Job Description

Manager, Management Advisory Unit (MAU)

About MCA

The Government of Malawi signed a five-year agreement (“Compact”) with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (“MCC”) to fund specific programs targeted at reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth. MCC is a U.S. government agency focused on assisting countries dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. An Accountable Entity called the Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi II (“MCA-Malawi II”) has been created and designated by the Government of Malawi to implement the Compact.

Malawi compact

The Compact consists of three projects, namely;

1. The Accelerated Growth Corridors Project (AGC) will focus on reducing transport costs in targeted rural areas. Under the AGC Project, the Road Corridor Improvement (RCI) Activity will target investment in physical upgrades and improvements across different classes of roads within four selected Accelerated Growth Corridors (AGCs) to improve rural access by addressing road conditions and reducing transport costs. The Policy and Institutional Reform and Capacity Building (PIR) Activity will focus on assisting the Government to address policy, legislative, institutional, and funding issues to ensure that road transport in AGC areas is well-maintained and managed.
2. The Increased Land Productivity Project will focus on improving land services, strengthening conditions for increased investment in land and better-functioning land markets through two main activities: the Land Administration Resourcing and Institutions Activity – which will support development, adoption, and implementation of reforms to expand national land-based revenues and address institutional change – and the City Council Land-Based Revenue Modernization Activity, which will expand coverage and collection of land-based revenues, to increase resources for key services and increase investment in land and finally.
3. The American Catalyst Facility for Development Project will focus on facilitating U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) investment in Malawi to catalyze increased private investment consistent with Compact objectives and increase the scale and impact of the Compact.

Manager, Management Advisory Unit (MAU)

Position Objective

The Manager, Management Advisory Unit (MAU) under the supervision of the Chief Operating Officer (COO)supports coordination and implementation of the Compact and serves as the manager of the MCA’s Management Advisory Unit, the project management unit for the compact program. The Manager, MAU supports the COO in the management of the compact set-up, implementation and closeout through efficient integration and effective operation of the MCA-Malawi II core projects and related operational and program support functions. The Manager, MAU will work with external Consultants and Contractors, Management Advisory Unit staff, Project Directors, and staff across the MCA-Malawi II as needed to collect and prepare information for compact reports, budget requests, talking points and background information. The Manager, MAU will manage and coordinate the Management Advisory Unit staff to monitor Compact program progress, identify risks, ensure accountable procurement, contract management, and financial reporting, and provide timely and accurate information to the MCA CEO, COO, and MCC stakeholders for decision-making, using project management tools, Management Information Systems, and Geographic Information Systems. The Manager, MAU also assists the COO in providing logistical support for stakeholder meetings and special events and supports other special projects to address program needs.

Primary Responsibilities

• Assist the COO in evaluating the Compact and MCC’s programmatic, statutory, and operational requirements, determine the appropriateness/relevance of project designs and results, and develop necessary operations and program frameworks, budgets, and resource plans to ensure MCA-Malawi II’s ability to appropriately deliver the Compact’s results within the defined timeframe and costs.
• Help the COO execute and/or oversee a range of project implementation and support activities as defined by the project plan ensuring that these are delivered on a timely basis to support broader project initiatives and objectives, and ensure consistency of quality;
• Formulate implementation plans, including the preparation of budgets, disbursement request packages, work plans, procurement plans, and monitoring and evaluation plans, for the MCA-Malawi II CEO to submit to the Board of Directors and to MCC.
• Consolidate project statistics from multiple sources and review these for accuracy and compliance with established formats to support implementation, monitoring, and analytics;
• Advise Project Leads of issues related to the implementation of the project in order ensure the continuity of project delivery;
• Monitor project budget, procurement activities, and contracts, ensuring that these are consistent with established MCA guidelines and that issues and discrepancies are resolved and reported;
• Monitor project timelines and milestones, anticipate delivery issues, and ensure that staff and external stakeholders are kept informed of project status to support overall Project Management and delivery;
• Maintain project documentation and Operations Manuals ensuring that these are current and reflecting lessons learned to support the improvement of projects/processes.
• Assist various Project Directors in effective program/project management, timely exchange of relevant information, risk identification and management, and compliance with MCC policies and procedures.
• Assist COO in guiding Project Directors and ensuring a collaborative environment is established across MCA-Malawi II, to facilitate cooperation, sharing of information, quick resolution of technical disputes, and shared accountability for the success of the Compact.
• Provide feedback and input to the CEO and COO to facilitate communication with the relevant government and other agencies to ensure dissemination of critical information, commitments of resources, and the timely completion of tasks related to implementation of the Compact program.

Required Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree required or equivalent in economics, Project Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Public Administration or other relevant field
• Professional certification in Project Management or Engineering is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and work well under pressure
• Minimum of six (6) or more years’ experience managing large-scale, cross-cutting international programs
• Familiarity with Public Financial Management and/or Donor Project Management Systems (with bilateral or multilateral technical and financial Partners) is a plus.
• Experience implementing programs and projects involving development-partner assistance and knowledge of international competitive bidding rules.
• Experience leading large, multi-cultural and multi-dimensional teams and Public Relations Management
• Computer skills with Project Management tools, Management Information Systems, Geographic Information Systems and or word processing, spreadsheets, the Internet.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

How to apply

To access positions’ profile requirements and submit applications, please visit https://malawi-jobs.tenderwell.app/. Applications should be accompanied by the following documents:

1. Curriculum vitae containing detailed work experience;
2. Cover letter confirming interest and availability; 
3. Soft copies of higher education and professional certificates (if available).

If you meet challenges in applying online, please contact 098 923 5904 for assistance. The closing date for receiving applications is 2 October 2023. Please note that only applications received through the online (Tenderwell) portal will be considered. Any applications received through other channels will not be considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.