A. Project Implementation Leadership
• Review the signed award and approved proposal with the Head of Programmes, Finance, Operations, technical and monitoring colleagues. Turn donor requirements, results, reporting dates and approval conditions into an implementation plan with named owners.
• Maintain the project workplan and Gantt chart, including milestones, dependencies, procurement lead times, reporting dates and closeout tasks. Keep the risk and issue register, action and decision log, and project file current.
• Lead start-up and regular coordination meetings. Review progress against the approved scope, schedule, budget and evidence at least monthly; agree follow-up actions and raise issues that could affect safety, quality, costs, results or delivery dates.
• Plan closeout from at least three months before the approved end date. Coordinate final deliverables, grant and financial checks, assets, handover, reporting and post-project monitoring; record lessons on results, sustainability and continued market relationships.
B. Team Management and Coordination with Relevant Departments
• Lead the day-to-day work of the project team, agree priorities and deadlines, and make sure responsibilities are clear across programme, technical, commercial, grants, Finance, Operations, MEAL and E&S/GEDSI functions.
• Coordinate inputs from the project’s technical and advisory staff, including carpet production, design, shipping and logistics, marketing and fair-trade expertise. Match support to the needs of participating businesses and keep the different inputs aligned.
• Hold regular team check-ins, follow up agreed actions and address workload or delivery issues early. Support staff to share information and solve problems together, while referring personnel matters through the relevant TMT procedures.
• Work with the Head of Programmes and relevant department leads to resolve dependencies, obtain timely decisions and ensure the project is using shared systems and specialist support appropriately.
C. Partner and Stakeholder Coordination
• Coordinate sector scoping and market assessment with carpet businesses, producers, workers, buyers and other value-chain actors. Use the evidence to identify shared constraints and commercial opportunities and to guide project outreach.
• Support businesses to organize around clear shared value-chain objectives. Work with technical and commercial colleagues to ensure each group’s roles, proposed investment, contribution and expected results are realistic and linked to market evidence.
• Work with the Commercial Director and Commercial Manager to connect participating businesses with buyers, market information and relevant exhibitions. Keep production and product-development support grounded in buyer requirements and commercial objectives.
• Coordinate with UNOPS, Label STEP and other relevant partners, following agreed channels for progress updates, issues and decisions. Keep partner commitments and follow-up actions visible to the team.
• Make sure outreach and group planning consider women, young people and returnees, including practical barriers to skills, paid work, income, safe working conditions and participation in commercial decisions.
D. Budget and Resource Management
• Prepare and update forecasts with Finance and Operations, track spending against the approved budget and review budget-versus-actuals, commitments and forecasts at least monthly. Follow up on variances and flag any risk to delivery or value for money.
• Coordinate staffing, procurement, travel and specialist inputs early enough to meet the workplan and account for contracting, sourcing and delivery lead times. Check that resources are being used for the approved purposes and that costs are supported by the required records.
• Work with the Grant and Compliance team to keep the matching-grant timetable, applicant communications and decisions on track. Ensure applicants receive consistent information on the approved eligibility rules, assessment criteria and process.
• Coordinate technical, commercial, financial, integrity and E&S reviews at the appropriate stages and ensure that assessment, due diligence, conflict-of-interest and decision records are complete. The designated reviewers and approvers retain their decision and control responsibilities.
• After award, follow up each group’s implementation plan, co-financing, milestones, risks and reporting. Ensure designated staff verify deliverables and payment conditions before the relevant approvals are processed.
E. Monitoring, Reporting and Learning
• Keep value for money in view across the whole project, including staff, technical support, grants, market activities, monitoring and closeout. Use cost and delivery information to identify practical improvements without compromising quality, safety or fair access.
• Work with MEAL to track the approved Results Framework, indicators, evidence and data quality. Consolidate quarterly narrative reporting; Finance confirms financial figures and technical leads review their sections before internal clearance.
• Use monitoring findings, participant feedback and business performance information to identify problems early and recommend practical adjustments. Seek the required approvals before changing approved scope, targets, dates or budget lines.
F. Risk Management, Environmental and Social Responsibility, GEDSI and Safeguarding
• Coordinate risk and issue follow-up with the relevant owners, including security, market, operational, financial and delivery risks. Escalate urgent concerns promptly rather than waiting for a routine review.
• Work with E&S and GEDSI specialists and technical reviewers so proposed activities are screened, mitigation actions are assigned and required measures are in place before implementation. Specialist and authorised reviewers retain responsibility for technical assessment and clearance.
• Promote safe, fair and accessible participation. Follow TMT and UNOPS safeguarding, PSEA, complaints and data-protection procedures; refer concerns through designated channels and keep sensitive case details out of general project records.
