About Palladium:

Palladium is a global group working to create positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. We embrace five core principles in everything we do:

  1. We are One Palladium. We are all accountable, we take responsibility for our actions, and celebrate the positive impact we create.
  2. Our business grows when our people grow. We seek out opportunities to develop ourselves, each other, and Palladium.
  3. Our strength lies in our differences. We harness our unique strengths by listening to and respecting each other.
  4. Making mistakes is part of learning.We admit our mistakes early, help to make things right, and learn from the experience together.
  5. We don’t exist without results.We’re driven by the outcomes we achieve and stay focused on what matters.

Palladium Americas:

Our Americas’ business team works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America as well as the Caribbean, fulfilling projects and assignments for clients from institutions, corporations, governments, and foundations based in the Americas. We have offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.

The Manager, Project Delivery for the Data, Informatics, and Analytical Solutions (DIAS) practice will support and facilitate the management and implementation of effective and efficient financial and compliance activities to deliver projects in accordance with contractual obligations, company policies, and client rules and regulations. Palladium’s DIAS practice’s vision is to improve development investments and outcomes by strengthening information and governance systems and local capacity and ownership to use quality data in real time for positive impact. To do this, DIAS takes a systems approach that combines its expertise in M&E and research; effective data use; information and communication technology (ICT); and data governance to help governments and development partners throughout the world to design, implement, and evaluate service delivery and performance monitoring systems at all levels of the health, education, and agriculture systems

For assigned projects, the Manager, Project Delivery serves as part of the Project Management Unit. This team is responsible under the leadership of Practice Area Lead for the management and delivery of projects. The specific purpose of the position is to facilitate the management and implementation of effective and efficient program delivery, financial and compliance activities to deliver projects in accordance with contractual obligations, company policies and client rules and regulations.

The Manager, Project Delivery, plays a key role in leading day-to-day management activities of the project team, harmonizing technical goals and compliance with our client agreements, regulations, and internal policies. Through this experience and working closely with their PMU, Managers, Project Delivery, are expected to gain the competencies and skills needed to progress to director level roles in project delivery, or functional areas. This role also typically supervises one or more Associate(s), Project Delivery, ensuring their training in project management duties and best practices, while also promoting their development and growth into future managers, project delivery or functional roles.

This Opportunity:

The Manager, Project Delivery, is a critical member of the DIAS Community, and has cross-cutting responsibilities for helping to grow the business, manage client work, and develop and implement pathbreaking approaches to economic growth challenges.

Our Managers are problem-solvers and facilitators; they support and manage client projects across the globe principally financed by USAID. They manage client relationships, corporate relationships (with senior Project Directors and with colleagues in finance, contracts, IT, HR, and other departments). They also manage budgets, forecasting, and the alignment of technical and operational requirements to meet client requirements. They mentor, train, and inspire junior team members. They also may provide business development support, technical project management inputs, and subject matter expertise to these projects as needed.

The role reports to the Data.FI Director of Finance & Administration. As needed, the role also may support other portfolios or other communities of practice, such as Health, Digital Solutions, and Supply Chain/Logistics, among others. We have a positive, team-oriented culture that encourages collaboration across disciplines and geographies.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in program management, financial management, and operations, we are interested in hearing from you.

As an experienced Manager, you will have opportunities to travel for either project oversight or business development pursuits, as well as to support other units within the firm in our collaborative and agile environment. Your future career within the firm could be in any department or subject area; typically, Managers become thought leaders, proposal champions, and Project Directors, with increasing opportunities to travel and/or work abroad as your career progresses.

We are a learning organization and provide growth opportunities from the start. We pride ourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart a fulfilling career!

Primary responsibilities:

Project Management

  • Plan and manage project start-up and closeout, supporting in-country corporate registration as needed;
  • Serve as the project’s primary liaison with corporate services, Senior Managers, Project Delivery, and Compliance and Project Excellence Hub;
  • Prepare and maintain project specific components of the project management manual;
  • In collaboration with the Compliance and Project Excellence Hub and corporate services, provide training and guidance to project staff on, and ensure compliance with, company policies and client rules and regulations (covering as required risk management, project planning, human resource management, monitoring, reporting, finance, procurement, logistics, IT, communications, audit support and all other project managements matters);
  • Establish project offices and office infrastructure; facilitate field office leases;
  • Participate in the development, implementation, and monitoring of project work plans, tracking project deliverables and monitoring project delivery against spending forecasts;
  • Support development and presentation of internal and external reporting (for example: quarterly Internal Project Reviews, CPARs, project risk assessments, annual reviews, and client deliverables);
  • Ensure project issues and risks are logged, reported on, managed and mitigated; and escalate risks and issues to Practice and Project Excellence and Compliance Hub leadership, as required;
  • In collaboration with Risk Management, conduct spot checks on processes and internal controls including asset management procedures;
  • Ensure all corrective actions for assigned projects are implemented and report back to confirm their completion via the risk register;
  • Serve as a point of contact with service providers and address contractual matters as required;
  • Support development of project subcontractor, grant management, and procurement procedures compliant with internal and client’s rules and regulations;
  • Report monthly on the status of partner budgets/invoicing and grants;
  • Manage planning and coordination of inputs from the company’s security team as needed;
  • Contribute to technical assistance through reviews, engaging in work planning and discussions with the field team, etc. to build skills with the goal of taking on a more senior role, such as director of project delivery or a functional area.

