Lapis is a leading media, education, research, project management, and strategic communications company operating throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, South and Central Asia. Lapis supports local and global efforts to bring about positive change in frontier markets and challenging environments. From delivering education projects to strategic communications and project design, for nearly two decades, Lapis’ work has framed how individuals, communities, and nations see their world. We employ an unparalleled understanding of complex media and sociopolitical environments. We stay at the forefront of changes in audiences’ media and technology consumption and combine this systems-level knowledge with our on-ground expertise to tailor carefully analyzed and creatively engaging products. Our clients include governments, foundations, international organizations, and the private sector.
We seek exceptional candidates for the program manager role who have the passion, intellectual acuity, and business acumen to help grow our organization and deepen our impact. Program managers are resourceful leaders who use high-level strategic thinking and contextual analysis to develop and deliver effective and innovative solutions.
Responsibilities
- Manage and lead media-related initiatives
- Manage the journalists’ capacity-building components,
- Be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of different initiatives, financial management, personnel, and interface with partners and stakeholders,
- Work closely with the Program Director, Lapis Afghanistan Country Director, and the rest of the team to manage program implementation.
- Develop robust, well-designed projects and deliver on their implementation to the highest quality.
- Oversight of program components’ budgets, cash flows, and compliance, providing financial analysis regularly
- Undertake contract management, from the point of contract negotiation and signature to quality assurance during implementation, and working with the rest of the program team to support reporting.
- Ensure the initiatives are compliant with standard project management, HR, Finance, Procurement and operation requirements, and quality standards, including full independent audit compliance.
- Ensure relevant quality assurance processes are completed so that the initiatives are running effectively and on time.
- Monitor risks and issues development within the portfolio sub-set, ensuring the Program Director is aware and fully briefed of issues requiring major strategic decisions.
- Lead on monitoring internal processes and procedures, identifying areas of improvement, and recommending changes.
- Monitor KPIs and other data related to program and financial management, providing analysis to relevant stakeholders based on available information.
- Source and manage strategic partnerships.
- Maintain an intimate working knowledge of potential partner networks from local civil society organizations, education organizations, broadcasters, and production houses.
- Represent Lapis at external meetings and networking events and build the Lapis brand through conferences, speaking engagements, social media, and other outreach activities.
Requirements
- 3-5 years’ experience of project management, with knowledge of institutional compliance requirements
- Extensive knowledge and experience of working with media and journalists.
- Commitment to and passion for positive change
- Strong business acumen, entrepreneurial mindset strategic thinking, and analytical prowess
- Significant financial management, reporting, and oversight Strong team building and management skills
- Strong presentation abilities and excellent written/oral communications
- Comprehensive understanding of the social and media landscape
- Exceptional ability to engage with clients and establish, deepen, and grow relationships with colleagues from different organizations, functions, and cultures, often remotely.
- Ability to manage a complex and varied workload, in order to organize and prioritize multiple tasks efficiently, manage reactive and proactive work, and deliver tasks to tight deadlines.
- Proven analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to identify and implement effective processes for achieving outcomes.
- A high degree of flexibility and adaptability to respond to changing needs and effectively address issue.
- Proven attention for detail and ability to effectively manage a high volume of data and information.
- Bachelor degree is required, preferred in Journalism and Strategic Communications. Master’s degree is a preference.