Project Manager, Global Partnership for Education (GPE)

Overview

Lead and manage the GPE-funded education project in Afghanistan effectively.

You have:

• Master's degree in education management, International Relations, Leadership, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Program Management or a closely related field
• Minimum seven years of management of education projects for large donors (Multilaterals and/or public)
• Fluency in English, Dari, and/or Pashto, both written and spoken
• Excellent written and oral English skills. (Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, both in spoken and written English)
• Being in good health and physical condition

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)Job Description:

Job-purpose

The GPE Project Manager will provide overall leadership and management of the GPE-funded project. Implementation will be carried out through national partner organizations, and the role is responsible for ensuring effective partner-led implementation, partner capacity development, stakeholder engagement, financial oversight, donor compliance, risk management, and the timely delivery of project outcomes. The Project Manager will monitor all project activities, including those implemented by partners, and ensure that all deliverables meet agreed quality standards and technical requirements. The role will also represent World Vision Afghanistan within the Save the Children–led consortium and support coordination and communication with consortium partners. The position requires strong project management skills alongside solid technical understanding of education programming. The Project Manager will report to the Herat Zonal Manager.

Overall Project Leadership & Direction

· Provide overall leadership and direction for the GPE-funded education project implemented through national partner organizations

· Ensure clear project governance, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making structures are in place between WVA and partners

· Ensure project staff and partners understand project objectives, scope, assumptions, and delivery expectations

· Escalate critical project risks, delays, or performance issues to zonal and senior management in a timely manner

Project Planning, Coordination & Delivery Management

· Lead overall project planning and coordination, ensuring partner-led activities are aligned with the approved Detailed Implementation Plan, workplans, budgets, and agreed timelines

· Develop, review, and regularly update the Detailed Implementation Plan to reflect implementation progress, seasonal and access constraints, and contextual changes

· Work closely with Protection and Education Sector Leads to develop education guidelines and deliver staff training

· Coordinate project implementation across national partner organizations, WVA internal teams (Education, MEAL, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations), and relevant external stakeholders

· Provide day-to-day project management support to partners, including scheduling, sequencing of activities, issue tracking, and follow-up on agreed actions

· Monitor implementation progress against milestones and deliverables, identify delays or bottlenecks, and lead timely corrective actions

· Coordinate procurement planning and logistical arrangements required to support partner implementation, in line with approved plans and donor requirements

· Ensure project documentation, workplans, and activity schedules are consistently maintained and shared with relevant stakeholders

· Support adaptive project management by adjusting plans and approaches to ensure continuity of delivery in a changing operational environment

Monitoring, Quality Assurance, Oversight & Adaptive Management

· Verify the quality, compliance, and results of partner-implemented activities against agreed standards, safeguards, and indicators

· Validate data, reports, and documentation submitted by partners to ensure accuracy and credibility

· Track performance trends, risks, and implementation gaps through field visits, reviews, and MEAL data

· Facilitate structured reflection and review sessions with partners and internal teams to assess what is working and what needs adjustment

· Inform project adaptations and corrective actions based on evidence, without duplicating day-to-day delivery management

· Capture and document lessons learned, good practices, and emerging risks for internal learning, donor communication and external dissemination

Partner Management & Capacity Development

· Manage formal working relationships with national partner organizations responsible for implementation

· Build partner capacity in project management, reporting, safeguarding, MEAL, and compliance through coaching and on-the-job support

· Monitor partner performance against agreed deliverables and address gaps through performance discussions and action plans

· Support partners to strengthen internal systems required for effective project delivery

Consortium & Stakeholder Coordination

· Represent World Vision Afghanistan within the Save the Children–led consortium on matters related to project delivery

· Coordinate project-related communication with the prime, consortium partners, and donors

· Liaise with education authorities, local officials, and community stakeholders to support partner implementation

· Ensure project updates, risks, and achievements are communicated clearly within consortium structures

Financial & Risk Management (Project-Level)

· Monitor project budgets and expenditures in coordination with Finance and partners

· Ensure project spending aligns with approved budgets and activities

· Manage project-level risks, including operational, fiduciary, and contextual risks

· Support audits and address findings related to project implementation

Human Resources & Staff Management

· Manage recruitment, induction, and onboarding of project staff in coordination with People and Culture

· Provide day-to-day supervision, coaching, and performance management for project staff

· Ensure staff roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines are clear and aligned with project needs

· Identify staff capacity gaps and support targeted training and development

· Ensure staff and partners understand and comply with safeguarding, code of conduct, and accountability requirements

Security

· Ensure that security measures and directives of the organization are incorporated into the project.

· Modify project methodologies as needed to address evolving security conditions, and keep the donor informed of any requested changes.

· Monitor the security situation daily, report as needed, and adjust the travel plans of national staff accordingly.

Other

· Follow WV Child and Adult Safeguarding policies and standards.

· Comply with WV accountability standards.

· Be aware of and ready to implement the WV Afghanistan Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs plan in Ghor and Herat zones.

· Ensure that appropriate community

development practices and “Do No Harm” principles are integrated and maintained during the planning and execution of the project.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE

Required Education, training, license, registration, and/or Certification

Master’s degree in education management, International Relations, Leadership, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, Program Management or a closely related field

Required Professional Experience

Minimum seven years of management of education projects for large donors (Multilaterals and/or public)

Required Language(s)

Fluency in English, Dari, and/or Pashto, both written and spoken

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations

The position is based in the Herat Zonal Office, with regular travel to Herat required

Position’s physical

requirements

Being in good health and physical condition.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge, and/or other Qualifications

· Excellent written and oral English skills. (Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, both in spoken and written English)

· Analytical and problem-solving skills.

· Excellent coordination and communication skills

· Thorough knowledge of MS Office

· Experience in maintaining databases and related information/knowledge management

· Financial/budget management

· Interpersonal sensitivity, flexible worldview, emotional maturity

· Ability to work in and contribute to a team-building environment

· Ability to maintain performance expectations in diverse contexts, psychologically stressful environments, and hardship conditions.

· Willing to travel as required

· Commitment to World Vision Core Values and Mission Statement

· Experience managing multi-sector projects, particularly education, health, Nutrition, Protection, and Livelihood projects

· Proven experience supervising multiple local partners or sub-grantees; strong capacity building record

· Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills

· Experience working with major donor agencies

· Master’s Degree Preferred.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 4 months ago - Updated 4 months ago - Source: wvi.org