Innovation for Poverty Action Jobs 2021

IPA Ghana is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead IPA Ghana’s provision of technical assistance for the scale up of evidence-based education policy in Ghana. This is an exciting opportunity to drive effective education policy in Ghana, through providing evidence-based support to the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), a US$219 million fund from the World Bank, Global Partnership for Education, and FCDO.

Ghana’s Ministry of Education has incorporated findings from the Strengthening Teacher Accountability to Reach All Students (STARS) evaluation into GALOP. Through this opportunity, this role will support the scale up of evidence-based education in 10,000 of the lowest performing schools in Ghana, contributing critical knowledge for future innovation in Ghana and beyond.

The Sr. Project Manager will work collaboratively across IPA and partners to drive IPA’s support to GALOP. The Sr. Project Manager will lead the relationship with government partners and other key local stakeholders, coordinate activities led by other IPA teams, and manage project scope, delivery, and finances. Given the dynamic nature of working with government stakeholders from national to school-levels, the Sr. Project Manager will be highly skilled in adaptive management and negotiation, revising project activities and timelines to best support the DL scale-up. The Sr. Project Manager wil report to the IPA Ghana Country Director with dotted line oversight from the Global Director of Policy.

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Project Manager 

Responsibilities

• Manage IPA’s technical assistance for the differentiated learning (DL) scale-up in Ghana, which includes policy, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), activities;
• Drive these multiple streams of work forward towards a common goal of evidence-based education policy  in Ghana, ensuring workstreams are well-coordinated and timely, and that IPA delivers on our strategies, activities, and outputs
• Directly supervise a highly functioning team to conduct this technical assistance, paying particular attention to their professional growth;
• Cultivate relationships with key local top-level decision-makers in the education sector related to the DL scale-up, and ensure the project has their buy-in;
• Work together with the global policy and communications team to lead and/or participate in strategic events for policy purposes, including but not limited to summits, conferences, workshops, technical working groups, and round tables. Support researchers and country management to participate;
• In collaboration with researchers and in support of the country director, represent IPA locally in policy conversations and at events;
• Directly oversee project financial management, including supporting the creation of the project’s operating budget, being accountable for ongoing budget management, and developing and monitoring activity-specific budgets for the project;
• Lead donor reporting

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in economics, development, international relations, public administration, public policy or a closely related field and 4 or more years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years of experience working closely with large NGOs and national government officials in Ghana; or a Bachelor’s degree in economics, development, international relations, public administration, public policy or a closely related field and 6 or more years of relevant experience. Exceptions may be made for excellent candidates who do not meet this criterion.
• Demonstrated commitment to the use of rigorous evidence for policy.
• Expertise in education, preferably in policy or implementation of large programs
• Knowledge of government policy making processes, systems for nationwide program implementation or development financing.
• Experience organizing events, such as conferences, workshops or round table discussions.
• Proven ability to multitask and successfully complete projects on tight deadlines with little supervision.
• Willingness to work hard, be self-motivated, and learn will be essential for doing well in this position.
• Ability to supervise staff and manage projects independently.