Project Executive - Asia/Pacific Division

Landell Mills

Trowbridge, United Kingdom

Preamble

Landell Mills Limited (www.landell-mills.com) is a development consultancy from the UK which implements projects on behalf of agencies such as the EU, Asian Development Bank, World Bank and DFID. We operate throughout the world in the areas of:

• Livelihoods, food security and the rural economy;
• Water resources, fisheries and aquaculture;
• Natural resources management;
• Trade, economic growth and private sector development;
• Governance and institutional reform/capacity building.

The Asia/Pacific Division of Landell Mills is key to the achievement of company goals, both financial and technical, and has been a major contributor to profits over the past five years.  In order to support the Division in its expanding work, we are looking to recruit a Project Executive. The Project Executive will be working alongside others in the division to support ongoing projects and win new business, and will report to the Director for the division. 

Landell Mills encourages individuals to work to their potential and ultimately levels of responsibility will be determined by your ability to handle them.

Location

The position is based in Trowbridge in South West England. The UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath is a 20min train ride away, and the much larger city of Bristol is 40mins away. The company may move to Bath in the summer, depending on office availability.

The position will require travel overseas, including to Afghanistan.

Duties

1. To take responsibility for a number of currently contracted projects in the Asia/Pacific region, ensuring that:

• Clients and government beneficiaries are kept informed of significant developments and are satisfied with progress.
• International and local staff are providing high quality technical inputs to the client, with work plans followed and resources available for outputs to be achieved;
• All project documentation is complete and to a high standard. This includes project technical reports.
• Project budgets are updated, and the project financial system is working as intended. This will include liaising with the finance division to ensure project accounts are to a high standard, invoices are submitted on time…etc.
• Any contract extension opportunities are actively pursued.
• Consultant contract terms are negotiated with the best possible outcome for the company.
• With the assistance of a project administrator, consultants are supported as required in terms of flights, contracts…etc.

The main project which the executive will support, under the direction of the Divisional Director, is the EU Support to Capacitate the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock in Transition for Sustainable Public Services Delivery Project, a 3 year project, lasting from January 2014 to December 2016. The project is based in Kabul, Afghanistan. For further details see www.landell-mills.com/experience. Services provided by the Landell Mills team of experts will include support to the Ministry in the areas of finance, administration (including HR) and management, public financial management, seed certification, agricultural statistics and market information, and food (in)security surveillance. While the Project Executive will support the project in a backstopping role, there will also be possibilities for the Project Executive to provide short-term technical inputs on the project in a junior or senior capacity, depending on the Project Executive’s CV and interest.

Support may also be required to the EU-funded Panj-Amu River Basin Programme which covers the areas of river basin management, irrigation rehabilitation, social water management, and upper catchment conservation.

2. To take responsibility for additional projects, time and resources permitting, which may be won (see 3). The focus will be on the Asia/Pacific Division but there may be opportunities for cross-divisional work (with the Asia, Caribbean and Latin America Division, and the European Neighbourhood and Middle East Division).

3. To contribute to the research, identification, and procurement of consultancy projects in the region (and possibly with other divisions), in Landell Mills’ core areas. This will include:

• The identification of opportunities.
• Once opportunities are identified, assess the requirements of the donor/client seeking assistance and the objectives of the assignment, in order to put the company in the best position for winning any eventual tender;
• The preparation of qualification documents (expressions of interest...);
• The preparation of tender dossiers, including technical methodology, staffing, work programmes etc. In preparing the methodology the executive will need to undertake research on the subject in question, identify the problems which the project will address, formulate solutions, and then prepare a plan of action for implementing such solutions.
• Negotiating rates with consultants before they are included on bids.
• Preparing the financial proposal ensuring that the expected margin is in line with Landell Mills’ expectations.
• Establishing networks of contacts in the region.

4. To liaise with other divisions in the company so as to exchange information, leads, approaches, technology etc and to ensure that the company develops a coherent image in the market place and a consistent approach to clients. A pro-active stance will be taken in helping the company to identify shortcomings in its strategy, policies, procurement, marketing, IT facilities, organisational structure and methods and proposing improvements to these.

This description is a brief synopsis of the role and is not designed to be restrictive. This description can be updated and/or expanded if considered appropriate.

Qualifications:

The post is open to those with limited experience as well as considerable experience. The remuneration package and final responsibilities (and mentorship needed) will then be adapted based on the chosen candidate’s CV. The required criteria for the position are as follows:

• University graduated with a relevant degree in a a technical area covered by Landell Mills (see above), or in economics, accounting/financial management, business administration, or similar.
• Either (a) a recent graduate with at least some work experience in the above mentioned fields,  or (b) if with significant work experience then such work experience should:
  • Be in the areas of project management (preferably in the donor/development sector), financial management and/or business development, preferably with the EU, ADB, DFID and/or World Bank;
  • Preferably include experience of working with a private company which bids for and manages related projects to that which Landell Mills undertakes;
  • Preferably include some technical work  in the sectors in which Landell Mills operates (see above).
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills;
• An aptitude for numbers. Some prior experience with budgeting and finance/accounting is preferred;
• Ability to negotiate with consultants and the Client (to obtain good rates, changes in Terms of Reference, extension of budgets) and to work and liaise with them and senior project staff;
• Competent in word, excel, MS outlook and powerpoint;
• Honest, on time, and trustworthy;
• Adaptable to environments in developing countries. Not a ‘pri-madonna’;
• Fluency in English (oral and written)
• Excellent communication and diplomatic skills with the ability to actively engage with staff at all levels
• Be comfortable in working in a busy and sometimes stressful environment;
• Ability to handle multiple projects within time/budget restraints.

Preference will be given to EU citizens as per UK employment regulations.

The Salary Package

We offer:

• A challenging job in an international environment and within a company with highly-developed expertise and experience;
• A salary commensurate with the experience of the chosen candidate;
• Emergency travel and medical insurance;
• Opportunity to join the company pension scheme;
• Full-time position;
• 23 days holiday per year;
• Other benefits as per the Landell Mills’ Working Practises Guide/Employee Handbook in practise at the time (in terms of days in lieu…etc).

To Apply

Please send your updated CV and a short covering e-mail to the following address: jobsasia@landell-mills.comspecifying in the subject of the mail: Vacancy Project Executive - Asia/Pacific.

Deadline for applications: Friday 28^th February 2014