Project Consultant (Part-time)

Role Overview

You will take full ownership of a high-impact, multi-country initiative connecting African scientists with fellowship and recognition opportunities, working on a part-time basis under the Senior Program Officer for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. Day to day, you will move between strategic planning, stakeholder relationship management, and hands-on coordination—ensuring that universities across 20 African nations are engaged, informed, and actively participating as National Nominating Bodies. This role matters because it directly determines whether qualified researchers are discovered, nominated, and celebrated across the continent, making your organizational discipline and diplomatic touch essential to the program's credibility and reach.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive project roadmap covering milestones, expenditures, task dependencies, and resource needs from inception through final evaluation.
• Identify, assess, and formally bring on board leading universities in 20 African countries to serve as National Nominating Bodies, managing the full vetting and onboarding lifecycle.
• Support registered National Nominating Bodies by answering queries, distributing relevant documentation, and proactively troubleshooting any procedural or technical issues that arise.
• Plan, promote, and deliver at least one live webinar annually to strengthen ties between the central organization and the National Nominating Bodies, including agenda design, speaker coordination, and post-event follow-up.
• Act as the primary communication link between the central organization, the funding partner, and the National Nominating Bodies—ensuring accurate, timely, and context-appropriate messaging flows in all directions.
• Drive the inclusion of African scientists in relevant conferences and flagship initiatives by coordinating invitations, tracking participation, and identifying senior-level champions to advocate for the program.
• Design and execute awareness strategies that increase visibility of the fellowship program among African research communities, using suitable channels ranging from academic networks to institutional partnerships.
• Monitor project performance against targets and make data-informed adjustments to keep implementation on track, while preparing structured reports and managing the budget with full accountability.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in a science, technology, engineering, or related discipline is strongly preferred, though candidates with extensive hands-on experience in independent economic research or analytical work will also be considered.
• At least five years of demonstrated project management experience, including direct responsibility for planning, execution, and reporting outcomes.
• Clear evidence of managing projects across countries or regions, ideally in an international or multicultural setting—highly preferred for this role.
• Solid command of project planning frameworks and tools, from setting milestones to tracking risks and dependencies.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage senior university officials, scientists, and program partners professionally and persuasively.
• Proven ability to work autonomously, prioritize competing demands, and collaborate effectively within a small, dynamic team.
• Excellent written and spoken English is essential; working proficiency in French is an added advantage.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving capacity sufficient to adapt plans in real time and maintain program integrity under changing conditions.
• Experience working at a regional level within Africa is a plus, as is familiarity with the academic or scientific funding landscape there.