Contract and Client Relationship Management

  • Monitor and maintain compliance with head/prime contracts including agreement action requests (i.e., travel, personnel changes, grant approvals, budget realignments, etc.);
  • Liaise with C&C to communicate with contracting and agreement officers or other client representatives on any matters that make legal or financial commitments for Palladium;
  • Monitor and report on overall progress against agreed targets, milestones, outputs and activities;
  • Develop, manage and support contract amendments as required;
  • Liaise with and respond to requests from clients in conjunction with the project’s director, including providing or giving inputs on reporting;
  • Support project advocacy with internal and external stakeholders.

Financial Management

  • Ensure company policies for financial management are implemented and are compliant with the client’s rules and regulations;
  • Ensure that project levels of delegated authority issued are in accordance with Palladium’s Expenditure Approval and Signature Authority Policy and Guidelines and manage the process for higher-level approvals as required;
  • Collaborating with Financial Management establish project charge codes, ensuring they meet client and project requirements for cost allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting;
  • In collaboration with Treasury, facilitate project bank accounts set-up with appropriate company and project signatories;
  • Ensure the project financial calendar is adhered to including monitoring, reconciling, and reporting expense advances monthly;
  • Leads monitoring budget progress against forecast as one metric to track project progress against its work plan; proactively seeks to solve shortages or overages against the frozen forecast as needed;
  • Review monthly Funds Transfer Requests (FTRs) to ensure they reflect budget progress and forecasting and seek approval for them as needed;
  • Review cashbooks / field vouchers and ensure supporting documentation is complete;
  • Serve as a coordinator for service providers and approve (or obtain approval for) work orders and invoices; ensure the accuracy of client invoices (including monthly, milestone and performance based invoices);
  • Monitor, reconcile and report expense advances monthly;
  • Support the external audit process as needed and ensure retention of project records is compliant with company and client policy;

Human Resource Management and Recruitment

  • Oversee project human resource planning, recruitment, contracting, with field teams and coordinate inputs from Compliance, HR, and Talent Acquisition teams (i.e. benefits, local labor law, etc.);
  • Working with associate, maintain project data on relevant HR systems for short-term and long-term staff and consultants; is maintained accurately;
  • Lead the mobilisation and demobilisation of all international staff (short-term and long-term) including contracting (in coordination with HR) and travel management;
  • Serve as primary supervisor to one or more Associate(s), Project Delivery, or Senior Associate(s), Project Delivery;
  • In conjunction with the PMU, and the Senior Manager, Project Delivery, engage in employee onboarding and training, educating new staff on policies, procedures, tools, and Palladium’s culture;
  • Actively monitor, review, correct, and provide feedback on all supervisee’s work products, providing additional training and support where necessary;
  • Take a proactive role in staff development, including working with supervisees to identify professional development opportunities, and holding monthly coaching sessions to advise them on project management best practices, core competencies, and general work skills and behaviors.

Business Development / Other

  • Contribute to company growth by ensuring assigned projects are managed well, ensuring Palladium is seen positively by clients for consideration in future business development;
  • Participate in capture planning, providing inputs on implementation requirements;
  • Provide input and support business development of the company as required.
  • Complete other duties as assigned.

Reporting requirements

The role reports to the Director of Finance & Administration. For multiple projects, the role has dual reporting requirements to the various relevant Project Directors. Reporting requirements include:

  • Attendance at all regular management team meetings,
  • Provision of regular updates to the line manager, including updates on Key Result Areas (KRAs) and any other material matters and/or areas of concern,
  • Monthly submission of financials and forecasts, and contributions to Practice and corporate reporting;
  • Other reporting as requested by the line manager.

Relationships

  • The role is part of the DIAS Community of Practice Area,
  • As delegated, the role liaises with clients, technical area specialists, corporate services, professional service providers, and other stakeholders as required.

Authority levels

  • The role carries a degree of autonomy on project management with appropriate consultation. The role is required to analyse and make sound recommendations to the line manager;
  • The role may carry expenditure and/or signatory authority for project-related costs and documents;
  • Oversee and manage Senior Project Associates and Project Associates as assigned;
  • Contribute to process improvement through innovative and cost-effective ideas and suggestions.

Qualifications:

  • Works with respect and dignity for all colleagues and promotes a cooperative team working environment.
  • Formal Project Management training and expertise.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent English language communication skills, fluency in Spanish is highly desirable.
  • Financial acumen and the ability to interpret and analyse financial reports.
  • Sound problem solving and decision-making skills.
  • Strong management skills with ability to mentor, coach, lead, develop and evaluate staff.
  • Ability to travel and work in developing countries for extended periods of time if needed.
  • Adaptability to work with a low level of supervision and as a part of a team as needed.
  • Experience working in the international development sector.
  • Prior experience with USAID contracts and cooperative agreements.

This vacancy is archived.

Recommended for you