Research Fellow in Project Cycle Management (f/m/d)

Research Fellow in Project Cycle Management (f/m/d)

(full-time or part-time)

The Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law is looking to fill a position:

Position:   Research Fellow in Project Cycle Management (f/m/d)      

Location:  Max Planck Foundation Office in Heidelberg, Germany

Term:          As soon as possible; 1-year fixed term (with the possibility of extension)

Closing date for applications: 07 May 2024

Background

At the core of the Max Planck Foundation’s mission stands the provision of technical legal assistance to our partner countries (see: https://www.mpfpr.de/). Through legal consulting and capacity building activities, the Foundation assists states endeavouring to develop their legal systems and strengthen their institutions. The Foundation also provides legal expertise to the responsible institutions and legal professionals with the aim of enabling them to autonomously carry out necessary changes.

Job Summary

The successful candidate is responsible for implementing the Foundation’s Project Cycle Management (PCM) in close coordination with the Heads of Projects. PCM is the Foundation’s approach to manage its projects in a holistic and objective-oriented manner, by recognizing the full project cycle from the identification of a project idea, the implementation of the Foundation’s project towards the final project report to the donor agency. In doing so, ensuring compliance with internal best practices and latest donor requirements and regulations for project management are essential. Together with Research Fellows and Heads of Projects of the Foundation’s regional teams the successful candidate will shape project ideas, identify a solid logic of intervention and short-, mid-, and long-term project objectives, and seek ways to further enhance the Foundation’s projects’ sustainability and local ownership. To measure the efficiency and effectiveness of projects, the office holder will in close collaboration with the Heads of Projects and teams develop suitable monitoring and evaluation strategies for each project and supervise and support the implementation of these strategies. To this end the successful candidate will also engage with local partners and donors, where needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting project teams with the development of concept notes, project applications, monitoring and evaluation strategies, as well as project reporting;
• Supervising the Project Cycle Management (PCM) of each project;
• Continuous development of the Foundation’s PCM approach and PCM handbook;
• Introducing other research staff to the Foundation’s PCM approach;
• Designing evaluations, including the identification of suitable qualitative and quantitative data as a source of verification of the achievement of objectives, and strategies to gather and analyse these data;
• Training student assistants in using the software evasys and in designing questionnaires;
• Advising other research staff at the Foundation and local partners on the ground on questions of measurement, empirical data collection, analysis, and presentation of results; and
• Miscellaneous tasks in the field

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in social or economic sciences, with a profound knowledge of empirical research;
• Business level fluency in English and German essential;
• Good MS Office Skills, in particular good excel skills, essential;
• Knowledge of the evaluation software evasys advantageous;
• Knowledge of computing advanced statistics in an appropriate freeware advantageous;
• Ability for causal and analytical thinking and to understand complex issues quickly;
• Ability to organising your work priorities independently to comply with internal and external deadlines;
• Proactive and thorough working style;
• Very good communication skills and willingness to engage in an international and intercultural working environment

We Offer

• Remuneration based on the Collective Agreement on Public Service Wages under German Law (Tarifvertrag des Öffentlichen Dienstes – TVöD Bund);
• Public service social benefits, such as regular salary adjustments through tariff increases, 30 annual holidays, annual special payment (Jahressonderzahlung);
• Subsidies for a company pension scheme;
• Allowance for capital-forming benefits;
• Meaningful work in an international working environment;
• Ideal transport connections (5 minutes’ walk from Heidelberg main station and company car park on the doorstep);
• Further training opportunities and employee development through regular development meetings;
• Pleasant working environment in a team that is looking forward to meeting you!

The Max Planck Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and encourages qualified applicants, including those with disabilities, to apply.

If we have sparked your interest and you would like to work in a dedicated team, then send us your application (CV, cover letter, degrees, reference letters). We look forward to your application!

Your contact person is Tae Ohmura.

Please apply through our online application portal stating your earliest possible starting date and desired work volume (subject: “Project Cycle Management”) by 07 May 2024.