Job Title: Deputy Country Manager
Organisation: Innovation: Africa (iA)
Duty Station: Mbale, Uganda
Reports to: Country Manager and Country Director and Deputy Country Director in Israel
About US:
Innovation: Africa (iA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose team of dedicated problem solvers work together to bring solar and water technologies to rural communities in Africa. We use solar energy to pump clean water and provide schools, orphanages, and medical clinics with light and refrigeration to store vaccines and medicines. iA has completed over 1000 solar, water, and agricultural projects, providing light, clean water, food and proper medical care to over 5.4 million people in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, eSwatini, Uganda, Cameroon, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Job Summary: We are seeking a highly trained and qualified professional to join our Uganda team as a Deputy Country Manager based in Mbale Uganda, requiring immediate relocation. The Deputy is responsible for providing critical support to the Country Manager, including assistance with managing and overseeing the local staff and contractors’ field work, ensuring strict compliance with iA’s community-based sustainability model and the technical requirements of our community-owned solar water pumping systems and solar electrification projects. The Deputy shall ensure that the iA team and contractors complete daily, weekly, and monthly reports, properly and promptly, as is required by iA.
Additionally, the Deputy shall assist with administrative tasks, financial budgets and expense reports, technical field supervision of staff and contractors, and maintain close contact with the communities we serve to ensure the sustainability of our projects. The Deputy will support all project and field activities, including identifying and selecting project beneficiaries, actively engaging with the communities to facilitate community engagement and sensitization, establishing and maintaining regular communication with the communities we serve, implementing project-related activities, and monitoring the progress of ongoing projects and the condition of older ones.
Additionally, the Deputy Country Manager will support all project and field activities. This includes identifying and selecting our project beneficiaries, actively facilitating community mobilization and sensitization, establishing and maintaining regular communication with the communities we serve, implementing project-related activities and providing regular reports and ongoing monitoring of the projects. This position requires frequent travel to the field to identify new projects, as well as manage all stages of iA’s solar and water projects.
Management and monitoring of local staff, contractors, ongoing and completed projects, and frequent community engagement meetings, requires our ideal candidate to be exceptionally passionate, proactive, and detail-oriented candidate with a go-getter work ethic. The Deputy is required to provide a written weekly report to Israel Office, where iA Uganda’s Country Director and Deputy Country Director are based.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Work closely with the Country Manager to support with management of local team and contractors, and all field and community activities
- Ensure project activities comply with the policies and regulations of iA
- Assist with managing the development and execution of project deliverables, project planning, budgeting, action plans and monitoring processes
- Responsible for providing activity reports and to the Country Director in Israel
- Oversee and manage the implementation of iA’s community-based sustainability model, including facilitating frequent community meetings with the beneficiary communities, conduct community trainings and sensitization
- Help to motivate the project team and monitor project activities and project expenditure and coordinate work with contractors in the project
- Ensure close collaboration and coordination with cooperating partners and local contractors to guarantee smooth implementation of activities and achievement of results
- Participate in the beneficiary selection processes
- Track the progress of ongoing feld activities, including conducting community mobilization and oversee technical implementation of iA’s projects in Uganda
- Perform monitoring and evaluation of existing projects, work with communities to ensure project’s sustainability
- Assist in the management in the operations of the office such as liaising with suppliers, getting quotations, scanning, printing, insurance for vehicles, collecting and sending items through courier service, filling forms, submitting reports etc.
- Assist in organizing community trainings in coordination with the districts
- Assist in responding to queries from the communities and forwarding the information to the responsible contractors and inhouse engineers
- Support Country Manager to establish and manage relationships and communication with local, national, and international stakeholders
- Fully coordinate and participate in visits from the international team, donors and guests
- Develop and maintain relationships with local government and local partner NGOs
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- Minimum 3-year experience managing teams and supporting communities in a field-based position.
- The applicant must hold a Degree/diploma in community development, international development, or similar field
- A second degree in water or civil engineering, and long-term proven experience working with solar water pumping systems will be considered an advantage.
- Experience working in WASH programs – advantage
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- The ideal candidate is extremely organized, detail oriented, results-driven, and possesses a proven passion for working with rural communities.
- A strong Deputy has the ability to work closely and in tandem with the Country Manager, anticipating and initiating places where the team requires assistance, but always under the guidance of the lead manager.
- Ability to create and monitor the team’s weekly work plans, managing all reporting processes required from the team and contractors and ensuring that it is completed in a timely and efficient manner, enabling completion for 30+ solar and water projects in accordance with each project’s Program of Work.
- Demonstrate interpersonal skills and a proven commitment to serve vulnerable communities.
- Professional experience working in the field of community development with vulnerable rural communities and exhibit detail orientation and problem-solving skills.
- Technologically oriented with excellent computer skills, including proficiency in email and Microsoft Office software
- Driver’s license and of-road driving experience
- Ability to commit to flexible working hours, including some weekends
- High proficiency in English; both writing and speaking
- Ability to relocate to Mbale, Uganda
- Ability to speak local languages – advantage
Compensation: Commensurate with experience.
As an international organization, our team works in New York, Israel, and Africa, and is constantly on the move. To maintain close contact despite our travel schedules, we regularly use technology solutions, such as WhatsApp, Slack and Zoom. The ideal candidate thrives in this type of fast-paced environment and is comfortable working with colleagues in different time zones and continents.
How to Apply:
Please send your cover letter and CV as a single PDF attachment to ug.deputy@innovation-africa.odoo.com
Please make the file name your full name and please specify which job position you are applying for in the subject line of the email.
NB: Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.