Project Manager

Job Title: Project Manager

Organisation: Bayimba Cultural Foundation

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About Organisation:

BAYIMBA (Cultural Foundation) was established in June 2006 (followed by formal registration on the 27th of November 2007) following a comprehensive exploration of the state of arts and culture in Uganda and East Africa. The organization sought to bring about change in the status quo of arts and culture in Uganda and East Africa: envisioning a vibrant sector that is creative, professional and viable and contributes to social and economic development, it embarked on a deliberate effort to uplift the standards of arts and culture.

Job Summary: The Project Manager – CREATE Project provides overall operational leadership, coordination, and accountability for Bayimba’s delivery of the Program. The role is the central point of coordination between Bayimba’s internal technical teams, the three Sub-Contractors (NextCom, Wowzi, Steadman), the Fund Manager, ITC as lead partner. The Project Manager ensures that all Program activities are delivered on time, within budget, to quality standards, and in full compliance with the Contract for Services, safeguarding requirements, and donor reporting obligations.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• 1 Program Planning, Delivery, and Coordination
• Lead the day-to-day planning, implementation, and coordination of all Program activities under Bayimba’s Direct Program Activities, in line with the approved Proposal, Budget, and workplan.
• Translate the Program’s three pillars (skills and talent development, entrepreneurial/business development support, and inclusive finance) into detailed, sequenced workplans with clear milestones, timelines, and responsible parties.
• Coordinate delivery of Bayimba-led activities, including the Practical Musician Initiative, Emboozi Teba Nkadde, Game-Changer, the Grassroots Skilling Program for Young Women in Theatre Apprenticeship, and related film, audio, literature, and performing arts initiatives.
• Ensure activities reach and prioritize the intended participant profile – financially disadvantaged young women aged 15–35, including persons with disabilities and refugees – across the three creative entrepreneurial personas (Gig Creators, Invisible Creators, Bootstrapper Creators).
• Proactively identify implementation risks, bottlenecks, or delays and lead timely corrective action and problem-solving.
• 2 Sub-Contractor and Partner Management
• Sub-Contractor oversight : Supervise and hold accountable Bayimba’s Sub-Contractors – NextCom, Wowzi, and Steadman and all other downstream partners– ensuring their activities are delivered per their respective subcontracts, on schedule, on budget, and to the quality and reporting standards required under the Agreement.
• Consortium coordination : Maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with ITC (as lead/coordinating partner), the Fund Manager, ensuring Bayimba’s activities are well integrated with the wider Program.
• Stakeholder engagement : Build and maintain relationships with community-based organizations, local government, financial institutions, industry associations, and other stakeholders relevant to Program delivery.
• Meetings and governance : Represent Bayimba in Program coordination meetings, technical working groups, and (as required) Steering Committee updates, ensuring Bayimba’s progress, risks, and needs are clearly communicated.
• 3 Financial Oversight and Compliance
• Budget management : Monitor expenditure of the Direct Program Funds against the approved Budget, escalating any variance beyond the 10% line-item threshold for Foundation approval, in coordination with Bayimba’s finance function.
• Fund Manager cooperation : Work closely with the Fund Manager on disbursement requests, supporting documentation, financial monitoring, audits, and value-for-money reviews, ensuring Bayimba and its Sub-Contractors remain compliant and audit-ready at all times.
• Financial controls : Ensure Program Funds are used strictly for approved purposes, that Program Bank Accounts are properly segregated and reconciled, and that all supporting records (receipts, invoices, vouchers, subcontracts) are complete, accurate, and retained per contractual requirements (minimum seven years).
• Procurement : Ensure procurement of goods and services for the Program is transparent, competitive, and compliant with Foundation and organizational policies.
• 4 Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Reporting
• MEL oversight : Work with the M&E function to track Program indicators (outreach, youth in work, youth in dignified and fulfilling work, MSME and financial inclusion metrics) against mid-term and end-term targets, including Bayimba’s specific share of Program targets (78,000 outreach; 43,850 youth in work; 31,949 youth in dignified work).
• Reporting : Prepare and submit timely, accurate quarterly fund-utilization and narrative/financial reports, and annual narrative reports, to the Fund Manager and ITC, per the reporting schedule and formats required under the Agreement (quarterly reports due the last day of the month following each quarter-end, beginning with the quarter ending 30 November 2025).
