Deputy Project Manager

Job Posting Organization:
FHI 360 is a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions for human development. Established in 1980, FHI 360 operates in over 60 countries and employs more than 4,000 staff members worldwide. The organization is dedicated to addressing global challenges in health, education, and economic development, and it emphasizes the importance of collaboration with local communities and stakeholders to achieve sustainable outcomes.

Job Overview:
The Deputy Project Manager plays a crucial role in overseeing a large project, managing cross-functional teams and project activities from the award phase through to project close-out. This position requires effective planning and direction of schedules while monitoring budget and spending to ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget constraints. The Deputy Project Manager will be responsible for selecting, developing, and evaluating personnel to ensure efficient project implementation. Additionally, this role involves close collaboration with management to ensure financial, administrative, contractual, and logistical efficiency and compliance. The Deputy Project Manager will serve as a vital liaison between staff and the organization’s administrative and enterprise services, ensuring smooth operations between headquarters and field offices. The position demands a results-oriented approach to project management, with a focus on achieving project goals and objectives efficiently and effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Deputy Project Manager will provide support to the Project Director/Chief of Party to ensure the project is implemented efficiently, compliantly, and in a timely manner. Key responsibilities include managing, implementing, and monitoring systems, services, staff, and budgets to achieve financial, administrative, and project goals. The Deputy Project Manager will prepare and monitor approved budgets for assigned projects, approve all expenditures relating to budgets, and provide project assistance through the review or writing of protocols, papers, and reports to ensure accuracy and appropriateness. Collaboration with the Project Director to identify opportunities for new project initiatives and funding is essential. The role also involves recruiting, orienting, and supervising project staff to meet programmatic and workforce planning needs. The Deputy Project Manager will ensure that project implementation is managed closely through structured work plans, indicator tracking sheets, and approved monitoring plans. Monthly monitoring of expenditures within each project is required, along with initiating and tracking corrective actions where necessary. Leadership will be provided to staff to ensure timely, high-quality, and regulation-compliant activity reporting per organization and donor guidelines. The Deputy Project Manager will also support performance management and professional development of direct reports, including ongoing feedback, coaching, and career support, while performing other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess effective strategic planning, project evaluation, and project management skills. Strong business acumen, staff development, management, and reporting experience are essential. The role requires strong consultative and negotiation skills, as well as operations management experience, including oversight of corporate policies, compliance, and procedures. Demonstrated public relations and diplomacy skills are required, along with excellent oral and written communication skills. The ability to speak the local language is necessary, as well as the ability to build positive working relationships with local communities, district government officials, UN representatives, and donor representatives. Candidates must also have the ability to analyze and establish effective cross-project coordination, organizational procedures, and management systems.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's Degree or its International Equivalent in Business Administration, Public Health, Social Sciences, or a related field is required. A Project Management (PM) Certification is preferred, indicating a formal understanding of project management principles and practices.

Experience:
Typically, candidates should have a minimum of 12+ years of relevant experience in project management, demonstrating proficiency with applicable rules, regulations, and policies associated with international development and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This extensive experience is crucial for effectively managing complex projects and ensuring compliance with organizational standards.

Languages:
The mandatory language for this position is the local language of Uganda, which is English. Proficiency in additional local languages would be considered a valuable asset, enhancing communication and collaboration with local stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position may require travel of approximately 10% to 25%. The job posting summarizes the main duties of the role but does not prescribe or restrict the exact tasks that may be assigned. The organization reserves the right to review and revise the job description at any time. FHI 360 is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to preventing any type of abuse, exploitation, and harassment in its work environments and programs. The organization emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the welfare of everyone who engages with its programs and requires all personnel to share this commitment. All offers of employment will be subject to appropriate screening checks, including reference, criminal record, and terrorism finance checks.