Project Manager Job at International Alert

International Alert is one of the world's leading peacebuilding  organisations, with over 30 years of experience supporting communities,  advising governments, organisations and companies on how to build  peace. Alert works with people in conflict-affected and threatened areas  to make a positive difference for peace; to improve the substance and  implementation of international policies relevant to peacebuilding; and to  strengthen the peacebuilding sector.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Project Manager

Job Location: Sokoto

Job Purpose

• The Project Manager is responsible for the overall management, coordination and delivery of a peacebuilding and resilience project in Sokoto State. The role ensures that project activities are implemented to a high standard, in line with International Alert’s programme quality framework, conflict sensitivity principles, safeguarding standards, and donor contractual requirements.
• The Project Manager will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight and team management, while strengthening partnerships with government institutions, civil society organisations and community stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities
Programme Management and Quality:

• Provide overall leadership for the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of all project activities, ensuring delivery in line with approved workplans, budgets, timelines and contractual commitments.
• Ensure high standards of programme quality, applying International Alert’s programme quality framework and promoting coherence between objectives, activities, outputs and outcomes.
• Systematically integrate conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm principles, gender equality, social inclusion and safeguarding into programme design, implementation and monitoring, and ensure these commitments are understood and applied by staff, partners and consultants.
• Ensure programme delivery is community-led and locally owned, facilitating meaningful participation of diverse community stakeholders, including women, youth, traditional leaders and marginalised groups.
• Oversee the selection, contracting and management of consultants and partners, ensuring clear terms of reference, effective coordination, quality assurance and timely delivery of outputs.
• Monitor implementation risks and contextual changes, and proactively adjust strategies and activities to ensure relevance, effectiveness and sustainability.
• Promote coordination and synergies with other programmes and partners to maximise impact and avoid duplication.

Grant, Finance and Compliance:

• Oversee project budget in collaboration with Finance department
• Monitor expenditure and support accurate forecasting and value-for-money.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements and International Alert policies.
• Maintain complete and auditable project documentation.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL):

• Lead and support the effective implementation of the project’s MEAL framework in close collaboration with MEAL colleagues, ensuring alignment with International Alert’s programme quality standards and donor requirements.
• Ensure systematic collection, analysis and use of qualitative and quantitative data to track progress against the logframe, indicators, milestones and targets.
• Oversee routine monitoring activities, including field visits, data quality checks and partner reporting, to ensure accuracy, consistency and reliability of project data.
• Promote meaningful accountability to affected populations, including the establishment and use of feedback and complaints mechanisms, and ensure feedback is documented and used to improve programme delivery.
• Facilitate regular learning and reflection processes such as review meetings, after-action reviews and learning workshops to capture lessons, good practices and emerging risks.
• Use evidence and learning to support adaptive management, making timely adjustments to activities, workplans and approaches in response to changing contexts, conflict dynamics and community feedback.
• Contribute to evaluations, learning products and knowledge-sharing across the organisation, supporting continuous improvement and organisational learning.

Reporting and Communications:

• Lead preparation of high-quality narrative and results-based reports.
• Contribute to internal learning products, case studies and success stories.
• Support donor engagement visits and reviews as required.

Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Influence:

• Build and maintain effective relationships with state and local government institutions, traditional and religious leaders, CSOs and community structures.
• Represent International Alert in coordination forums and technical working groups.
• Support pathways for community-level learning and evidence to inform policy and institutional uptake.

People Management and Wellbeing:

• Line manage project staff, providing regular supervision, coaching and performance feedback.
• Support staff wellbeing and duty of care, including adherence to security protocols.
• Foster an inclusive, respectful and collaborative team culture.

Risk and Security Management:

• Continuously monitor the operating environment, including conflict dynamics, security trends and political developments, and assess their potential impact on staff safety and programme delivery.
• Lead the identification, analysis and management of security and programme risks, ensuring appropriate mitigation measures are developed, implemented and regularly reviewed.
• Ensure full compliance with International Alert’s security management protocols, including security briefings, movement procedures, incident preparedness and contingency planning.
• Work closely with relevant colleagues to ensure staff understand and adhere to security guidelines, and that duty of care responsibilities are met at all times.
• Promptly report, document and escalate security incidents and near-misses in line with International Alert procedures, and support follow-up actions and learning to strengthen risk management.

Person Specification

• Bachelor’s Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, International Development, Social Sciences or a related field; a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline is an added advantage.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience managing complex development, humanitarian or peacebuilding projects, preferably in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing conflict-sensitive programmes, including application of Do No Harm principles, gender and social inclusion, and safeguarding standards.
• Strong experience in project planning, budgeting, financial monitoring, forecasting and donor reporting, with the ability to ensure compliance with organisational and donor requirements.
• Proven ability to lead, supervise and mentor multidisciplinary teams, including field-based staff, consultants and partners, while promoting staff wellbeing and performance.
• Experience working with government institutions, including state and local authorities, as well as legislatures, security actors and justice sector institutions, to support policy engagement and institutional strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience engaging civil society organisations, community-based groups, traditional and religious leaders, youth and women’s groups, ensuring inclusive and participatory approaches.
• Strong understanding of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems, including results-based management, data use for decision-making and adaptive programming.
• Experience managing programme risks and security considerations in complex environments, with the ability to make sound operational judgments.
• Strong analytical, writing and communication skills, with experience producing high-quality narrative reports, concept notes, briefs and learning products for donors and other stakeholders.
• Ability to represent the organisation effectively in coordination forums, technical working groups and external meetings.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and accountability, with a demonstrated commitment to International Alert’s values, mission and community-led peacebuilding approaches.
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of Hausa or other relevant local languages is a strong advantage.

Essential Requirements:

• Proven experience managing EU-funded project(s), including compliance, reporting and audit requirements.
• Experience working in North-West Nigeria, particularly Sokoto State

Travel requirements:

• The role is based in Sokoto State, with regular field travel within the state and occasional national travel.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Cover Letter outlining suitability for the role and current CV to: nigeria@international-alert.org using the Job Position as the subject of the mail.

Note: International Alert is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion and encourages applications from qualified women and candidates from diverse backgrounds.