Chief of Party, HEA-Utilization Activity (Proposal Recruitment)

Summary

Save the Children is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated 4-year USAID-funded Household Economy Approach Utilization (HEA-U) Activity in Ethiopia. The anticipated focus of the new HEA-U Activity is to support evidence-based decision making and strengthen the Government of Ethiopia’s analytic and information management capacity under the new Strengthening Disaster Risk Management Systems and Institutions. The Activity will strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the federal, regional and district levels to utilize HEA as a tool for Disaster Risk Management(DRM) and to mitigate the impact of climate change.

This senior leadership position will provide overall strategic direction in the design, management, implementation and overall quality assurance of the project. The Chief of Party (COP) is the key leadership role for this project and will be responsible for managing all aspects of the program including meeting the objectives of the project while providing overall technical, administrative, operational, and logistical management, with a focus on achieving the results defined in this contract over the four-year period. The COP will act as the key liaison between USAID/Ethiopia and all other counterparts, and government officials and is expected to lead and/or participate in strategic and high-level policy forums and meetings with various actors and advocate for broader livelihoods issues. The COP will ensure adherence to overall technical and programmatic quality in implementation and the timely submission of all deliverables to USAID, including annual work plans, performance monitoring plans, semi-annual reports and annual reports as may be required.

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

•       Develop strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and overall management of the program in line with USAID guidelines to achieve project objectives;

• Liaise between USAID/Ethiopia and all other counterparts, implementing partners and Government of Ethiopia officials involved with the program

• Ensure high quality technical leadership and oversight is in place for the program;

• Lead team to provide proper coordination and guidance among local government, country-wide initiatives, community partners, NGOs and other key stakeholders;

• Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation;

• Establish compliance with United States Government (USG) regulations, procedures and Save the Children guidelines;

• Represent Save the Children with partners and key stakeholders, maintain positive relationships with USAID, local ministries, and the country office team;

• Establish effective communication and coordination with personnel from the government in order to implement interventions and incorporate country-wide priorities;

•  Actively participate as a member of the Country Extended Senior Management Team (ESMT), contributing to country strategic plans;

•  Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the project team strives to achieve excellence;

•  Incorporate SC’s vision and values and full adherence to Code of Conduct principles;

•  Closely monitor security dynamics in the project areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.

•  Lead and direct key program staff, both technical and managerial, and oversee the hiring process of all local staff.

•  Provide overall coordination and technical capacity building of local partners and stakeholders.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

•  Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

•   Holds suppliers accountable to deliver on their responsibilities

Ambition:

•   Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and takes responsibility for their own personal development

•   Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

•   Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale

Collaboration:

•   Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to; builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

•   Values diversity and different people’s perspectives, able to work cross-culturally.

Creativity:

•   Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

•   Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach

Integrity:

•  Honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence

•  Displays consistent excellent judgement

Required Qualifications

• Master’s in humanitarian program management, disaster risk sciences, environment/natural resources management, agro-metrology; hydro-meteorology; climate change adaptation (CCA), rural development or related field of study;

•  Minimum of Ten (10) years or more of progressively responsible work experience implementing Household Economy Approach (HEA) Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and/or CCA programs in developing countries with demonstrated strong management and coordinating skills;

•  Proven skills in strategic design on how to engage and collaborate with key stakeholders within the community of livelihood organizations to identify best practices for utilizing key information;

•  Proven knowledge and experience in leading the design and implementation of adaptable climate and livelihood resilience building programs

•  At least five years of work experience in Africa (preferably within Ethiopia and working closely with the local government);

•  Demonstrated track record with USAID regulations and policies; contract experience is critical;

•  Proven senior management experience in livelihoods-related projects, climate change adaptation, economic opportunities, and disaster risk reduction, working in a multi-cultural environment;

• Practical programming knowledge and experiences in ensuring humanitarian – development nexus;

•  Proven ability in understanding, creating and implementing solutions in order to achieve measurable results within development projects;

•   Demonstrated skills in leadership, mentoring, motivating and supervision over multi-cultural teams within a dynamic setting;

•   Proven experience building capacity of local NGOs and government bodies;

•  Knowledge of HEA methodology is essential;

•   Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations;

•  Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills in English;

•   Familiarity with the political, social and cultural context of Ethiopia; prior work experience in country is ideal.