Position Summary:

Creative Associates International seeks a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the USAID-funded Partnerships for Peace (P4P) Project based in West Africa. The DCOP will support the Chief of Party (COP) to both oversee the activity from a management perspective and to provide advice and guidance directly to regional organizations, national governments and civil society organizations. The DCOP should have strong managerial, administrative and writing skills and extensive Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) experience. The DCOP is expected to have broad experience with international development that would be utilized to support achievement of P4P’s goals and objectives, as well as support for training and development of program staff. In addition, the DCOP should have subject matter expertise on both Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) theory and program implementation.

The five-year program partners and consults with stakeholders at the regional, national, and sub-national level across several West African countries, to develop a shared foundational understanding of CVE in the region. The findings will improve institutional capacity of organizations and governments to implement more effective and coordinated CVE approaches.

Responsibilities:

• Assist the COP in overseeing financial and administrative management, program development and implementation, as well as grant development and implementation in all project countries;
• Ensure that the field offices maintain compliance with USAID regulations in regards to auditing requirements, implementation, procurement, financial management and overall office management;
• Ensure that procedures are established and complied with for activity development, activity worthiness, activity implementation, management, monitoring, evaluation, and closing;
• Serve as the COP, USAID COR and Country Activity Manager’s primary point of contract for current information about the status of activity implementation;
• S/he will supervise the Country Representatives and technical staff involved in activity development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting; and
• Ensure that program implementation is in accordance with regulations and procedures and the specifications determined in the Task Order. This will include monitoring grantee worthiness, ensuring that all procurement processes are perceived as transparent by beneficiary communities, ensuring fair and transparent processes, review of financial management, and monitoring activity implementation.

Minimum qualifications:

• At least seven (7) years of experience managing complex international programs, preferably in West Africa;
• Master’s degree in international relations, international development, social sciences or a related field required. A Bachelor’s degree and four (4) additional years of relevant experience may be substituted in lieu of an advanced degree;
• Minimum of four (4) years of program management experience on USAID funded projects;
• Demonstrated knowledge of USAID rules and regulations as it pertains to grants management, procurement and financial management;
• Demonstrated experience coordinating program activities in conjunction with high-level government officials, including USAID and other Embassy staff, host country government officials and other key stakeholders;
• Experience building institutional capacity of host-government and civil society partners to implement program activities;
• Ability to successfully manage and develop staff in a multi-country and multi-cultural setting, as demonstrated by past experience;
• Ability to multi-task and deliver results in a fast-paced environment while working under pressure;
• Fluency speaking, reading and writing in English or French, with a minimum of professional proficiency in the other.

Local and regional candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Candidates must be willing to travel up to 50% of their time throughout the region.