Overview

Creative Associates is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for an active USAID funded education project in Somalia.

The COP will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of the project and will be the senior in-country project representative with overall responsibility for supervising project staff, and managing relations with partners and sub-contractors, both international and local. The COP will take a leadership role in the coordination of program activities among a diverse group of stakeholders and beneficiaries: Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education (MoECHE), local and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organization (CSO) representatives, community and business members, and USAID personnel. The COP will oversee and ensure timely project implementation, monitoring of activities, and management of project staff and subsidiaries. The COP has ultimate responsibility for project financial accountability and reporting to USAID and Creative Associates’ home office.

Reporting and Supervision: The Chief of Party will report to the Project Director at Creative headquarters.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall technical and financial performance of the contract, including program planning, budgeting, and Monitoring and Evaluation;
• Supervise program progress and coordinate program activities across Somalia;
• Recruit, hire, and manage national staff and consultants as needed to carry out activities;
• Manage in-country staff to ensure that the project is achieving all deliverables in a timely and quality manner;
• Ensure that technical, financial, and administrative activities are carried out according to USAID and Creative’s policies and procedures;
• Ensure the appropriate implementation of accounting, personnel, IT, and operating procedures are consistent with Creative’s policies, as well as tailored to meet local needs and in compliance with host country laws;
• Work in partnership with the Project Director in the Home Office. Engage in frequent, routine communication so that the Project Director is aware of both progress and potential issues, and solicits assistance and input as needed to ensure that performance meets or exceeds technical and financial contractual requirements;
• Manage subcontractors, both international and local, to ensure that their performance meets or exceeds technical and financial contractual requirements;
• Responsible for maintaining and nurturing Creative’s relationship with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at USAID/Somalia, among others in the USAID/Kenya and East Africa Regional Mission;
• Responsible for successfully managing the project’s relationship with local governments/ministries and other stakeholders;
• Prepare and ensure timely reporting, including, but not limited to, quarterly and annual reports;
• Oversee creation and implementation of project monitoring and evaluation activities, and the development and implementation of work plans in a co-creation and collaborative process with the primary stakeholder, i.e. MoECHE;
• Support implementation of Creative’s security protocols and provide leadership in handling security-related issues. Address local staffing and personnel issues related to security;
• Maintain a working knowledge of project financials, working with and supporting the financial officer to ensure that appropriate systems and procedures are in place and being followed; and
• Represent the project in local, national, and international meetings and events as appropriate.Qualifications
• Advanced degree (Masters or Doctorate) in an educationrelated field;
• At least ten years of experience working on education for development programing, at least five (5) years of which have been spent in COP or Deputy COP (DCOP) positions, or their equivalents;
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing project startup;
• Experience hiring and supervising personnel and ensuring they acquire the necessary training and skills to meet evolving program needs;
• Experience working for large donor organizations such as USAID is preferable;
• Prior work in the East Africa region is highly desirable;
• Strong leadership, program, organizational management and communication skills; and
• Fluency in English is required.

PI122344708