JD Unique ID: 78034
Job title: Project Coordinator
Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Kano, Nigeria
Contract type: Fixed term contract, full-time (local recruitment)
Period: 18 months (subject to donor contract)
Remuneration: ₦9.8m to ₦13m annual gross
Reports to: Programme Manager
About Self Help Africa
Established in 1984, Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to address hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impacts of climate change. We believe that equitable economic development is key to lifting communities out of long-term poverty, empowering them to take control of their futures and improving their quality of life.
In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise- focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.
Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.
Our three core values are:
- Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
- Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing World.
- Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.
Project description
SHA is partnering with the World Food Programme to implement the Strengthening Food Systems project to Promote Increased Value Chain Employment Opportunities for the Youth in Kano State. The project aims to strengthen food systems that promote increased value chain employment opportunities for the youth; sustaining and improving on-farm and off-farm job opportunities for 50,000 young women and young men engaged in the different nodes of sorghum, millet, soya bean, groundnut, and horticulture value chains.
The project will focus on capacity building interventions for existing enterprises, using this as an avenue to create employment opportunities for youth and women in Kano State
Job purpose
SHA is looking for a dynamic individual to fill the role of Project Coordinator. The candidate will manage the day-to-day activities of the project in Kano State, including activity planning, supervision of staff and project implementation. In addition, the job holder will manage partners, resources, and interface with external stakeholders to achieve the project’s targets, and objectives on time, within scope and budget in compliance with donor requirements and SHA guidelines.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Team Management
• Lead the mapping, mobilisation and profiling of programme participants at inception developing set criteria for clustering.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Manage the performance of line managed staff through objective setting, regular performance review, managing feedbacks and regularly monitor performance development plans.
• Support the continual growth and professional development of all line-managed staff, ensuring that appropriate support and development mechanisms are in place.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Lead a diverse team of direct and indirect reports in the field offices and conduct timely performance planning; establish performance expectations with team members, provide regular constructive feedback on team members’ performance and conduct performance reviews in a collaborative manner.
Project Management and Technical Responsibilities
• Lead the day-to-day project implementation of Youth in Kano state, ensuring the effective and efficient execution of project activities while working closely with the Team Leader on the overall project strategy.
• Support the Programme manager to develop overall strategic implementation plan, in line with approved project narrative, workplan and SHA operational guidelines.
• Ensure a high level of accountability to participants, stakeholders and donor ensuring effective feedback mechanism, regular communication, timely production and submission of plans, reports and assessment.
• Support to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate Business models across different nudes of Sorghum, Millet, Horticulture, Groundnuts and Soya beans value chains.
• Coordinate project staff and project stakeholders at all levels in developing training guide to facilitate Training of Trainers sessions on different business models.
• Develop quality weekly, monthly and quarterly reports to the donor including success stories, income and expenditure account, cost analysis reports, and other financial information, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Create a sustainable work environment of mutual respect that attracts motivated, skilled and effective team members and enables them individually and collectively to strive to achieve excellence.
• In collaboration with the Team Leader, Initiate and manage market related value chain analysis ensuring implementation are done in accordance with proposed business models.
• Ensure all opportunities to identify and incorporate women and youth activities to aligned with project indicators.
• Drive the stakeholder analysis of the selected commodity chains, if appropriate, as well as identifying and contacting potential agents of change within agreed value chains.
• Coordinate all administrative aspects of partnerships including but not limited to, MoUs, Collaboration Agreements, among others.
Effective Collaboration, Representation and Project Quality Assurance
• Represent the Team Leader and where needed SHA in all technical meetings and stakeholders’ engagements.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships, and regular communication with multiple stakeholders in Kano through co-planning and co-delivery of activities with the permanent actors of the system (government, civil society, private sector), to the full extent possible, maximising ownership.
• Organise and foster strong, collaborative relationships with partner institutions and additional business development service providers.
• Ensure project quality assurance and oversight, which includes regular field visits in Kano state.
• In Collaboration with the Team Leader, monitor risks that arise during project implementation and implement rapid risk mitigation measures including effective communication to all stakeholders.
• Lead on effective implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning framework for project implementation.
Transparency, Compliance and safeguarding
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Employ the highest standards of openness, transparency and accountability to ensure good financial management in line with SHA’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud, bribery and corruption.
• Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding, protection, gender mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable population including people with disabilities.
• Provide support to established feedback, complaints and response mechanism across implementation communities to ensure programmatic and operational decisions are informed by local perspectives and priorities, and contribute to the protection of program participants at the LGA level.
Accountability
In line with Self Help Africa’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), the job holder will:
• actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E).
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Community Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed.
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CFRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.
Key relationships
Internal: Programme, Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning, Finance & Admin, Procurement, HR & Admin, Security and Communications teams.
External: WFP, Government Agencies, Local NGOs and Partners, Private Sector Partners, Project participants and Communities, Consultants and Technical Experts, International Organisations.
Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements
Education and other qualifications:
• University degree in Agribusiness, Business Administration, Economics, International Development or any other related social sciences.
• ICT operation, and proficiency in MS Office.
• At least 6 years of professional experience in the development sector and MSME ecosystem development and at least 3 years of experience working in a coordination role on donor projects.
• At least 3 years professional experience in project management and 2 years in Market systems development (MSD) approach.
• Familiarity with the local context and communities in Kano State.
• Understand Agribusiness opportunities across the selected value chains in Kano.
Experience and Skills:
• Management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a development organisation.
• Elaborate professional experience in livelihood.
• Excellent leadership and coordination skills (and ability to coordinate several tasks at once and managing priorities)
• Effective communication, problem solving and decision-making skills and diplomacy in communication
• Respect for cultural diversity and gender sensitivity
• Team leadership and mentoring
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Communication, networking, facilitation and mobilisation.
• Organisational development
• Reporting and documentation
Desirable:
• Gender and intercultural sensitivity
• Positive outlook and team spirit
• Adaptable and responsive disposition relative to the demands of the Project
• Women are strongly advised to apply.
Language Requirements:
Excellent written and oral proficiency in English language and proficiency in Hausa language is required
Application Procedure:
Please fill and send the attached Self Help Africa application form and also send your cover letter and CV in a single document (of not more than 6 pages) to this link.
Email title must be same as the position you are applying for and the location of the position.
Job description is available for download here.
The deadline for this application is 4th August 2025. You are advised to apply early, as applications will be treated on roll-in basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign our Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ [relevant police authority] vetting.
Self Help Africa strives to be an equal opportunities employer
