Liberia: Chief of Party

Oct 24, 2016 | Project Concern International
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Project Concern International (PCI) has emerged as a dynamic, leading organization in the areas of food and livelihood security, improved child nutrition, social and economic empowerment of women, and strengthened community resilience through its commitment to local capacity building, program quality, and rigorous measurement of sustainable impact. PCI has implemented large-scale, multi-sectoral food and livelihood programming in Malawi, Liberia, Bangladesh, and Guatemala and is currently seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for the USAID Title II Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP) program in Liberia. The goal of the program will be to contribute to sustainable improvements in food and livelihood security, reduce malnutrition among vulnerable populations, and strengthen resilience to the risks posed by climate change and epidemic diseases. The COP’s primary responsibility will be to successfully implement an integrated program based on our theory of change that will demonstrate positive and lasting impacts on food and livelihoods security among vulnerable populations in Liberia. The COP will provide overall management, technical leadership, coordination and collaboration with implementing partners, and strategic oversight of all activities to cost-effectively achieve project objectives.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Provide strategic leadership by focusing on vision, continuous improvement of quality, innovation and establishing a results-driven-management system.
  • Lead in mentoring senior technical staff to develop standard operating guidelines, quality assurance & control systems, milestones, successful startup and efficient technical service delivery mechanisms.
  • Lead in providing an integrated vision and inter-related deliverables between various technical sectors such as agriculture, agribusiness, women’s empowerment, nutrition, disaster risk management etc. in the context of food security programming.
  • Oversee partners and sub-grantees performance by establishing accountability mechanisms in program, finance, commodity and data quality management.
  • Develop systems to identify operational risks and their management; establishing early winners; and to reduce risks in project implementation.
  • Establish a culture of evidence-based decision-making and data driven analytics through a well-developed monitoring and evaluation system.
  • Assure good financial management of the project (e.g. budget execution, program-finance linkages, monitoring and reporting processes and procurement systems) and adhere to PCI and USAID financial policies and procedures.
  • Oversee total compliance to PCI and USG regulations in all aspects of program implementation including commodity management.
  • Lead in establishing excellent communication protocols and working relationships with Government, donors, partners and other stakeholders.
  • Establish a work culture that respects and prioritizes the needs of communities especially the most vulnerable.
  • Lead in managing human resources through recruitment, mentoring, setting performance objectives, rewarding and training project team members.
  • Engage, support and lead project teams to participate in PCI’s strategic initiatives.

Qualifications:

  • Minimum of 10 years of progressively increasing management responsibility in international development, including experience in a similar role and significant experience managing multi-sectoral projects including agricultural development and maternal child health and nutrition, preferably in Liberia.
  • Experience managing a DFAP or Multi-Year Assistance Program (MYAP) or programs of equal size, scope and complexity in a similar context.
  • Excellent understanding and familiarity with US Government donor regulations, ideally USAID Title II experience.
  • Post-graduate degree in development studies, international relations, agriculture, nutrition, public health, or a related field.
  • Demonstrated abilities in NGO reporting, budgeting, procurement, and project management.
  • Significant understanding, experience and leadership in developing and/or implementing programs that support women’s empowerment.
  • Project performance management, including monitoring and evaluation.
  • Proven leadership skills and demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff.
  • Demonstrated ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with local ministries, NGO partners, international agencies, and U.S. government agencies.
  • Development philosophy in keeping with PCI’s mission, vision, core values and approach to integrated, community-driven programming.
  • Excellent analytical and self-motivation skills; excellent advocacy and persuasion skills; able to think critically.
  • Excellent capacity building, team building/management, and coordination skills.
  • Excellent facilitation, analytical and organizational skills.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
  • Strong financial management abilities.