Company Profile

Company Description:

Project Manager (based in Ethiopia)

Deliver great technology that matters.

Simprints’ biometric identification solution enables governments and development organisations to deliver essential services transparently and effectively. Our goal is to radically disrupt the ways we currently track and deliver progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, instead building a world where every person counts in the fight against poverty. Since August 2016, we have launched projects in Bangladesh, Nepal, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Malawi, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe that collectively have reached over 150,000 beneficiaries. This is just the beginning. We are rapidly extending our reach, implementing projects across sectors and geographies.

Overview

We are looking for a full-time Project Manager who is passionate about digital solutions, working in resource-poor contexts, and is enthusiastic about working with our partners in Ethiopia. You are forward-thinking, deeply collaborative, a quick learner, and thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment. From one day to the next, you might be training health extension workers, conducting community sensitisation meetings with village leaders and government officials, or collecting feedback and qualitative data from beneficiaries. This is a great opportunity for someone with the right skill set and ambition to take on significant responsibility from day one. The post will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Project Manager is a key hire for our expanding initiatives in Ethiopia. You will report directly to the Ethiopia Country Director, with strong support and alignment with our global Project Operations team in the UK. Your responsibilities will be to successfully manage our projects in Ethiopia and build the capacity of our local partners.

What are your responsibilities?

With the support and under the supervision of the Country Director and Cambridge-base Project Operations team, you will provide overall management for a key national government-driven project in Ethiopia while also providing support to other projects as well. Specifically, you will be expected to:

• Oversee our projects in Ethiopia from start to finish, including preparation of pre-deployment materials, logistics coordination, and on-the-ground training and support.

• Manage and prepare outputs and deliverables of several ongoing projects, such as scopes of work and client impact reports.

• Monitor project budgeting, expenditure tracking, and regular re-forecasting as needed. 

• Closely monitor project statuses; investigate any significant issues reported by clients; communicate updates and issues to the UK-based project operations team;  and provide appropriate, effective, and timely action.

• Build and manage strong relationships with our partners through regular feedback calls with federal and local government offices, international organizations, and other iNGOs working in the area.

• Provide direct field support before, during, and after trainings, refresher trainings, and deployments.

• Actively support our Research, Sales, and Partnerships teams on projects-related assignments, providing material for grants, sales, and marketing initiatives.

• Provide leadership and strategic insights from the field on scaling our operations in Ethiopia and worldwide.

What skills do you need?

Technical Skills:

• Experience deploying international projects (3+ years), ideally with an understanding of deploying technology in frontline contexts. You should be excited about traveling to developing countries and various parts of Ethiopia on deployments and working closely with our partners on a range of projects.

• Excellent training skills. We work across multiple sectors and train a wide variety of people with varying skill levels and language capacities. You need to be able to tailor trainings for different settings, audiences, and use cases, and explain how Simprints adds value in different projects. You should also be able to actively listen and convey expectations, plans, and outcomes effectively.

• Attention to detail. You understand there are countless challenges in international development, and deep attention to detail matters to make projects work.

• Language skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Amharic, with the ability to craft precise and compelling stories in both presentation and written formats. Proficiency in additional Ethiopian languages a plus. 

• High prioritisation and organisational skills. You understand time is our most valuable resource and can manage it strategically to achieve maximum impact for our beneficiaries.

• Strong analytical, problem solving skills. Experience deploying technology products or using mobile data collection platforms would be advantageous. 

Human Skills: 

• Empathy. You understand the needs of our partners and beneficiaries and care deeply about real impact on real people.

• Strategic thinking. You proactively anticipate challenges and offer creative ways to address them.

• Communication. You are able to communicate effectively across many levels, and build strong interpersonal relationships with project managers, engineers, and external stakeholders.

• Learning. You love learning new things and can pick up new tools quickly.

• Grit. You have a hands-on, can-do attitude and have the drive to dig deep into problems to discover pain points and solutions, and the resilience to stay focused on a project to its end.

• Passion. If building technology that works in the fight against global poverty sounds exciting, we want to meet you. 

Why Simprints? 

Life is short. We believe work should be awesome, meaningful, and fun. At Simprints we’re taking on global development’s biggest challenges, powered by an amazing culture and incredible people. Work with us, and you will grow faster, learn more, and take on greater responsibilities than nearly any other job.

• Work that matters. No matter what role you take, from writing code to running field tests, you’re playing a crucial part in improving the lives of the most vulnerable people in the world.

• Massive, interesting challenges. We’re taking on the biometrics industry to build accessible tools for frontline mobile operators. We don’t do “boring.” 

• Learn like it’s your job. Learning objectives, external mentors, and a significant dedicated education budget you can use for any courses, trips, or projects that power your personal and professional development. 

• Hard, flexible work. This is no 9-5 job. We work hard, but have a lot of control about where and when. We care about results. Unlimited paid time off, no fixed hours, and an additional stipend for wellness. 

Please submit your application here: https://boards.greenhouse.io/simprints/jobs/4459866002