Team Leader - NIRAS International Development Consulting

NIRAS International Development Consulting is part of NIRAS Group, an international, multidisciplinary consultancy company. NIRAS Group provides consultancy in a variety of fields such as agriculture, construction and infrastructure, public utilities, environmental and natural resources, climate change and energy, planning, process industry and development consulting.

Job Description

NIRAS International Consulting is looking for a Team Leader for its the Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Programme II, who will be responsible for the overall managerial and technical delivery of the Program.

Running from 2023 until 2027, GPSCP II is a bilateral initiative from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) together with the Government of Ghana, implemented by NIRAS. GPSCP II aims to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth through enhanced trade and competitiveness in the Ghanaian cashew nut and oil palm value chains by improving the enabling environment and facilitating higher private sector productivity and competitiveness in these sectors.

To tackle the various challenges along the two value chains, the project applies demand-driven and contextualised methods, following the Market System Development (MSD) approach using three implementation modalities:

• Under the Strategic Cooperation Partnership, the programme collaborates closely with the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) to support it in achieving its mandate of creating and regulating a conducive environment for the growth and development of the target tree crops in Ghana.
• Under the Rapid Response Mechanism to support Government of Ghana reform initiatives, GPSCP II aims to foster concrete and tangible policy and strategy reform initiatives from ministries, departments and agencies that benefit the market systems of both value chains.
• With a funding scheme under the Development Partnership with the Private Sector, the programme mobilises innovations by palm oil and cashew value chain actors that address specific core and supporting functions of the market system in order to improve access to finance, the availability of skilled labour and strengthen businesses and associations.

Tasks and Responsibilities of the Team Leader

• Responsible for technical management of the GPSCP II and the achievement of its Objective, Outcomes and Outputs, including progress monitoring and reporting to the client.
• Ensure result-oriented project management, including financial and administrative management, coordination and communication with the client, NIRAS HQ, the program steering and grant committees, grantees, partners and stakeholders.
• Oversee and manage the program`s fund facility, including driving the different fund cycle steps from the call for proposals, to the project implementation and the fund closing.
• Ensure high-quality and timely deliverables, and coordinate inputs from the technical and administrative program team.

• Provide strategic and conceptual guidance, suggest adaptive measures, where needed and seize program opportunities in order to continually improve management and implementation
• Engage actively in policy dialogues and developments.
• Prepare yearly project plans of operation in participatory processes with key project stakeholders and monthly workplans.
• Actively promote synergies and harmonise activities with other projects funded by Switzerland and other donors.

Required Skills or Experience

• University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, trade, finance, economics, agronomy or related fields.
• 7 plus years of working experience as a Team Leader on international donor-funded projects, which include complex partner and stakeholder management.
• 10 years of working experience related to private sector development, economic development, and fostering a competitive and conducive business environment in Ghana (desirable in agricultural value chains).
• Proven knowledge of the political economy, policy development and environment and government processes of Ghana (experience working with and network within ministries, divisions and agencies (MDAs) in Ghana desirable).
• Knowhow of agricultural value chains and its key actors, such as associations, SMEs, research and training institutes in Ghana (tree crops, particularly cashew and palm oil are desirable), including solid knowhow of sectorial opportunities and risks as well as of the national and international policy environment and its implications.
• Proven experience in administrating fund facilities on international donor-funded projects.
• Knowhow of social and environmental challenges and risks along relevant agricultural value chains in Ghana and proven experience in mainstreaming gender and social inclusion and integrating environmental and climate change sensitive measures in project approaches.
• Excellent command of MS Suite Programmes.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

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