Chief of Party (COP) 12 views0 applications

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC began working in the DRC in 1996 to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the east of the country and it has since become one of the largest providers of humanitarian assistance and post-conflict development programming. IRC’s programs in the DRC focus on five integrated areas: governance, health, education, economic well-being and protection. IRC places particular emphasis on the specific needs of women, children and young people aged between 12 and 25 (who represent the majority of displaced people) as well as minority groups. The various projects are implemented using approaches that have a major impact on communities, while respecting the dignity and protection of clients

Scope of work

The IRC seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated five-year USAID Pre-Primary Education Activity in the DRC. The project will promote access to improved learning pre-primary education at national, provincial and community levels and will focus on the most marginalized and vulnerable populations living in hard-to-reach and rural areas. The USAID Pre-Primary Education Activity will engage families and communities in early childhood education to provide access to quality, safe and inclusive pre-primary education while promoting system strengthening and sustainability in the pre-primary sector.

The COP will have the primary responsibility for the overall strategic leadership and oversight of the activity. The COP will also have the principal responsibility for representation of the project to all key stakeholders, including government officials and USAID, provide overall strategic leadership and vision for the IRC-led team spread across multiple technical areas and locations, oversee international and national partners implementation of activities, as well as implementers of other USAID-funded initiatives as required. The COP will ensure that project initiatives achieve the expected results of the USAID funded Pre-Primary Education Activity in the DRC. This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in September 2025. The position will be based in the DRC, exact location to be confirmed.

Job responsibilities

· Provide strategic and technical leadership and direction, define and implement activities to achieve the greatest impact toward project goals and objectives,

· Develop, review, and monitor in coordination with key project staff, annual work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track,

· Oversee technical direction and project delivery to ensure activities are in line with the performance framework and meet all standard operational policies and procedures,

· Oversee relationships with partners and stakeholders, and providing financial and operations support that optimizes resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely submission of high-quality reports to the donor,

· Report to USAID through both formal and informal debriefings, annual and semi-annual reports, and key changes in operating context when occur,

· Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials at national and provincial levels, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions,

· Represent the project and the organization in public and ensure distribution of information about project achievements, best practices and lessons learned,

· Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, diversity, inclusion and empowers staff to take responsibility.

Requirements

· Advanced degree (minimum of a Masters’ Degree) from an accredited university in Education, International Development, or related field; equivalent experience may be substituted for graduate degree,

· Minimum of 6 to 10 years of experience in similar pre-primary or primary education, social emotional learning, child protection and/or similar relevant programs,

· Experience working with the DRC Ministry of Education is a plus,

· In-depth knowledge of USAID policies, approaches, rules and regulations,

· Previous experience as COP or D-COP of USAID-funded programs preferred,

· Significant previous experience managing complex international donor-funded development activities in challenging environments and working in volatile situations,

· Experience working in the DRC or within the central Africa region on similar Education programming,

· Demonstrated success incorporating innovation and participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming into implementation,

· Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders,

· Demonstrated innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation,

· Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with a wide network of partners and stakeholders,

· Strong communication skills, both oral and written.

· Capacity to work well under pressure, and the ability to communicate appropriately and effectively cross‐culturally is critical.

· The candidate must be fluent in English and French.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.