CHIEF OF PARTY, MADAGASCAR

CARE seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for the anticipated five-year USAID-funded Feed the Future project in Madagascar. The project aims to achieve inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, enhance resilience among individuals and systems, ensure a well-nourished population, particularly among women and children. The COP will be responsible for leadership, management, and technical direction of staff and consultants, project activities such as implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), and partner coordination. They will serve as key liaison with USAID, government counterparts, and local partners and be responsible for aligning project activities with country and global standards, ensuring compliance with all relevant USAID and CARE policies and regulations, and representing the project to stakeholders, including donors, government agencies, and private sector partners. The COP will manage and supervise the work of program personnel and subcontractors/subgrantees and ensure that all program assistance is technically sound and appropriate. The COP also ensures the successful implementation of each annual work plan and achievement of the project’s targets and goals and oversees its strategic communication.

This is a Key Personnel position, subject to USAID approval. It is also contingent on project award and funding. National and international candidates are encouraged to apply. This position will be based in Antananarivo and report to the Country Director.

Application Deadline: October 28, 2024

Responsibilities:

• Lead the project, providing vision, direction, and technical guidance.
• Oversee the overall management and implementation of the project including project results and deliverables, in accordance with the project work plan.
• Supervise and mentor senior/technical staff and consultants. Motivate teams to deliver results by establishing a strong team dynamic, open communication, and leading by example. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in internal operations, management, and program implementation.
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with USAID/Madagascar, host government project partners, and key stakeholders. Serve as the primary liaison among all project stakeholders and facilitate coordination and collaboration with government bodies, academia, civil society, private sector entities, other relevant implementing partners, regional/international organizations and CARE other projects in Madagascar to ensure integrated and complementary efforts.
• Manage the project’s operational, financial, and administrative priorities, and direct planning and budgeting processes. Create or adapt management systems in line with CARE’s standard operating procedures, ensuring adherence to USAID policies and regulations, and relevant national policies and laws.
• Build partnerships among international-, national- and community-level stakeholders.
• Design and oversee an annual project cycle in accordance with USAID’s annual planning cycles. Ensure documentation and dissemination of findings, impact, innovations, and lessons learned, and utilize a collaborative and adaptive learning approach to the project cycle.
• Remain current with similar or related programs and best practices in-country and internationally, ensuring CARE staff apply these consistently.
• Lead in documentation and coordination of information dissemination activities that share project achievements and results with the aim of influencing decision and policymakers.
• Oversee MEL function, including preparation of all required donor reports and deliverables.
• Represent the project at national, regional, and international summits, including conferences, policy briefings, and networking events.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in agriculture, international development, or related field preferred.
• At least 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in international development including as COP, Deputy Chief of Party, or in a senior management role on projects of similar scope and scale.
• At least 8 years of technical experience in one or more of the following areas: agriculture, food security, and rural development. At least 5 years of experience working in Southern Africa, preferably in Madagascar.
• Experience managing USAID cooperative agreements and/or contracts.
• Strong technical expertise in areas related to agriculture, food security, nutrition, value chain development, market systems, or resilience programming.
• Strong financial management, budgeting and project operations/administrative oversight abilities.
• Experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff and teams.
• Demonstrated skills building and maintaining relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and partners.
• Fluency in English and professional proficiency in French and required (spoken and written).
• Strong oral and written communication skills; excellent demonstrated inter-cultural, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to PSHEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Harassment, and Abuse).
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion (DEBI).
• Strong experience overseeing M&E systems for USG-funded projects including Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) principles and approaches preferred.