MMOL is a recently established operation based in Malawi to grow fresh fruit (mangoes, banana & pineapple) and process it for the beverage industry.   It has an initial farm, a 2nd under development (irrigation installation and planting) and a far larger 3rd one in the process of being acquired.

As part of our continued development MMOL want a Project Manager (PM) to write key project plans to ensure the smooth set up and running of our farming and processing operations + plans for key operations / departments.

As part of our development we require a PM to

• help write plans (7) for the development of our farms, production and harvesting of 2 main fruits (normal and / or organic) on those farms, the production and harvesting of one of these fruits by > 4,000 small holders and finally our own production process + 3 plans for operational areas or departments (see Projects & Operational Areas below)
• train and coach a Project Administrator

Projects & Operational Areas :

We have identified 6 projects and 3 operational areas for which we need plans to be written (this could change). 

The 6 identified projects are :n conjunction with our

ü  development of farm #3   supplier of irrigation equipment

ü  mango production, harvesting and forecasting

ü  banana production, harvesting and forecasting

ü  organic banana production, harvesting and forecasting

ü  smallholder production,  harvesting and forecasting

ü  processing production and forecasting

Plans are required for 3 operational areas :

ü  procurement

ü  recruitment

ü  Finance and Admin department

Deliverables :

Written plans which are discussed with and approved by our joint MDs covering :

• identify end targets and deadlines for each and every project
• capture all the activities (and sub-activities) in order to deliver and met these targets
• capture the timeframes and be able to challenge these (e.g. by asking for historical performance information at other farms, etc..)
• capture targets and break them down into monthly and weekly deliverables (measurable targets & timelines)
• identify critical paths and closely associated activities that could become a Critical Path Plan to be monitored and reported
• identify the people and resources (human, technical, financial, etc) required to deliver these targets
• utilise Windows Project Management (or an approved alternative project) software set-up in such a way that team members can be shown / printed tasks to focus on each week and track performance by a Project Administrator
• Possibility to utilise Microsoft outlook to notify people of activities to deliver

Finally we want the existing Project Administrator to be trained and coached in the software, the approach, the tools and techniques required to run projects, capturing actions, following-up, monitoring progress and report them to the appropriate managers and / or members of the senior management team (SMT) which includes out joint MDs..

Responsibility :

Reporting to one of MMOLs joint-MDs.

Working with existing managers and our joint MDs to ensure plans are aligned with our budgets and 5 year plan.

We are seeking someone with the following skills :

• Fully certified in Project management
• enthusiasm, dedication, humour and professionalism
• self-motivated and ability to working alone
• teamwork as part of a larger team and with existing management & staff
• training and coaching other employees
• experience of writing project plans, setting of targets and timelines to reach these targets, monitoring work against the plan and reporting
• working in developing countries (ideally Africa)
• communications (written and verbal)
• computer and email skills
• English language but also experience of communicating & working with people who may have little or no English
• some knowledge of agricultural and / or fruit processing would be preferred 

Duration of Assignment :

2 to 4 months / 8 to 16 weeks

Location :

Malawi  -  MMOL’s offices in Salima and on nearby land

Terms :

Hours : min to be working hours during the week although as a senior temporary employee you might be expected to work longer hours

Accommodation : will be provided in Malawi by MMOL

Remuneration : to be discussed

Transport :  we would provide local transport in Malawi + plane ticket to / from the Project Managers home country

Medical :  Must have suitable health insurance cover

Holiday :  no holiday is offer during the period of this assignment, but local holidays can be taken

Does this profile fit you?  Please sing up via the link “I’m interested”.