Career Opportunity for Project Performance Improvement Advisor

About the Company

As a global leader, CARE is shaping the future of the humanitarian and development sector. Each year, we deliver support and services to millions of people globally. We do this by focusing on our mission and vision, and the values of equality and excellence that guide our organization. We seek dedicated individuals who align with our mission and are passionate about making it a reality by collaborating with others, embracing learning and innovation, and delivering results.

What We Are Looking For

At CARE, we value diversely talented people who can bring different experiences and perspectives to our organization. We know that not all applicants will have every skill and qualification. We encourage everyone who meets the minimum required qualifications to apply. Having one or more of the preferred qualifications will strengthen an application. But, even if you are earlier in your career or followed a non-traditional educational or professional path, we hope you will consider a career at CARE.

Job Title

PROJECT PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT ADVISOR

Job Location(s)

Ethiopia - Addis Ababa

Transform How We Deliver Impact. Empower Teams. Drive Excellence.

Are you passionate about strengthening project delivery and driving a culture of continuous improvement across diverse country contexts? Do you thrive on turning data into action and supporting teams to deliver high-quality, risk-informed, and agile programming? If so, we would love to hear from you.

About the Role

The Project Performance Improvement Advisor will champion excellence in project management practices across country offices. This role provides strategic leadership, technical guidance, and hands-on support to ensure strong project planning, execution, monitoring, reporting, and adaptive management.

You will partner closely with country leadership teams, project managers, Regional Business Services Leads, and global cross-functional units to identify performance gaps, prioritize improvements, and embed best practices that strengthen delivery and accountability.

The position will initially report to the Senior Director of Operational Effectiveness (with a dotted line to the Director, Project Performance Management for 4–6 months), before transitioning to solid line management under the Director, Project Performance Management.

What You Will Do

Performance Assessment & Analysis

• Conduct structured assessments of project management processes and tools in prioritized country offices.
• Analyze KPI data and performance metrics in collaboration with regional and global teams to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Support country offices to prioritize and implement targeted performance improvement actions.

Capacity Building & Technical Support

• Design and deliver engaging training on project management standards, tools, and best practices.
• Provide one-on-one coaching and mentoring to project managers and country teams.
• Strengthen management capacity in work planning, budgeting, risk management, and adaptive implementation.

Process Improvement & Standardization

• Lead the rollout of standardized project management frameworks and guidelines across country offices.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing forums and best practice exchange across regions.
• Promote the effective use of tools such as RACI matrices, Budget vs. Actual (BvA) reviews, and data quality assessments.

Strategic Advisory & Change Leadership

• Advise country leadership on strategies to enhance project delivery, accountability, and operational effectiveness.
• Support change management initiatives that embed a culture of performance improvement.
• Monitor implementation of improvement plans and help country offices navigate obstacles—brokering additional support where needed.
• Collaborate with IT and operations teams to strengthen project management systems and ensure compliance with organizational MIS standards.
• Contribute to global policy development and organizational learning in project management excellence.

What We Are Looking For

• Proven experience in project or program management within complex, multi-country environments.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret KPIs and translate data into practical improvements.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building, coaching, and facilitating organizational change.
• Deep understanding of risk-informed programming and adaptive management approaches.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• A collaborative mindset with a passion for strengthening systems and empowering teams.

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Development, or related field.
• Minimum 10-12 years of experience in project management and performance improvement, ideally within an international NGO or multiple complex operating contexts.
• Proven track record in capacity building, process optimization, and change management.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, cross-cultural, and interpersonal skills.
• Flexible mindset with strong analytical skills and ability to interpret complex data for decision-making.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 30% of the time.
• Fluency in English required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification in project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, PMD Pro) preferred.
• Additional competency in either French, Spanish, or Arabic desired.

Work Location

• Ethiopia - Addis Ababa

Other Possible Location

• Kenya - Nairobi

Expected Travel

• Up to 30%

Type of Contract

Full-Time

Language Requirement

English

Application Deadline

Employee Duration: Full-Time

* Starting salaries are based on various factors, including candidate experience, education, knowledge, skills, and the cost of labor where the job is based. Salaries listed only apply to jobs based in the US