The Project Manager will lead the day-to-day delivery of LIFE Africa’s Youth Connect – Inclusive Economic Empowerment programme, supported by an international development partner. This is a six-month project appointment covering implementation from September 2026 to February 2027, with responsibility for work planning, team coordination, participant delivery, stakeholder management, budget discipline, risk management and reporting.
The role will coordinate the Project Management Unit, facilitators, career counsellor, local delivery personnel, Finance and Compliance Officer, MEL team, Safeguarding/EDI focal point and communications support. The post holder will serve as the operational link between LIFE Africa, the funding partner, participants, employers, MSMEs, mentors, attachment hosts, disability – right organisations and other approved delivery contacts.
The Project Manager reports to the Head of Foundation. The role is based in Lagos, with travel to approved project locations, including Rivers State where required. Routine oversight should remain virtual where physical presence is not needed.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the integrated six-month workplan, delivery calendar, responsibility matrix, issue log and risk register; keep activities, dependencies and decisions on schedule through close-out.
- Coordinate the Project Management Unit and delivery team, set weekly priorities, run implementation meetings, follow up agreed actions and escalate material issues promptly to the Head of Foundation and funding-partner contact.
- Manage programme start-up, including the funding-partner-led facilitator training, delivery-team onboarding, venue and learning-system readiness, curriculum familiarisation, safeguarding preparation and approval of implementation tools.
- Oversee transparent participant recruitment, eligibility checks, funding-partner review and approval of the proposed list, informed consent, baseline and accessibility assessments, onboarding and retention support, while working towards at least 50% women and 5% persons with disabilities in the approved cohort.
- Deliver the eight-week Foundation phase for all enrolled participants using the approved programme curriculum, locally relevant examples and at least one face-to-face learning day each week; monitor attendance, learning quality and completion closely.
- Ensure every Foundation completer receives individual career counselling and independently chooses Employment or Enterprise without a predetermined pathway quota; maintain a clear counselling and referral record for each participant.
- Manage the Employment pathway: eight weeks of work-readiness training followed by a minimum six-week paid or unpaid internship, apprenticeship or attachment with a screened host, supported by host briefings, participant check-ins, feedback and transition plans.
- Manage the Enterprise pathway: sixteen weeks of weekly face-to-face learning, mentoring and business shadowing, leading to customer and market evidence, a workable business model, basic unit economics or cash flow, an investor-ready pitch and a 90-day action plan. The programme will not promise cash awards or business finance.
- Maintain safeguarding, EDI, data-protection, health and safety, procurement and financial-control standards across all activities; review expenditure and evidence with the Finance and Compliance Officer and act quickly on incidents, variances or delivery risks.
- Maintain the programme dashboard and evidence files; submit accurate narrative and financial inputs, coordinate the employer/investor showcase and alumni activation, complete close-out by 28 February 2027, and support the three-month post-implementation tracer and learning update.
Required Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in project management, development studies, education, social sciences, business administration or a related field; a recognised project-management qualification is an advantage.
- At least five years’ relevant experience managing youth skills, employability, enterprise, non-formal education or workforce-development programmes, including responsibility for delivery from start-up to close-out.
- Demonstrable experience coordinating donor-funded programmes and meeting workplan, budget, evidence and reporting requirements; experience working with an international development organisation or donor-funded programme is desirable.
- Practical experience managing facilitators and multi-functional teams, preferably across more than one location or through a mix of physical and virtual delivery.
- Strong employer, MSME, mentor and placement-host engagement skills, including the ability to establish clear scopes, screen hosts and resolve delivery problems professionally.
- Working knowledge of safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, disability accommodation, informed consent and responsible handling of participant data.
- Strong budgeting, procurement, documentation and compliance discipline, with the ability to review expenditure, supporting evidence and variances in partnership with finance colleagues.
- Ability to use monitoring data for decisions and to produce clear, accurate reports, trackers, meeting notes and presentations for senior management and funders.
- Excellent written and spoken English, sound judgement, strong stakeholder-management skills and the ability to work calmly under tight deadlines.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace and online learning/collaboration tools; willingness to travel to project locations when required.