Deputy Project Director, MOST – Malian Nationals Only (Based in Bamako, Mali)

Position description

Sustainable Markets (SM) – The Sustainable Markets Pillar, one of three Pact Pillars which also includes Health and Governance Pillars, covers four of Pact’s impact areas (Energy, Environment, Extractives and Livelihoods). This Pillar has a range of world-leading initiatives for responsible mineral sourcing, improved energy access, green finance, livelihoods and natural resource management.

Position Overview

The Deputy Project Director of the Moyens de Subsistance Transformés (MOST) project supports Pact’s Senior Technical Manager, who is serving as the MOST Project Director, in managing and directing the project. MOST is a two-year cross-border artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) livelihoods and stabilization project which is a part of GIZ’s larger Borderlands project in Mali, Guinea and Senegal funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

In this capacity, she/he will notably lead and manage the implementation of Pact’s project’s activities in Mali, which will eventually include the supervision of part-time Pact staff in Bamako, as well as the management of a local implementing partner. Moreover, she/he will, together with Pact’s Project Director, support local partners in Guinea and Senegal in implementing project activities through technical coaching and monitoring of their activities, mostly from Bamako as well as through several in-country visits. This role will include the organization and co-facilitation of multiple trainings and social dialogue workshops in Bamako and in ASGM areas in South-Western Mali. It will include technical leadership and research on topics such as ASGM governance and formalization, livelihood strenthening, and responsible mining practices including mercury-free gold mining and occupational health and safety. Contingent on the fluid security dynamics in targets areas, which will be closely monitored, this role will also include field trips to such areas to engage stakeholders, collect data, and deliver trainings, follow-up coaching, and other technical interventions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of MOST project activities in Mali and provide technical support project activities in Guinea and Senegal

• Monitor, on a weekly basis, the institutional, political, commercial and security context of Mali’s gold mining sector and pro-actively prepare regular reports and notes for the Project Director.
• With support from the Project Director, lead and manage the implementation of all of Pact’s MOST project activities in Mali, including by managing any part-time staff hired by Pact in Mali, and by guiding and supporting Fédération des Femmes Minières du Mali (FEMIMA), Pact’s anticipated local partner in Mali.
• Develop and maintain good relationships with all project stakeholders in Mali, including Government counterparts, civil society organizations, partner gold mining communities, and other project partners through weekly meetings or calls.
• In close coordination with the Project Director and with the support of an (eventual) part-time Mali finance manager, monitor and manage the project budget and exenses for Mali.
• Lead the collection and reporting of M&E data for the MOST project, and contribute to the project’s annual progress reports.
• Support the Project Director in guiding and supporting local implementing partners in Guinea and Senegal, including through the organization of (bi-)weekly meetings, provision of technical guidance, and annual country visits to co-facilitate technical workshops and field activities.

• Security and compliance

• In close coordination with Pact’s Project Director and Senior Director of Global Security, regularly monitor and report on security dynamics in the project’s target areas including Bamako, Cercle de Keniéba, Cercle de Kangaba, and Cercle de Yanfolila.
• Ensure Pact’s compliance with all national laws and regulations and proactively flag and address any situations risking non-compliance. This includes, among other things, leading Pact’s annual Application for renewing its registration as an INGO with ministere de l’Administration Terroritoriale et de Décentralisation.
• With close support from Pact’s Project Director, proactively learn about all of Pact’s protocols and policies as well as the GIZ rules and regulations that govern the MOST project, and ensure that all project activities in Mali, including those executed by other Mali-based Pact staff, are in compliance with these.
• Where needed, improve the IT skills required to correctly use Pact’s digital systems (Concur, Unanet, Mosaic, etc.) and proactively request support when needed.
• Employee complies with all company policies and procedures, including completing all compliance training topics by the deadline to satisfy each and receiving the corresponding acknowledgment statement that the training has been completed.

• Support internal and external communications

• Participate in periodic internal Pact meetings including All Staff calls and Sustainable Markets ‘deep dives’, to share project progress and lessons learned.
• Review the project’s external communication materials and contribute substantially to the development of such materials.
• Support Pact’s Project Director in engaging international partners (e.g. GIZ and German, American and European diplomatic missions in Mali) to explore new partnerships, and represent Pact in international meetings and fora.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, including 3 years of management experience.
• At least 5 years of work experience with stakeholders in Mali’s ASGM sector, including with ASGM communities, the government and international partners.
• Prior relationships with the Ministry of Mines, as well as with ASGM stakeholders in Cercle de Kenieba, Cercle de Kangaba, and Cercle de Yanfolila.
• Fluency in French, oral and written, and fluency in at least one language spoken in Mali.
• Malian citizen.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a ‘teamplayer’ mentality, and a passion for engaging rural communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong knowledge and proven technical experience regarding ASGM, including on issues of organization and formalization of the sector, gold trading, mineral processing, mercury use, and occupational health and safety.
• Knowledge of international standards governing the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector, such as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Application instructions

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