Technical Deputy Chief of Party

Chemonics seeks a Deputy Chief of Party for the USAID Zambia Foundational. This five-year activity will seek to provide technical assistance in the education sector to scale the Primary Literacy Program (PLP), support the Ministry of Education to institutionalize the PLP and early learning reforms, and enhance the delivery of remedial and catch-up education. This position will be based in Lusaka, Zambia. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities:

• Technical Management
  • Work alongside the COP to promote and effect a coherent and strategic vision for the implementation of the project with buy-in from USAID and key counterparts and stakeholders.
  • Responsible for working with the COP and Senior Technical Specialists to liaise with relevant government ministries, donors within Zambia, and will assist the COP in developing appropriate capacity building mechanisms at national, state, and local government levels.
  • Assist the COP with leading the efforts in designing overall program strategy, the development of meaningful and achievable component indicators and targets and oversight of the technical activities to ensure that technical results meet program requirements.
  • Coordinate with the COP, Operations Director, and USAID regarding technical matters, including allocation of resource and any other programmatic issues that may arise during implementation.
• Administrative, Financial, and Personnel Management
  • As a member of the management team, ensure accounting, procurement, and operational compliance with existing administrative/office procedures, Chemonics’ policies and best practices, and USAID regulations.
  • Draft, review, and submit contract-related approvals to USAID.
  • Support the COP and the operations team with personnel and recruitment strategy to ensure the most efficient and talented team composition, as well as support efforts to build staff capacity and boost morale.
  • In the absence of the COP, serve as the acting COP, including overseeing the operations, procurement, finance, and M&E teams, and authorizing payments and signing contracts with vendors and long-term/short-term staff as dictated in the DCOP’s delegation of authority and power of attorney.
• Strategic Partnerships
  • In coordination with the COP, serve as a key liaison between USAID/Chemonics and relevant government ministries and affiliates, including obtaining the necessary government orders and approvals to initiate project activities and working with technical staff to organize consultations with Zambian partners.
  • Work with relevant government ministries and affiliates to ensure policy reform dialogues, ownership, and sustainability of the project, including organizing Working Groups on various topics related to the project.
  • Manage the project’s donor coordination efforts, including organizing meetings with other donors working in education to synchronize activities and co-fund mutually beneficial activities and initiatives.

Qualifications:

• At least six (6) years of relevant work experience and a minimum of bachelor’s degree or eight (8) years of relevant work experience without a bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum four (4) years of experience leading the technical direction of education programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following core areas: early grade literacy, teacher training, education system strengthening, or remedial education.
• Working knowledge of the Government of Zambia’s Primary Literacy Program.
• Experience supporting education reform in Eastern or Southern Africa required; experience supporting education reform in Zambia highly preferred.
• Experience providing technical direction across multiple work streams.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Proficiency in Nyanja/Chewa and Bemba is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills and demonstrated ability to coordinate complex technical activities in high-paced work environments.
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity.