Chief of Party

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type

International Assignment – Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Job Description

Job Purpose

World Vision is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for a GAVI funded multi-country program in West Africa. This program will reach zero-dose children (children who do not receive any routine vaccine) with immunization services in selected countries in fragile and conflict settings. This program aims to effectively reach systematically missed communities and zero-dose children by focusing on 1) populations and displaced communities living in areas outside government control, in fragile and conflict settings and along borders and 2) mobile populations, including refugees, residing and moving across borders in areas not reached by governments. An enhanced understanding of these settings, new approaches to reach the target populations and a commitment to evaluation and learning will be required to achieve the project’s objectives. The COP will be responsible for leading all technical, financial, and administrative aspects of the program and will coordinate closely with GAVI, and the WARO region in developing, implementing, and revising the project’s overall implementation strategy. The COP will be the principal liaison between GAVI, the region, implementing offices program partners and WV US and will provide comprehensive technical oversight and guidance in all aspects of the program, including monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting to GAVI and the partnership.

The COP is required to collaborate with the implementing country project teams, key stakeholders including GAVI, UN agencies and regionally based organisations, and support implementing offices to collaborate with their ministries and other key actors. S/he will provide strategic and high-level support for improving programme performance at the local level and overall sustainability of all programmatic interventions. The COP will oversee a team of international and national experts and support staff, prepare progress reports and annual work plans, align program activities with in-country policies and priorities, and ensure compliance with GAVI and WVI rules and regulations.

Key Responsabilities

Leadership

• Bring dynamic and creative leadership to cultivate innovation in rigorous project implementation and donor deliverables.
• Develop and revise strategy based on context to meet program goals and targets
• Proactively build relationships with implementing countries and program partners, participants. and other stakeholders, managing them effectively.
• Ensure equity, inclusion and safeguarding among and across all stakeholders, including program staff, partners and participants.
• Proactively identify, design, and execute viable strategies for successful implementation and sustainability.
• Coordinate with implementing partners and country counterparts and represent HQ externally, and advocate for additional investments

Coordination

• Serve as the principal liaison with GAVI and key partners (Core Group, Food for the Hungry, Dimagi, Africa CHA Platform), as well as support implementing offices with their engagement with key local and national government officials, other donors and implementers, private sector entities, and civil society partners
• Coordinate with HQ, the region and external partners to contribute technical research and analysis through initial assessments and regular updates, learning exercises, and existing evidence.

Management

• Supervise a team of senior-level international and national subject matter experts working in finance, sub-award management, MEAL, and communications.
• Supervise, manage, and mentor program staff, including accountability for hiring a diverse and qualified staff and building a strong team.
• Support Field offices to implement effective and evidence-based practices in project areas and ensure feedback mechanisms are in place for continuous quality assurance and improvement.
• Supervise project administrative staff and short-term consultants to ensure effective project implementation across all deliverables.
• Oversee program budgeting, financial management, and ensure contractual compliance with GAVI and WVI internal policies, rules and regulations.
• Manage program budget efficiently with transparent financial reporting, accurate forecasts and burn rate analyses
• Develop annual work plans in collaboration with program staff, partners and stakeholders, and oversee its implementation.
• Ensure program activities are implemented on schedule and within budget.
• Support the coordination of inputs and activities of local and international partners, and monitor their progress
• Develop quarterly and annual progress reports and ensure timely submission to GAVI.
• Finalize design of an effective monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) system, capable of robust data quality assurance; regular performance monitoring; collaboration, learning and adaptation; and evaluations
• Ensure quality MEAL of program activities, including identifying key indicators and regularly using data to inform programmatic learning, adaptations, and improvements in partnership with HQ and Regional MEAL departments.
• Collaborate closely with Communication & Strategy team to design and implement effective marketing and communication strategies that raise the program’s public profile.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Ensure safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation during course of program implementation
• Act as a key source of support, guidance, and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure partners’ implementation of safeguarding standards during program implementation.
• Follow the standard safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so.
• Facilitate and monitor that all operational offices have accountability mechanisms in place.

Knowledge, Skill And Experience

Required Education, training, license, registration, and/or Certification

• Advanced degree (PhD or MA/MSc) in a relevant field such as international development, social sciences, business administration, non-profit management, Public Health etc.
• Certificate or diploma in humanitarian studies, leadership or relief operations
• Hostile Environment or Security training
• 10+ years of experience managing and leading programs in global health or related sectors in fragile or complex settings.

Required Professional Experience

• All nationalities are welcome to apply, West African nationals strongly encouraged.
• Demonstrated experience on bilateral and multilateral -funded project management that includes strategic and operational responsibilities and successful track record of supervising, designing, managing, and implementing program activities
• Candidate must demonstrate operational proficiency working in compliance with 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 700, Mandatory Standard Provisions, FAR and AIDAR requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to track and manage budgets and plan both strategically and creatively to meet program objectives
• Expertise in capacity strengthening/performance improvement of local governmental and non-government organizations
• Ability to establish strong working relationships with senior government officials, community leaders, media, civil society, private sector leaders, international donors, and other stakeholders.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills to manage diverse teams, working on complex programs in challenging contexts
• Strong interpersonal skills to convene and facilitate effective communication, collaboration and cooperation among staff, local partners, donors, and other stakeholders to achieve results
• Experience in managing sub grants and contracts under grants for complex projects.
• Previous professional experience in West Africa
• Previous experience as Chief of Party working on regional programs strongly preferred
• Professional experience designing, and/or implementing projects in fragile and conflict affected areas

Required Language(s)

• English and French required (spoken and written).
• Superior written and verbal communications skills

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations

• Required Work environment: Office based with travel
• The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 25 % of the time.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge And/or Other Qualifications

• Experience in developing a learning and research agenda as part of program implementation.
• Senior management role in implementing large donor-funded projects (>$20 million) with large, diverse teams
• High-level competency in building coalitions to engage and influence key actors on multiple levels