*Position dependent upon grant approval.
PURPOSE OF POSITION:
Chief of Party (CoP)/ Programme Director (PD) will have overall responsibility for coordination of all Zimbabwe USAID/FFP Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) project activities and staff. S/he will be responsible for technical leadership and administrative oversight of the program and will serve as the principal institutional liaison to the donor and local government entities.
The CoP/PD shall have a keen understanding of the unique political dynamics and work carefully and collaboratively to support the various entities in (country of the grant).
S/he will manage a team of senior staff, sub-recipients, and engagement with stakeholders and ensure quality, timeliness, and efficiency of all products and activities generated under the grant. The CoP/PD is expected to have strong leadership qualities and depth and breadth of technical and management expertise.
S/he also provides strategic leadership and supervision of sub-grantees and sub-contractors while ensuring the security, feasibility, and sustainability of the program and contribution to Child wellbeing outcomes.
Country/grant specific content:
USAID/Office of Food for Peace has announced its intention to fund a development food security activity in Zimbabwe. World Vision has successfully led the consortium for the USAID/ENSURE DFSA from 2012-2019 with a goal of improving household and community food security across the target areas of Manicaland (Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge districts) and Masvingo (Bakita, Zaka and Chivi districts).
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage proactive and responsive relationship with grant donor in close collaboration with World Vision National Office staff.
- Direct and oversee grant implementation, ensuring that all strategic objectives are met through proper design, staffing, implementation and quality assurance.
- Lead development of any planned cost extension.
- Supervise a team of senior level international and national staff with skills across a diverse set of technical areas including resilience, youth programming, gender integration food security, nutrition, WASH, monitoring and evaluation and social and behavior change.
- Ensure proper technical capacity of staff to manage complex donor-funded projects.
- Lead grant staff and short-term consultants.
- Establish and maintain effective project reporting, evaluation, and communication systems. Submit timely accurate and professional reports that meet donor requirements.
- Manage grant/project budget within approved spending levels and ensure accurate and timely financial reports to donors and SO staff.
- Ensure grant/project expenses are reasonable, allocated as per assigned budget, prudent and spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations to ensure low risk audits.
- Deeply engage and represent the project with USAID/FFP Mission and other relevant staff, national government coordination bodies, development agency knowledge sharing bodies and other stakeholders.
- Establish clear and frequent communication regarding program progress and oversight management with the donor.
- Consistently look for more effective and efficient implementation methods and opportunities to increase impact.
- Participate and conduct on-going lessons learned with key staff and partners/sub-grantees.
- Champion collaboration, learning and adaptation within project and in partnership with local and national stakeholders.
- Escalate grant management issues early and openly; resolve grant management issues quickly and fully.
- Provide spiritual leadership to the DFSA implementation team as appropriate. Attend and participate in weekly staff devotions.
- Provide vision and strategic technical leadership for the project.
- Close cooperation with NO GAM lead for implementation of the GAM objectives as well as close collaboration within the NO GAM Unit on donor positioning, lessons learned, grant health and quality improvements.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:
- A Master’s degree in related business administration, economic development, international development, public policy field or other relevant technical area.
- Minimum 15 years of experience in food security programming with at least 5 years serving in senior field program leadership roles on USAID/FFP DFSA projects. Prior USAID grants Chief of Party experience required.
- Proven ability to manage large, complex development programs in challenging field contexts technical assistance teams.
- Demonstrated program experience in Zimbabwe and/or in Southern Africa strongly preferred.
- Keen understanding of the unique political dynamics and economic challenges within Zimbabwe; and ability to work carefully and collaboratively to maintain productive relationships with the various government entities in (country of the grant).
- Proven ability in the management of large integrated grant-funded projects in developing countries.
- Demonstrated knowledge of USAID/FFP programs, their history and their development; mastery of USAID/FFP regulations governing such programs.
- Ability to integrate teams of professionals around common goals.
- Demonstrated accomplishment in working with host-country professionals, ministries and with donor colleagues in country.
- Strong presentation and report writing skills.
- Experience of leading large and diverse teams.
- Experience in leading and managing large grants in a complex environment.
- Experience as a CoP/PD or senior expert advisor required.
- Experience managing sub grants and contracts under grants for complex projects.
- Fluency in English and the relevant other UN language, if it is officially used in the country.
- Professional licenses, as required in the field and by the donor.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
- Experience in managing inter-agency consortiums is preferred.
- Prior experience serving as a USAID/FFP DFSA Chief of Party.
Work Environment/Travel:
Be prepared to travel to implementation sites and regional, global meetings as required.
More Information
- Job City Harare
