Kinshasa

The Dallaire Institute for Children

The Dallaire Institute 

Job Description
 

About the Research

Lt. General Romeo Dallaire founded the Child Soldiers Initiative in 2007 and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, provided a home to the Initiative in 2010.  In 2020, the Initiative became the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, an international repository of expertise, research, and advocacy to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed violence.  The Dallaire Institute is the co-developer of the 2017 Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. As part of Dalhousie University, the Dallaire Institute hosts a prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair on International Peace, Security and Children and offers undergraduate and graduate courses. Through academic and practitioner training and community engagement, the Dallaire Institute’s interdisciplinary and applied research advances innovative strategies for preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed violence.  The Dallaire Institute is supported through private, public and international contributions.  

To achieve this important objective, the Dallaire Institute conducts activities on four fronts:   

• World-class, interdisciplinary research to build and share knowledge, which in turn leads to new solutions. 
• High-level advocacy activities to create and promote the political will to end the use of children in violence as central to the achievement of global peace and security. 
• Education and programming to sustain the efforts to make the recruitment and use of children as soldiers unthinkable by inspiring leaders, educators, and policy makers to implement new approaches, conduct research, and actively share their knowledge on the prioritization of the children’s rights upfront approach.   
• Comprehensive, prevention-oriented training to security sector actors, in the service of broader security sector reform, as well as collaboration with civil society to create and implement tools that protect children from the dangers associated with recruitment.

Job purpose

The Project Manager will oversee the implementation of the Institute's activities under the PVPSSA project aimed at Promoting the Vancouver Principles, enhancing national security sector capabilities to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This role involves tactical and operational project management, including planning, execution, and reporting, primarily focusing on training, capacity building, finance management and advocacy within the specific country of implementation.

Duties and responsibilities

Project Management

• Lead the day-to-day operations of project activities, ensuring compliance with timelines, budget constraints, and quality standards.
• Coordinate project planning, implementation, and monitoring activities, ensuring alignment with the overall strategic objectives of the Institute.
• Manage the logistics of training sessions, workshops, and conferences, both locally and regionally.
• Liaise with local and international partners, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, to enhance project outreach and impact.

Financial Management

• Oversee project budgeting and financial reporting, ensuring adherence to donor guidelines and organizational financial policies.
• Monitor expenditures and manage financial documentation in collaboration with the financial team.
• Lead project budget revision activities whenever needed and ensure the budget amendments are aligned with donor regulations.

Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy

• Represent the Institute in national and regional forums related to children, peace, and security.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, government officials, and community leaders.
• Drive advocacy initiatives aligned with the project goals and the Institute's mission.

Reporting and Communication

• Prepare detailed narrative reports on project progress and outcomes for donors, the Institute's leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure effective communication strategies are in place to disseminate project achievements and lessons learned.

Human Resources Management:

• Coordinate the working time of the team dedicated to the project in the country.
• Administrate the deliverables by reporting position, ensuring the right communication with the functional managers as needed.
• Follow up consistently on the performance of every position, guiding the team to the best performance possible.
• Report and apply any action needed with the project country’s staff, after agreement with Human Resources at HQ.

Materials administration:

• Receive, control and administrate, as indicated by the Project’s authorities, the required material for projects deployment.
• Report and request any additional or out-of-the-norm situation related to the usability or

quality of the material, as well as the adequation for use in the host country.

All staff are additionally responsible to:

• Proactively participate in planning and performance processes as outlined in the Employee Handbook including annual appraisals, regular meetings, and ensuring that annual reviews are an integral component of work plans and priorities.
• Promote a safe and secure work environment in line with the organization’s core values including the Dallaire Institute Workplace Principles and foster strong communication between teams within the organization.
• Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of children, particularly the prevention of the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.
• Comply with Dallaire Institute’s financial and operational requirements and uphold high standards of honesty and integrity in personal conduct.
• This job description is a general outline of responsibilities and qualifications and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The responsibilities and duties may evolve based on the organization's needs, and additional tasks may be assigned as required.

Qualifications

Skills

• Strong financial management skills.
• Excellent ability to forge relationships at all levels and work across multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary teams. 
• Adept at handling confidential information with discretion and per Dallaire Institute research and other professional standards;
• Ability to take initiative to organize time effectively within a range of often conflicting deadlines and competing priorities, within a busy program and while working toward an agreed strategy; 
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team. 
• Ability to self-teach and problem-solve in difficult situations. 
• Excellent communication skills in English.

Knowledge 

• At least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field including International Relations, Political Science, Management, or a related field;
• Minimum 3 years experience in project management, including overseeing large-scale projects in conflict or post-conflict settings.
• PMI Certification or any other relevant certification.  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to colleagues. 

Abilities:

• Proven ability to manage teams and coordinate with various stakeholders.
• Capacity to tailor messages to different audiences.

Assets  

• International work experience in complex environments, preferably in conflict-affected regions
• Experience managing or coordinating community engagement activities.
• Experience with non-profit organizations, and academic or government institutions.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues related to children's rights, peace, and security.
• Additional language skills, particularly French.
• Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa or other fragile contexts.

Working conditions

Presential role: Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in person. 

The position is based in the country of interest, with the need for travelling up to 50% of the time.

Supervisory/managerial

The position oversees and is responsible for the assigned resources for the project’s implementation in the host country and is responsible for the performance and deliverables of a team of 4 officers covering the operative side of the Financial, MEAL, Training and Community engagement aspects.

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