Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) – DRC

Background

SoCha is the prime contractor responsible for implementing the Mission Strategic Support Program (MSSP) for the USAID Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (USAID/DRC). MSSP is a five-year activity (2021-2026) that provides technical and advisory services for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) across the Mission’s portfolio of activities in the DRC and the Central Africa region.

SoCha is seeking to fill the role of Deputy Chief of Party – Field Monitoring, Evaluation, and Verification (DCOP-FMEV). The DCOP-FMEV works under the Chief of Party to provide technical leadership for evaluations, assessments, and studies, third-party monitoring of other USAID activities, and technical capacity building and training. The DCOP is responsible for managing technical staff, ensuring MSSP meets its contractual goals and reporting requirements, and delivering high quality and timely analytical products and services.

Scope of Work

Reporting to the Kinshasa-based Chief of Party, the DCOP-FMEV will:

• Lead, supervise, and design scopes of work, lead procurements where needed, and bear primary responsibility for the delivery of MSSP’s evaluations, assessments, studies, and monitoring (MSSP Objectives 3 & 7).
• Provide technical leadership, administrative management oversight, and overall coordination of MSSP activities and ensure the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of all deliverables, products, and activities generated by the staff in MSSP’s Goma office.
• Lead client relations, communications, and outreach with USAID/DRC’s program office, technical offices, and implementing partners.
• Deliver trainings to build MEL skills for local subcontractors and stakeholders and champion process improvement, change, and capacity enhancements within the MSSP team and larger MEL community.
• Collaborate with the counterpart DCOP responsible for MSSP Objectives 1, 2, 4, 5, & 6 to ensure timely delivery of assigned work orders.
• Recruit, supervise, and manage staff to ensure MSSP goals and reporting requirements are met, and staff safety and welfare is ensured.
• Ensure compliance with SoCha corporate policies and USAID rules and regulations.
• Use data management tools efficiently for activity planning and tracking and execution of deliverables.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in a subject matter relating to International Development OR a Bachelors’ degree in combination with three (3) additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a Master’s or PhD.
• At least eight (8) years of experience in a senior technical role, at least three (3) of which must involve MEL and/or CLA.
• At least three (3) years of experience working in Central Africa or more than five (5+) years of experience working in Africa.
• Proficiency in French and English is required.
• Strong research and evaluation skills and a minimum of eight (8) years of experience using qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Strong understanding of international development sectors, including youth, health, education and governance.
• Demonstrated practical experience in using MEL activities to inform activity implementation and results.
• Prior experience working on USAID-funded activities.

*** This position is open to expatriates and local nationals***

Location

The DCOP-FMEV is based in Kinshasa, DRC and travels regularly to Goma in Eastern DRC to supervise MSSP’s Goma office and staff.