Expertise France is seeking to recruit a Project Manager to supervise and organise the inception and execution of the project « Solwara na Graun blo pipol » (SoNG) – ocean and land for the people in neo-melanesian language (tok pisin) -  funded by the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) in Papua New Guinea.

Expertise France is currently opening a Country Directorate that will be deployed in 2025 and within which the project should fit. The country office will be made up of a project support unit (PSU) and project management units (PMU) of the agency in Papua New Guinea.

The main tasks of the project manager will be:

1. Project strategic direction, leadership and management:

• to establish a frame and take responsibility for the implementation, steering and technical, financial and contractual reporting of the project;
• to oversee and organise the definition of the project strategy, plans and approaches, from inception to execution, to ensure that the project is technically sound, evidence-based, consistent with donor and stakeholder priorities, and efficient in terms of quality, cost and time;
• to ensure the internal accountability of the agency (budgetary exercizes, monthly reporting, etc.);
• to organise and oversee the Project’s inception phase in support of the detailed design and planning of the project’s activities;
• to supervise the design and implementation of the Project’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan;
• to oversee project implementation, including all activities, outputs, and outcomes;
• to review and analyse the Project’s performance and environment and recommend and implement adjustments in the project’s strategy, plans and approaches;
• to provide focus and set priorities;
• to identify and manage project risks and opportunities.

2. Team leadership and oversight of financial resources:

• to recruit the project team including complementary recruitments required by the internal procedures of the agency;
• to integrate new staff – international and national –  and provide guidance and leadership for the organisation and progress of the project team;
• to organise the attribution of roles and responsibilities and coordinate the work inside the project team in accordance with the project support unit (USP) of Expertise France’s new country office in Papua New Guinea;
• to set objectives for staff and assess their achievements in line with the agency’s rules;
• to organise and provide opportunities for mentorship and learning for the project’s staff;
• to respect the conditions and procedures defined by the agency;
• to organise and provide oversight of the use of the project’s resources including office space, equipment & vehicles;

3. Project representation and communication:

• to liaise with Expertise France’s headquarters in Paris to whom he/she reports to;
• to represent Expertise France on all matters related to the Project towards the donor, PNG authorities and other PNG-based stakeholders;
• to establish, develop and maintain strong and sound relations with project stakeholders and project beneficiaries;
• to take part in coordination activities with other actors conducting similar work;
• to participate in national, regional and international conferences and workshops, and provide advocacy for political and administrative decision-makers for the project’s approaches and outcomes;
• to organise, prepare and take part in the project’s governance instances including steering committees and technical committees;
• to oversee the design and implementation of the project’s communication and visibility plan;
• to achieve visibility for the project, and promote its approaches and results.

The Project manager will be based in Port Moresby and positionned under the hierarchical management of the agency’s Country Office. He/she will work in functional link with Expertise France headquarters in Paris. He will work in close coordination with the projects of the agency in the country and ensure synergy between activities carried out with other projects and initiatives led by the agency. He/she will lead the project team and will be responsible for coordinating experts integrated within partner organizations.