Community Development Project Manager

Position Identification

Position Title: Community Development Project Manager

Organization: Islamic Relief South Africa
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Reports to: National Community Development Program Manager

Purpose of Position

To lead the identification, design, implementation, and monitoring of community development projects within IRSA's Community Development Programme (CDP), ensuring alignment with IRSA's programmatic strategy and theory of change. The Project Manager will implement project activities across multiple active CDP projects — including Emergency Response and Preparedness, Health Care, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, and Community Based interventions — driving coherence, accountability, and quality across the portfolio.

The Project Manager will also serve as the focal person for IRSA's Impactful Initiatives Incubator, supporting the identification, development, piloting, coordination, and scaling of innovative community-based initiatives that have the potential to generate sustainable and measurable impact.

The role is responsible for the coordination and implementation of community development projects, ensuring quality delivery, compliance with donor and organisational requirements, and effective stakeholder engagement. The Community Development Project Manager works closely with community structures, implementing partners, and government stakeholders to facilitate project activities, monitor progress, manage project resources, and support reporting requirements. This role contributes to project design and improvement through lessons learned and beneficiary feedback, ensuring that interventions remain community-centered and impactful.

Key Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

Project Implementation and Coordination

· Serve as the focal person for the Impactful Initiatives Incubator, coordinating the identification, development, piloting, and implementation of innovative community-based initiatives.

· Facilitate the transition of promising initiatives from ideation and incubation into scalable, sustainable programmes aligned with IRSA’s strategic priorities and community needs.

· Oversee the implementation of all CDP projects within the Region

· Ensure projects are implemented according to approved proposals, timelines, budgets, donor requirements, and KPIs

· Maintain regional implementation plans and tracking tools

· Coordinate project activities with internal departments, partners and stakeholders

· Monitor project progress and ensure timely execution of planned interventions

· Ensure beneficiary selection processes are conducted fairly and in line with approved criteria and safeguarding standards with MEAL

· Support the operationalisation and sustainability of Community Development initiatives within communities

Programme Oversight and KPI Management

· Monitor Regional Programme performance against approved KPIs and operational targets

· Maintain accurate regional project tracking systems and beneficiary databases with MEAL team

· Ensure timely submission of regional reports, statistics, indicators, and implementation updates.

· Track project outputs, outcomes, beneficiary reach, and impact indicators

· Identify implementation gaps, delays, risks, and mitigation measures

· Provide regular progress updates to the National Community Development Program Manager

· Ensure corrective action plans are implemented where programme targets are not being met

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships

· Serve as the Regional focal person for Community Development projects

· Build and maintain relationships with Government Departments, NGOs, community structures, schools, service providers, donors, and strategic partners

· Support coordination meetings, project launches, monitoring visits, and stakeholder engagements

· Facilitate collaboration with local structures to strengthen programme sustainability and community ownership

· Representing Community Development projects in regional engagements where required

Compliance, Governance and Documentation

· Ensure all projects comply with IRSA policies, donor requirements, safeguarding standards, and operational procedures

· Maintain accurate and organised project documentation, beneficiary records, agreements, attendance registers, and monitoring files

· Support procurement and finance processes in line with organisational controls and approval frameworks

· Ensure all project assets and resources are properly monitored and accounted for

· Escalate risks, compliance concerns, safeguarding matters, or operational challenges appropriately

· Support audit preparation and donor verification processes where required

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

·
Support baseline assessments, beneficiary profiling, monitoring activities, and endline evaluations

· Conduct regular site visits and implementation monitoring across project locations

· Collect beneficiary feedback, lessons learnt, case studies, and impact information

· Support data collection and reporting requirements aligned to donor and organisational frameworks

· Ensure accountability mechanisms and beneficiary feedback processes are functional within projects

· Contribute towards programme improvement and learning through monitoring findings and recommendations

Team Coordination and Operational Support

· Support project staff, volunteers, facilitators, and field teams within the Region

· Assist with task delegation, implementation follow-ups, and operational coordination

· Ensure effective communication and coordination Regionally

· Support training, mentorship, and capacity strengthening of project teams where required

· Promote professionalism, accountability, and adherence to Organisational Values within the programme team

Key Deliverables:

· Regional Community Development projects implemented according to approved plans and KPIs

· Accurate and updated beneficiary databases and implementation trackers maintained

· Monthly, quarterly, and donor reports submitted within required timelines

· Regional stakeholder engagements and partnerships effectively coordinated

· Monitoring visits, beneficiary feedback, and impact assessments conducted regularly

· Compliance with organisational, donor, safeguarding, and financial requirements maintained

· Timely escalation and management of implementation risks and operational challenges

· Strengthened visibility, sustainability, and impact of Community Development interventions within the Region

Competency

· Strong project management and coordination skills

· Excellent reporting, administration, and organisational abilities

· Strong understanding of community development and humanitarian programming

· Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities

· Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills

· Problem-solving and decision-making abilities

· High level of professionalism, accountability, and integrity

· Cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity

· Commitment to humanitarian principles and IRSA’s mission and values

Qualifications and Experience

· Diploma or Degree in Project Management, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Community Development

· Minimum of 3 years’ experience in project coordination or programme implementation

· Experience within NGO, humanitarian, or community development environments advantageous

· Experience in beneficiary management, reporting, monitoring, and stakeholder coordination

· Computer literacy, including Microsoft Office and reporting tools

· Valid driver’s license

It is essential that the post holder shows a good understanding and sympathy with Islamic values and principles as well as commitment to IR’s vision and mission as per below:

· Excellence (Ihsan): Our actions in tackling poverty are marked by excellence in our operations and conduct which are deserving of the people we serve.

· Sincerity (Ikhlas): In responding to poverty and suffering our efforts are driven by sincerity to God and the need to fulfil our obligations to humanity.

· Social Justice (Adl): Our work is founded on enabling people and institutions to fulfil the rights of the poor and vulnerable. We work to empower the dispossessed towards realizing their God-given human potential and developing their capabilities and resources.

· Compassion (Rahma): We believe the protection and well-being of every life is of paramount importance and we shall join with other humanitarian actors to act as one in responding to suffering brought on by disasters, poverty and injustice.

Custodianship (Amana): We uphold our duty of custodianship over the earth; its resources and the trust people place in us as humanitarian and development Practitioners to be transparent and accountable.

Dearest applicant, kindly consider the following: If the requirements of the application as above, is not met, we will consider the application as incomplete and this will therefore not be accepted. Please consider your application as unsuccessful if you are not contacted within a month after the closing date. Over and above operational requirements Islamic Relief South Africa will take into account the country’s and organizational employment equity imperatives.

CLOSING DATE: 18 SEPTEMBER 2026

Application Question(s):

• What is your salary expectation:

Work Location: In person