Job Description

We are looking for a Project Manager for the ‘Innovative Manufacturing in Africa’ project. 

The project supports ‘makerspaces’ in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. It continues previous work by building their capacity, sharing knowledge and trialling innovative systems to help them generate revenue. It is supported by UK Aid’s RISA Fund and the mAkE Project. This is an wonderful opportunity to work with amazing people across Africa, to help invent new technologies and deliver a satisfying, successful project.

The Internet of Production is a small, international charity that brings together a global alliance dedicated to building a future of decentralized and distributed manufacturing. We seek to enable a sustainable and globally networked system of production, where products are fabricated using local capabilities and global designs; to complement mass production and global supply chains with ‘production by the masses’ and local enterprise. We work on open standards for networking, support experiments in open digital infrastructures and run projects that develop key parts of a future ‘Internet of Production’ – such as the ‘makerspaces’ in Africa.

Role & Responsibilities:

Supported by the CEO and the previous project manager (now full-time on a parallel project) and working with a small team of project staff, the Project Manager will:

• Manage the project, informed by the project design and existing workplans and budgets;
• Mobilise existing relationships with makerspaces in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa;
• Oversee makerspace’s bidding application processes for training and financial support;
• Manage donor processes including milestone reports and sharing deliverables;
• Assist with the appointment and management of freelance consultants and developers;
• Prepare for and attend key event in Cape Town in November 2024;
• Monitor and evaluate project progress, deliverables, outputs and impacts;
• Manage and chair monthly stakeholder meetings and regular donor meetings, all online;
• Complete and submit quarterly reporting, and oversee progress against the budget.

Person Specification:

• Excellent project management skills;
• Experience of donor reporting and relationship management;
• A qualification in project management is desirable but not required;
• Experience of working in non-profit organisations, with government funds or on international aid funding would be very helpful;
• Experience of managing contractors / consultants and their contracts is essential;
• Experience of selecting, awarding and managing small grants is helpful;
• Interest in makerspaces, innovation and distributed manufacturing is helpful;
• Interest and experience of working in African contexts;
• Experience of organising events;
• Commitment to working in a small organisation and in a highly diverse team;
• Exceptional organisational and communications skills;
• Experience with Microsoft 365 and Office tools.

Application Instructions