Job Description

Specialist, Project Management - Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)

About MCA

The Government of Belize (GoB) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a US$125 grant agreement on September 4, 2024. MCC is a U.S. government agency focused on assisting countries and is dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. The goal of the Compact is to reduce poverty through economic growth in Belize by implementing an Education project and an Energy Project. The Compact is expected to enter into force in July 2025 and be implemented over five years. The Parliament of Belize established an independent executing agency called the Millennium Challenge Account – Belize (MCA-B) to undertake the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the Government of Belize under the Compact. The MCA-B is located in Belize City. Belize Compact

The five-year grant agreement known as a “compact” will include two separate projects:

1. The $73.8 million Education Project aims to equitably increase the number of post-primary graduates with the competencies relevant to labor market demands.
2. The $21.1 million Energy Project will address the root causes of the high costs of wholesale electricity.

Position Objective

The Project Management Specialist, Education Project, under the guidance of the Managing Director, Education Project is responsible for the daily execution, monitoring, and supervision of a range of activities supporting the Education Project, ensuring consistency with established work plans and implementation guidelines.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $4,803 – $7,109 BZD/month. Qualified candidates will be offered the minimum of each pay band, with opportunities to advance within the pay bands based on performance. In exceptional cases, a candidate may be placed above the minimum based on prior experience and salary history, in compliance with MCA HR Policy. MCA-B also provides comprehensive benefits.

Responsibilities

• 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;
• Consolidate project statistics from multiple sources and review these for accuracy and compliance with established formats to support implementation, monitoring, and analytics;
• Advise Managing Director, Education Project 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.

Required Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree
• Project management certification
• Specialized experience in development program management
• At least five (5) years of professional experience in project management and coordination, ideally in the education sector
• Exceptional skills in project management, with demonstrated experience developing work plans, budgeting, managing contracts and consultants 

Preferred Competencies

• Familiarity with implementing gender and socially inclusive programs as well as with meeting environmental, social, and health and safety requirements, especially as related to the education sector, is preferred.

How to apply

To access positions’ profile requirements and submit applications, please visit https://belize-jobs.tenderwell.app/. The following documents should accompany applications:

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 encounter challenges when applying online, please contact: belize@developmentaid.org for assistance.

The closing date for receiving applications is December 11, 2024. Only applications received through the online portal (Tenderwell) will be considered. Any applications received through other channels will not be considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.