Chief of Party 72 views

Chemonics International, a Washington D.C.-based international development organization, seeks to fill the position of Chief of Party for the anticipated USAID Strengthening Accountable Governance and Civic Engagement (SAGCE) project in Ethiopia. The $30 million, five-year project will aim to strengthen sub-national government, increase citizen engagement, and strengthen civil society oversight using locally led, problem-driven, adaptive approaches. The Chief of Party will be based in Addis with extensive travel in the country. The Chief of Party is responsible for leading all aspects of contract performance, providing technical guidance to all activities under the contract, and representing Chemonics’ activities to external audiences. Candidates should possess considerable successful experience in leading donor-funded democracy and governance programs in countries in Africa with particular expertise in decentralization reform. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Directs implementation of the project’s strategic long-term vision, provides overall leadership, management, and technical direction for the activity, ensuring that activities align with the project’s vision and partners achieve the expected results.
• Overall project leadership, management, and technical direction to transform the organizational culture and capacity within the respective local and national government entities to successfully implement transformational reforms including high-quality service provision.
• Ensures that all activities conform to the terms and conditions of the contract – including cost, schedule and quality parameters, conferring with the USAID COR on challenges and opportunities to maximize impact and scale, minimize costs, and maximize efficiency and sustainability in achieving targeted results.
• Facilitates close collaboration and teamwork, including mentorship and development of staff, with attention paid to professional development opportunities.
• Serves as the primary liaison between USAID, host-country government, stakeholders, implementing partners, and home office on all program related matters.
• Communicates clear expectations to program staff and establish an operating climate on the program that encourages integrity, honesty, open communications, and commitment to compliance with local laws and USAID rules and regulations.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in management, international development, or a related field
• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in development, with seven years in a developing country
• Minimum five years of experience as chief of party, managing complex activities that involve coordination with multiple project stakeholders across a range of implementation areas
• Strong capabilities in institutional capacity development, high-level strategic visioning and leadership, and collaboration with civil society and other development partners
• Experience with local government or decentralized governance desirable, or at a minimum, an appreciation of how the government operates
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership in designing, managing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating similar-sized donor-supported projects, with skills in strategic planning, management, supervision, and budgeting; preferable experience in managing complex activities involving coordination with multiple project partner institutions
• Strong interpersonal and oral/written communication skills to fulfill the project’s diverse technical and managerial requirements and effectively coordinate with a range of stakeholders
• Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners and lead multidisciplinary teams
• Strong experience engaging government accountability institutions with civil society organizations to effect change
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Fluency in English required