Millennium Villages Project Jobs in Ghana December

Posted on :

21 Dec, 2011

Category :

Vacancies in Ghana

The Millennium Villages Project, supported by Millennium Promise Alliance and the Earth Institute at Columbia University, is a bottom-up approach to lift developing country villages out of the poverty trap that afflicts more than a billion people worldwide. The Millennium Villages’ team of experts in agriculture, nutrition and health, economics, energy, water, environment and information technology are working with local communities and governmens to apply proven holistic package of interventions to help villages get out of extreme poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

With support from Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, a SADA Millennium Village is to bestablished in parts of the West Mamprusi and Builsa Districts of the Northern and Upper East Regions of Ghana.

The project area covers a cluster of contiguous rural communities with an estimated population of 25,000 people.

Job Description

UNIT: SADA Millennium Villages Project

The project now invites applications from suitably qualified individuals to fill the position of Team Leader/Science Co-ordinator with the following specification.

Job Summary:
The role of the Science Co-ordinator/Team Leader is to oversee effective implementation of the new Millennium Villages Project; ensure that the Project receives the scientific and technological support and guidance required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals at the community level; to provide oversight of the technical aspects of the project; and to backstop the technical activities.

Duties and Responsibilities: The Team Leader is responsible for:

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  • Accountable for the opening success of the Millennium village operations;
  • Manage all programmatic activities of the cluster teams to ensure the success of the initiative and accelerate and sustain impact;
  • Ensure development of the Millennium Village cluster operating budgets and work plans and performance against those pans based on programme and goals and objectives;
  • Ensure effective functioning of all operations, logistics, and procurement activities of the project including the timely delivery of agricultural, health and education inputs;
  • Co-ordinate operations, technical, logistics and procurement needs of the project
  • Organise the recruitment, selection, hiring, orientation and management of a core group of national staff members
  • Implement programme policy and procedures concerning personnel, financial management, vehicles and inventory; organise staff development activities
  • Develop, maintain and strengthen partnerships with the government, NGOs, research institutions and universities as well as private sector working in the Northern regions and Ghana;
  • Co-ordinate capacity building activities of the project team;
  • Organise site and national events (meetings, workshops) for joint learning and sharing of experiences between the two Millennium villages teams in Ghana;
  • Represent Millennium Promise externally as needed with government agencies, NGOs, and corporate partners;
  • Ensure the effective and efficient operations of all project initiatives, with respect to project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. This work will also involve upholding standards in the areas of financial management in terms of developing budgets and cash-flow projects, record keeping and reporting systems
  • Provide ongoing technical support to programme design to ensure adherence to Millennium Villages model. Secure and communicate responses to technical questions that affect intervention design across all sectors
  • Work in close coordination with the Earth Institute (EI) Columbia University staff and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Centre staff whose role is to support the scientific and technical dimension of the implementation of the MVs
  • Oversee the baseline assessment surveys, measurements and monitoring including the hiring of field teams and coordination with the scientists responsible for the various surveys and the leader of the impact assessment team to assure that the training and administration of the surveys is consistent with other village sites
  • Work closely with an independent team commissioned by DFID responsible for the development of a robust evaluation on the impact of the MV model, using a combination of existing MV M&E processes and additional research led by the independent team
  • Facilitate the research, outreach and training activities of the African Millennium Villages Initiative, Columbia University and other scientists and students involved in the main components of the project: (i) Agriculture/environment; (ii) Health; (iii) Energy/transport; (iv) Water/sanitation, (v) Education/gender, (vi) Communications/training. Together with direct supervisor and MV Project Director, assure there are positive synergies and value added between these 5 components, as well as between the partner institutions
  • Mentor students from Columbia University, and national & local universities
  • Co-ordination, Collaborate closely with the office of DFID based at Accra Ghana
  • Any other duties given by the supervisor that pertain to his position

Terms of offer:
MVP offers a competitive salary with an excellent benefits package. The employment contract is for a period of one year with the possibility of renewal. MVP prides itself on its collegial, supportive and gender sensitive working environment and believes that staff diversity promotes excellence. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
 

Required Skills or Experience

Desired Characteristics:

  • PhD degree in tropical agriculture, nutrition, science or a related field, with at least 5 years or an MSc degree with 10 years of postgraduate research and/or development and outreach experience in Ghana Village situations
  • Strong oral and written communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
  • Strong coaching skills
  • Demonstrated ability to compile and report results of project activities and to successfully conduct research and manage projects in remote rural location with minimum supervision
  • Must have excellent organisational skills, be a team player and detail-oriented
  • Must have high quality research and data management experience
  • Must have strong analytical skills;
  • Computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft applications
  • Fluency in English is essential
  • Must understand the social and cultural settings of the project area
  • Understanding Mampuli and/or Buli would be beneficial
  • Excellent writing, interpersonal, computer and communication skills
  • Must be able to function independently and to exercise discretion and judgment in sensitive and potentially controversial matters

 

How To Apply

Applicants should apply by email, sending a cover letter summarising their relevance to this position, a full CV and names and contact information of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to:[email protected], with copy to [email protected] “Application for SADA MVP Team Leader/Science Co-ordinator” should be clearly marked on the subject line of the email message.

Only short-listed applicants meeting the above requirements will be contacted. Those who have already applied should not re-apply.

We invite you to learn more about us at:
www.millenniumvillages.org


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