan, monitoring and evaluation strategy.
• Review of project proposals or plans to determine time frame, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing project, staffing requirements, and allotment of available resources to various phases of project.
• Preparation and submission of executive management reports in line with project objectives, log frame and indicators.
• Developing a framework for project implementation across the network.
• Planning and structuring actionable project implementation schedules including prioritizing tasks, setting deadlines and follow up with external stakeholders tasked with various project tasks.
• Providing monthly, quarterly, and annual project performance reports and making recommendation on how to improve execution of slated activities as well as budget maximization.
• Preparation of progress reports, assessing performance of projects and timely recommendation of appropriate action to the Director Finance and Business Operations
• Establishing, during the implementation stage, whether the project/actual developments are proceeding in accordance with the project plans, and take proactive steps, to amend the identified anomalies.
• Continuously evaluating projects implementation to ensure they are meeting the DFI standards, adhering to budgets, and timelines.
• Identifying potential problems which may lead to deviations from the project plans and proactively take affirmative actions to address such issues with advice and approval from respective authorities.
• Accurately documenting project’s cycle activities ranging from creation, development, execution, and impact.
• Responsible for managing and maintaining all directly related external partnerships to ensure meeting project objectives
• Responsible for all aspects of project evaluation; includes gathering information in line with project objective and indicators;

LEVEL OF AUTHORITY, RELATIONSHIPS, REQUIREMENTS, COMPETENCIES
Level of Authority
• Oversee operational projects implementation in the DFI
• Advise management on appropriate steps to remedy deviation from project plan
• Provide projects advisory services to the DFI’s management team.

Relationships
Internally: All departments
Externally: Customers, and Service Providers

Requirements
• A numerate degree in accounting, finance, or related field of study
• Possession of post graduate degree is an added advantage.
• Professional certification in project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) is mandatory.
• Minimum of 5 years related experience in project management in a corporate institution is highly desirable.

Competencies
• Organization skills and ability to work under pressure
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrable experience working with projects management and presentation tools e.g., Microsoft Project, JIRA, Microsoft Power point
• Good analytical skills
• Superior planning and organizing skills, and/or project management skills.
• Good interpersonal skills and team orientation