The Government of Montserrat is inviting applications from suitably qualified persons for the post of Assistant Project Manager, within the Ministry of Communications, Works, Labour & Energy.
BACKGROUND
Government of Montserrat (GoM) spends a considerable amount of its total annual recurrent budget on electricity. Like many overseas countries and territories (OCTs), Montserrat is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for electricity generation, and this exposes the country to the volatility of fuel prices and shipment delays. Montserrat’s 2020 Energy Intensity measured at 4,650.5BTU per US dollar, which is the highest in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) grouping. With the cost of fuel forecasted to increase, energy conservation becomes one of the most effective means to reduce energy cost and is a key path to developing a sustainable energy future.
In 2020, GoM occupied buildings accounted for 12.6% of the island’s electricity sales, with an average electricity cost of US$0.38/kWh, which is among the highest in the region. This places a significant strain on the government’s recurrent expenditure, which is already heavily subsidized by Donor Aid. Additionally, in 2020, domestic consumers accounted for 48% of the electricity consumed in Montserrat. Studies have shown that lighting accounts for 20%-35% of the energy consumed and electricity bill for the average household. Hence, domestic lighting accounts for 9.6%-16.8% of the annual electricity consumption on Montserrat.
With funding from the European Union (EU) via the ReSEMBid programme, the following two projects have been designed to address the crippling impact the high cost of electricity is having on the government and citizens of Montserrat:
- Energy Efficient Lighting and Environmentally Friendly Lighting Disposal on Montserrat – To implement a light bulb exchanges programme that result in a reduce energy consumption within the residential sector which creating an environmentally friendly way to dispose of light bulbs.
- Post-COVID Cost Reduction Through Energy Efficiency- The main objective of this project is to reduce energy consumption in the public sector buildings by implementing efficient efficiency retrofit and providing training building occupants.
The Ministry of Communication, Works, Labour and Energy is seeking to employ an Assistant Project Manager for a period of 9 months as part of the implementation team for these two projects.
PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT
The Ministry of Communication, Works, Labour and Energy is recruiting for a Temporary, Full Time (9 months) Assistant Project Manager in the Department of Energy. The Assistant Project Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day coordination and administration of two ReSEMbid projects currently being implemented by the Energy Department. This position will also assist the Director of Energy and Energy Officers with the execution of activities to implement these two projects. The primary duty of this position is to ensure the timely, efficient, and effective completion of tasks, activities and reports associated with the ReSEMBid projects. This is a task-orientated and results-driven position
The Assistant Project Manager with assist the management of the two aforementioned projects to meet quality, budget and time objectives. Delivers high quality outputs in compliance with agreed time and budget constraints and to the satisfaction all stakeholders. Assist and support the Director of Energy and Energy Officers within the Energy Department in the planning and implementation of the two ReSEMBid projects. In addition, this position will play a key role in the ongoing coordination, communication, and decision making with a wide-range of collaborators, including: consultants, contractors, maintenance staff, programming teams, other departments, user groups, committees, the public, and more. As such, the successful candidate will be a clear and effective communicator with a proven history as an action-orientated/goal-orientated team member.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Project Implementation
- Assist the energy department staff with the day-to-day project management and coordination of ReSEMBid projects.
- Maintain the day-to-day project coordination and communication on assigned projects.
- Work closely with the Procurement Department and Director of Energy to prepare, evaluate, award, and administer RFPQs, RFPs, RFTs, RFQs, and other Procurement documents required to retain professional services for projects.
- Assist with Public Engagement
- Take a lead role in coordinating and facilitating design & planning discussions with a wide range of collaborators, including: consultants, contractors, other departments and ministries, user groups, committees, the public, and more. Prior experience successfully working with these groups is an asset.
- Responsible for documentation of key takeaways/action items from project team meetings. Where required, prepare meeting minutes and follow-up on action items prior to next meeting.
- Maintain the day-to-day project coordination and communication on assigned c projects (i.e. logs and checklists of key information for projects, including: change-order logs, start-up & close-out checklists, etc.).
- Assist with the oversight and monitoring of implementation activities from start-to-finish, according to the established schedule, specifications, and budget. This includes reviewing all contract documents to establish a detailed understanding of the project scopes.
- Review and file monthly progress payments and invoices and advise the Director of Energy of any issues or discrepancies before payment is made. Submit/coordinate payment of invoices with the finance section with the Ministry, including follow-up on outstanding payments.
- Assist the Project Management team to resolve any project related concerns from the public, staff, or programming teams.
Administration
- Perform general administrative functions related to the projects for the department, including: review and distribution of documentation, set-up meetings, prepare meeting minutes, follow-up on key takeaways/action items, maintain project files, etc.
- Maintain comprehensive, organized, and accurate project files.
- Assist with other department specific initiatives, under the direction of the Director of Energy and Energy Officers of the department of energy.
EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Energy, Management Economics/Finance or related disciplines, with specific academic or professional background related to the successful design and implementation of policies, programmes and projects in the areas of energy transition planning, renewable energy, energy efficiency or a related field.
- A minimum of three years project experience
- Certification in project management would be an asset
- Able to demonstrate the ability to undertake the above responsibilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills – articulate and diplomatic manner
- Excellent presentation skills
- Resilient to coping with conflicting demands, able to prioritise duties and work under pressure
- Able to demonstrate initiative and a proactive approach to daily tasks
- Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work independently as well as part of an effective team
- Excellent organisational skills
- Self-motivated and able to take responsibility