International Alert is one of the world’s leading peacebuilding organisations, with over 30 years of experience supporting communities, advising governments, organisations and companies on how to build peace. Alert works with people in conflict-affected and threatened areas to make a positive difference for peace; to improve the substance and implementation of international policies relevant to peacebuilding; and to strengthen the peacebuilding sector.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of 10 years of experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects in international development, peacebuilding, governance, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technical teams and deliver high-quality outputs under commercial or performance-based contracting arrangements.
• Strong background in project planning, risk management, coordination, quality assurance, and performance reporting.
• Experience delivering donor-funded initiatives with demonstrated understanding of accountability, value for money, and adaptive project management.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work under pressure within tight deadlines.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; experience drafting progress reports and synthesising complex information for diverse audiences.
• Advanced degree in Project Management, Public Administration, International Development, Conflict Studies, or a related discipline.
• Familiarity with DDR processes, peacebuilding policy environments, or reintegration programming is a strong advantage.

Duration and Level of Effort:

• This consultancy is expected to run up to 3 months, subject to performance and evolving project needs. Extension may be considered based on satisfactory performance and availability of resources.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• The Project Management Specialist will be responsible for the operational oversight and quality management of all deliverables and activities related to the development of the national DDR framework.
• Working under the guidance of the National Team Lead, and in close collaboration with technical experts across multiple thematic areas, the Specialist will provide day-to-day management, facilitate smooth coordination, ensure timely and high-quality deliverables, and serve as a focal point for progress tracking and reporting.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Planning and Delivery Management:

• Lead the development and implementation of a detailed project delivery plan including timelines, milestones, roles, and interdependencies.
• Maintain a comprehensive and dynamic project schedule that guides the work of all team members and stakeholders.
• Monitor delivery progress against agreed milestones and take corrective actions where required to mitigate risks or delays.
• Coordinate planning meetings with experts, update sessions, and output review discussions.

Quality Assurance and Control:

• Review and quality-assure all project deliverables including consultation reports, policy briefs, legal analysis, presentations, frameworks, and technical tools.
• Ensure all outputs meet high professional standards, are technically sound, and are responsive to project objectives and stakeholder expectations.
• Establish a clear and consistent review and feedback loop for technical experts and the core team.
• Prepare a quality assurance matrix and checklist aligned with project indicators and output standards.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Act as the central coordination point between technical experts
• Coordinate inputs for events including agenda development, logistics tracking, participant engagement, and documentation.
• Facilitate the alignment of contributions from thematic leads to ensure coherence and complementarity across workstreams.

Progress Monitoring and Reporting:

• Develop and maintain a central progress tracking tool, capturing deliverables, timelines, risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Produce concise weekly or bi-weekly progress summaries highlighting delivery status, risk flags, pending actions, and recommendations.
• Provide data and inputs into donor or internal reporting processes where required.

Risk and Issue Management:

• Proactively identify risks to timeline, quality, or team cohesion and propose mitigation measures.
• Maintain a project risk log, updated regularly and shared with the Management Team
• Monitor and document changes in scope, assumptions, or stakeholder expectations and adapt plans accordingly.

Expected Deliverables:

• Approved consolidated project work plan and milestone delivery schedule
• Regular project performance updates (weekly or bi-weekly)
• Quality-assured technical deliverables reviewed against scope and standards
• Final synthesis report aligning technical expert contributions and outputs
• Project risk log and final close-out memo with recommendations
• Contribute to updating the results framework

The Project Management Specialist will report directly to the Team Lead and work in close coordination with the following roles:

• Legal and Policy Analysts
• DDR and Peacebuilding Experts
• Research and Knowledge Management Specialists
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisors
• Communications and Reporting Team
• Facilitation and Psychosocial Support Expert