Chief of Party

Chemonics seeks a Chief of Party for the anticipated USAID Stability Through Economic Progress, Unity and Peacebuilding (STEP UP) program in Mozambique. The project will empower local organizations, businesses, and communities to participate in and guide their own development in conflicted areas, including but not limited to, Cabo Delgado. The program seeks to address local private sector and institutional development challenges by providing support directly to local organizations in a way that is responsive to local challenges and concerns in these areas. The program will manage a grant-making mechanism to provide funding and capacity support to local businesses, associations, and civil society organizations that allow them to address the needs of their communities.

The Chief of Party will be responsible for leading all technical, financial, and administrative aspects of the program and will coordinate closely with USAID in developing, implementing, and revising the project’s overall strategy. The COP will take a leadership role in ensuring technical excellence, in providing overall management and leadership of program staff across the country, and in coordination between USAID, Chemonics Washington, and Mozambican partner organizations. This position requires experience communicating and coordinating with national and local government officials and other donor-funded programs working in the area. He/she maintains effective relationships and coordination with government, NGOs, and other donors and ensures compliance with the contract including timely, high-quality results. This position will be based in Mozambique, with specific location yet to be determined. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities include:

• Provide overall project leadership, management, and technical direction, ensuring a common vision across project components and actors.
• Serve as the project’s primary liaison with USAID, the Mozambican government, and local and regional partners.
• Oversee strategic work planning, performance management, strategic communications, contractual and budgetary aspects of program management, and timely preparation of the annual implementation plan.
• Responsible for providing oversight of grant activities, including supervision of the program staff, ensuring appropriate grant design, ensuring that procedures are established and complied with for grant development, grant worthiness, grant implementation, management, monitoring, evaluation, and grant closing.
• Responsible for the overall oversight of all activities, and ensure all project technical assistance is high quality, technically sound, and appropriate.
• Responsible for contributing to the design and implementation of the M&E system at the activity and program levels and for ensuring that all programming is properly monitored and evaluated.
• Proven track record managing multi-disciplinary development programs and teams, engaging effectively with stakeholders, fostering collaborative learning and adaptive management, and addressing gender equality, youth engagement, and social inclusion.
• Overall responsibility for the security of staff and temporary employees hired through the program, as well as security of physical and information items related to the program.
• Provides guidance and mentoring to senior technical staff.
• Oversee strategic communications with project donor and external audiences.
• Identify issues and risks related to project implementation in a timely manner, suggesting appropriate adjustments.

Duration:

• This is a long-term assignment. The expected duration is at least one year with additional years.

Qualifications:

• An advanced degree in international development, political science, public or business administration, or a related social science field is preferred.
• A minimum of nine (9) years of work experience with complex, high-speed, and challenging field operations in developing countries.
• Demonstrated record of leading complex donor-funded programs focused on stabilization in conflict and post-conflict environments, experience in economic growth- or livelihoods-related programs, preferably on Mozambique-facing projects. USAID experience strongly preferred.
• Extensive project management leadership experience, including human resources, procurement, subcontracts, accounting/finance, as well as monitoring, evaluating, and learning, documenting project performance, evaluating subcontractor and grantee activities, and providing overall direction.
• Proven track record managing multi-disciplinary development programs and teams, engaging effectively with stakeholders, fostering collaborative learning and adaptive management, and addressing gender equality, youth engagement, and social inclusion.
• Experience working in Mozambique or other East African contexts highly desired, but not required.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Fluency in written and oral English required.
• Portuguese language proficiency is preferred, as well as languages or dialects spoken in northern Mozambique, such as Makua-Lomwe or dialects of Tsonga and Shona.
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Familiarity with USAID’s regulations; knowledge of Chemonics’ procedures preferred.