Project Director

Pact seeks an experienced Project Director to lead the implementation of an anticipated donor-funded Project. The project seeks to address labor abuses, child labor and forced labor within the minerals sector. The project will focus on improving policy frameworks and systems for monitoring and identifying child labor and forced labor and supporting relevant enforcement and remedial actions in mineral supply chains in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This position is contingent upon award.

The Project Director will be responsible for overall technical leadership of the project and for the management and operations of project activities. The Project Director will supervise high-quality project implementation, with a focus on achieving project goals and donor objectives. The Project Director will coordinate activities across all relevant stakeholders, including the donor, host country counterparts, other institutional donors funding other initiatives within the sector, local and regional civil society organizations, key stakeholders, and implementing partners. They will ensure an adaptive, evidence-based, and collaborative approach to project management, including through the use of tools and approaches such as context and sector assessments, project learning reviews, and co-creation with critical stakeholders. Ultimately, the Project Direct will be responsible for ensuring that project milestones are met or exceeded on time and within budget.

The Project Director position will be based in Kinshasa with frequent travel to Kolwezi and Lubumbashi.

Specific duties to be carried out by the successful candidate will include:

• Manage and coordinate the implementation of activities, including with any implementing partners and other key stakeholders.
• Lead project planning (i.e., development of work plans and project budget), monitoring and reporting (i.e., review and approve periodic budgets and technical and financial reports) in accordance with Pact and donor requirements.
• Oversee the project budget and work in close coordination with project and Pact Global Finance leadership to meet expected results, ensuring cost-effective use of resources. Ensure the project makes accurate projections and meets programmatic and financial targets.
• Provide overall technical leadership for project activities related to addressing child and forced labor risks and abuses within the mineral sectors. This will include directly leading all policy advocacy and reform interventions aimed at strengthening laws and policies aimed at addressing child and forced labor.
• Develop and manage a set of mechanisms for ensuring the adaptive management of project activities, including regular tracking of performance and context indicators, conducting project learning reviews, and consulting and seeking feedback from project stakeholders
• Establish reporting and tracking systems to collect and provide key information in an efficient and timely manner.
• Establish and manage mechanisms for closely overseeing the activities and deliverables of local partners and contractors funded under the project. As appropriate, develop approaches for including key project partner(s) within the management of project activities.
• Manage the project’s relationship with host government agencies and all other key external stakeholders.
• Liaise closely with Pact’s Global teams to ensure that all project activities are compliant with donor requirements, as well as consistent with Pact’s policies, procedures and best practices.
• Represent the project at conferences, working groups, and meetings to support donor and Pact’s thought leadership on the topic of combatting child and forced labor.

• Master’s degree and 11+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, including 6 years of experience managing complex donor-funded projects.
• Minimum of six years of experience in project management, supervision, administration, and implementation of cooperative agreements and/or contract requirements (including meeting deadlines, achieving targets, establishing and maintaining systems for managing project operations, and overseeing the preparation and submission of required reports to donor agencies).
• Detailed understanding of critical minerals sector in the DRC, including proven success addressing issues of child labor, forced labor, workplace explotation, and promoting acceptable work conditions within the minerals sector.
• Understanding of the policy-making environment and prevention, enforcement, and remediation systems as it relates to child and forced labor in the DRC. This should include familiarity with key government and non-government institutions responsible for policy and enforcement-related responses to child labor in the DRC.
• Proven experience with multi stakeholder engagement, including coalition building and the advancement of public-private partnerships.
• Proven experience overseeing or directly implementing capacity development interventions targeting diverse supply chains within the minerals sector.
• Fluency in English, French, and Swahili are required.