Circular Economy Programme Manager Location: Accra, Ghana Footprints Africa is seeking a far-sighted, collaborative Programme Manager to drive the development and implementation of activities, research and programmes. This role is an exciting opportunity to contribute to system change, working with multiple actors to understand their needs and support collaborative approaches to addressing them.
About Footprints Africa
Starting in Ghana, Footprints is piloting a new approach to advance the inclusive development of African economies, focussing on the role the private sector can play to uplift the environment and community.
Footprints supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices and create jobs, using supply chains as a tool for development. The private sector, particularly SMEs, is at the centre of environmental and social challenges, both as a cause but, more importantly, as a potential solution. Focussing on 2 sectors, Catering and Industrial Waste Management, we are championing business as a force for good and supporting business models that exemplify this.
We have 3 goals in our 5yr strategy to trial an approach to system change. All activities will be used to educate and raise awareness of sustainable development.
1.Business level: supporting role-model companies to adopt business practices that create solutions to environmental/ social challenges
2.System level: designing a roadmap for inclusive, regenerative development of the 2 sectors
3.Operational level: developing a sustainable financial model to deliver our objectives so that they can be scaled and replicated across the continent.
About this role
Through our focus on the private sector, we understand that companies respond to the incentives in the system around them. A transition towards a Circular Economy requires deep collaboration, seeking out opportunities to maximise value for all participants. This is a pivotal role to facilitate this collaboration. You will drive the development and implementation of all our activities and programmes, both internal and external, ensuring all aspects reinforce Footprints’ strategy and overall vision.
·Design and manage existing and new research programmes, building the processes required to keep them on track to completion with clear roles, timelines and resource requirements;
·Embed feedback loops so that lessons are captured constantly and used to adapt activities. Footprints will be a testbed for activities and approaches that we wish to share as best practice across other organisations;
- Manage our “Roadmap to Circularity” project, an ambitious activity intended to identify what a Circular Economy can look like in the Ghanaian context, taking into account the culture and available resources. This is not an academic exercise but should lead to pilots to test the recommendations;
- Identify, sign agreements and manage mutually beneficial partnerships that will accelerate and amplify the intended impact;
·Manage the project teams and link their success to the strategic goals. Build relationships across the projects, ensuring the strong flow of shared information between all parties;
·Determine what is researched and how to drive the impact of our organisation and its programmes. Be able to analyse both qualitative and quantitative data and understand when and how to use either. Communicate information clearly and for greatest impact, providing regular updates on progress;
- Co-ordinate and schedule the programme day-to-day. Plan, chair and facilitate programme meetings and events.
You Are
Self-aware and not afraid to admit mistakes or weakness. You’d rather work together to get to the right answer, than be right. You’re not afraid to stand up for yourself and are able to manage disagreement and focus on the outcome.
Expert at facilitation; able to listen deeply, synthesise different ideas and develop shared knowledge and drive action.
Flexible and able to adapt swiftly (and identify the need to adapt) under changing circumstances or new information. Able to operate in complexity or ambiguity and manage your workload and time accordingly being realistic with your abilities
Proactive and dedicated to delivery; you get great satisfaction from taking a task to completion, whilst keeping the team informed about progress.
Great at managing expectations and communicating openly with good and bad news.
Keen to learn, improve and grow and passionate about contributing to the shaping of a team of change-makers.
Rigorous in prioritising, an independent thinker and problem solver. Able to work effectively with a high degree of self-motivation.
Experience/Skills
·Project/Programme Management with multiple stakeholders, preferably using approaches such as Human-Centred Design or Systems Thinking;
·Experience creating and running research projects and programmes while clearly defining deliverables and measurements to display the required impact. Simultaneously training and supporting others to learn;
·Experience designing research approaches and documentation, e.g. Case studies, impact assessments and evaluations and how best to present data as information that is both useful and drives behaviour and mindset change;
·A passion to make a difference and examples where you have gone against perceived wisdom or the status quo to enable that change;
·Demonstrated understanding of different workings styles of people and examples of supporting radical career development of team members/ key stakeholders;
·Specific experience in at least one of the following:
oCircular Economy/ sustainability/ social enterprise/ waste management;
oUrban planning, green economy, systems thinking.
Our Values
1.Local solutions to local challenges, working with and developing local experts.
2.Get into the trenches and learn by doing, truly listening to those already there.
3.Continuous improvement, of ourselves, our work and those around us, even if that requires difficult conversations.
4.Communicate openly and promptly about concerns or weakness and work together to remove obstacles.
5.Commit to excellence and take responsibility for achieving it, even where your role is small.
6.Bring your own flavour and live your values.