• Data quality : Ensure data collected across all Bayimba and Sub-Contractor activities is accurate, disaggregated as required (gender, disability, location, persona), and submitted on schedule to support Program-level reporting to the Foundation.
• Documentation : Maintain organized records of activities, deliverables, and correspondence sufficient to withstand Foundation or Fund Manager audit at any time.
• 5 Risk, Safeguarding, and Quality Assurance
• Risk management : Maintain and regularly update a Program risk register for Bayimba’s activities, and participate in quarterly risk reviews with the Fund Manager and ITC.
• Safeguarding : Champion child and youth safeguarding, gender-based violence prevention, and the creation of safe, dignified, and inclusive working and training environments for all Program Participants, in line with Bayimba’s and the Foundation’s safeguarding policies.
• Compliance culture : Ensure Bayimba staff, Sub-Contractors, and partners understand and adhere to Foundation policies on ethics, anti-corruption, political non-alignment, data protection, and intellectual property.
• Quality assurance : Conduct regular site visits and spot checks on training, mentorship, and business/financial support activities to ensure quality and participant safety standards are met.
• 6 Team Leadership and People Management
• Lead, supervise, and build the capacity of Bayimba’s Program team (Program Officers/Coordinators, M&E, and field staff), setting clear objectives and providing regular feedback and performance management.
• Foster a collaborative, learning-oriented team culture that reflects the Program’s commitment to gender equity, inclusion, and dignified work.
• Coordinate closely with Bayimba’s finance, communications, and administrative functions to ensure integrated Program support.
• 7 Communications and Visibility
• Support implementation of the Program’s communications strategy, including the “SEE HER BE HER” campaign, to showcase Program Participants’ successes and raise the profile of women in Uganda’s creative economy.
• Ensure appropriate donor visibility and branding requirements are met across all Program activities and materials.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in project management, development studies, arts/creative industries, business administration, or a related field; a postgraduate qualification or PMP/PRINCE2 certification is an added advantage.
• At least 5–7 years’ experience managing donor-funded development programs, ideally involving youth livelihoods, gender-focused programming, skills development, entrepreneurship, or the creative/cultural industries.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-partner consortia or subcontractor relationships, including budget oversight of program funds in excess of USD 1 million.
• Strong track record of donor reporting, particularly with international foundations or development agencies (e.g. USAID, DFID/FCDO, UN agencies).
• Experience working with grassroots communities, rural and semi-rural populations, and vulnerable groups (women, youth, persons with disabilities, refugees) is highly desirable.
• Strong program/project management skills: work planning, budgeting, risk management, and results-based monitoring.
• Excellent coordination and relationship-management skills, with the ability to influence and align multiple partners without direct authority over them.
• Sound financial literacy – able to read and interpret budgets, financial reports, and audit findings, and engage credibly with finance and Fund Manager teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including high-quality report writing for donor and Foundation audiences.
• Commitment to gender equity, safeguarding, and inclusive development practice.
• Proficiency in MS Office, Google drive and program/data management tools; familiarity with M&E systems and indicator tracking.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural and semi-rural districts across Uganda.

Safeguarding Statement

• Bayimba Cultural Foundation is committed to safeguarding the welfare of all Program Participants, particularly children, young women, and other vulnerable groups.
• The Project Manager is expected to model and enforce the highest standards of conduct, uphold safeguarding policies at all times, and ensure zero tolerance of any form of abuse, exploitation, harassment, or corporal punishment across the Program.

How to Apply:

All candidates should send their updated CVs via Email to: [email protected] with the following

Certificates or Transcripts: Proof of your degrees or professional licenses.

CV or Resume: A summary of your work history, skills, and education.

Cover Letter: A short letter that explains why you fit the job.

References: Names and contact details of past bosses or teachers who can vouch for you.

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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Level of Education: bachelor degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60