Chief of Party

Chemonics seeks a Chief of Party for the anticipated USAID-funded Sahel Regional Resilience Activity (SRR) in Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, and Mauritania. SRR seeks to improve the ability of individuals, households, and communities in the Sahel to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from perennial shocks and stresses. USAID envisions multiple awards under a singular mechanism with an emphasis on local partnership and potential transition awards to local partners.

Based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso with frequent travel to other SRR counties, the Chief of Party will assume strategic leadership and administrative responsibility for contract requirements, ensuring the fulfillment of key performance indicators, objectives, and deliverables. They will act as the primary communication conduit with USAID, fostering effective and transparent collaboration with team and consortia partners. Overseeing project implementation, they will set the strategic direction and long-term vision, working with a high-profile team of diverse thinkers and doers. We are seeking individuals with a profound understanding of a variety of resilience activities coupled with a deep commitment to making a meaningful impact on the Sahel’s resilience journey.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic long-term vision and assume overall leadership, management, administrative, and technical direction for the Sahel Regional Resilience Activity
• Act as the primary point of contact to establish, manage, and nurture effective working relationships with stakeholders, including civil society, private sector partners, and national and local government entities, concerning all program-related matters
• Oversee operations of the project office in Burkina Faso in accordance with the policies and procedures established by Chemonics management, including human resources, security, procurement, grants, finance and administration, and subcontracting
• Develop and implement budgets and annual works plans reflecting the needs and priorities of USAID and local stakeholders, including localization, collaborative learning, monitoring and evaluation, gender and social inclusion, project communication, and reporting
• Foster close collaboration and teamwork among the project’s staff, including mentorship and professional development opportunities, and close collaboration with partners to include joint strategizing, work planning, implementation, learning and shared indicators among the various awards
• Serve as a key liaison with USAID and ensure compliance with all USAID rules and regulations, contractual requirements, and Chemonics’ policies and systems
• Model ethical behavior and set clear expectations for all staff and third parties with whom the project collaborates based on Chemonics’ Standards of Business Conduct (English; French)

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in environmental science, climate science and policy, economics, or another field related to SRR
• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in development – with a minimum of 10 years in senior-level roles and 5 years in Sahelian countries
• Previous experience as a chief of party (COP) or similar leadership role on USAID-funded programs with a resilience (or related areas) focus required
• Practical relationship and coalition building experience working with a range of program partners, including local, regional, and national government entities, financial institutions, civil society, local communities, academia, and the private sector in the Sahel region: Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, and Mauritania in particular
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, technical, and oral/written communication skills to fulfill the project’s diverse technical and managerial requirements and effectively coordinate with a range of stakeholders
• Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the relevant RRA technical areas, including but not limited to: food security, agricultural production, market systems development, WASH, gender and youth integration, nutrition, and social behavior change strategies
• Experience managing complex multi-country contracts and/or agreements, USAID operating procedures, regulations, and reporting requirements
• Experience working in conflict environments with an aptitude to pivot as required by a shifting security situation
• Demonstrated ethical leadership, versatility, and integrity
• English and French language fluency required