Overview

Creative Associates seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for an upcoming donor funded project in Somalia. The COP will have overall management responsibility for the LLS project, funded through USAID’s Somalia office. S/he will be responsible for management, oversight, and reporting of implementation, progress and quality of performance in meeting the small grant undertakings. The COP will serve as Creative’s designated person for overall management of project’s relationship with USAID. In close consultation with the COR, the COP will be responsible for providing oversight of grant activities, including supervision of the staff, ensuing appropriate grant design, ensuring that procedures are established and complied with for grant development, worthiness, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation, and closeout. The COP will be responsible for making key decisions and solving problems in short time frames, while ensuring operational integrity.

Project Description:

The USAID/Somalia Locally Legitimate Stabilization (LLS) project will be the third iteration of mission-managed stabilization programming. Following in the tradition of preceding programs, LLS will be USAID/Somalia’s flagship stabilization program comprising a mix of early recovery interventions to immediately stabilize areas recently liberated from Al-Shabaab (AS) or other non-state negative actors. LLS will work with varying levels of local governance to increase confidence in government in areas deemed strategic by the United States. These interventions will be informed by a rigorous research component in LLS.

Reporting and Supervision:

The COP reports to Creative’s HQ Project Director. The COP will directly supervise other key staff on the project.

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;
• 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 policies, as well as tailored to meet local needs;
• 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 coordinating with and maintaining and nurturing Creative’s relationship with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at USAID/Somalia;
• Responsible for successfully managing the project’s relationship with local governments/ministries and other stakeholders;
• Prepare and ensure timely reporting including quarterly and annual reports;
• Oversee creation and implementation of project monitoring and evaluation activities, and the development and implementation of work plans;
• Support implementation of Creative’s security protocols and provide leadership in handling security-related issues. Address local staffing and personnel issues related to security; and
• Represent the project in local, national, and international meetings and events as appropriate.Qualifications
• At least ten years of experience working in stabilization and/or governance in transitional environments, at least five (5) years of which have been spent in COP or Deputy COP (DCOP) positions, or their equivalents managing programming in complex and challenging field operations in closed societies, conflict environments, fragile and transitional countries, and/or war-torn societies; experience working on Somalia is a plus;
• Experience designing, awarding, and managing grants, preferably in-kind and small grants;
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing start-up under limited time constraints as well as activity close-out;
• Experience hiring and supervising of host country local personnel and ensuring, when need arises, that they secure necessary training required to meet activity needs;
• Experience working in fragile or conflict countries on development, stabilization, or transition support;
• Former COP work experience with a USAID Contractor, or international NGO managing a large office or program;
• Financial management experience, including budgeting; finance management (tracking, reporting, and accounting); and procurement;
• Understanding and experience in activity design, development, implementation and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, including program timelines, milestones, activity cycles and close-out;
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of senior level USAID and State Department operations;
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and writing skills;
• Strong analytical capacity; and
• Fluency in English.

Position contingent upon donor funding.

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