Chief of Party for Kulawa Project in Niger

Summary

Save the Children is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for the USAID Kulawa Activity that operates in three regions of Niger. This transformational program focuses on achieving improved health, family planning, and nutrition outcomes for women of reproductive age and children under five years old. The foundation of success depends on working with a number of partners, multiple complementary USAID investments, and most importantly, the Government of Niger. The COP is a senior leadership position and will provide overall strategic direction in the design, management, implementation and overall quality assurance of the project. In this role, you will also provide technical assistance on USAID Kulawa. The COP will be Save the Children’s primary point of contact with USAID, partners, and all relevant stakeholders. You will collaborate with the Ministry of Health and other critical partners to provide high-level support for effective capacity building at the local level and sustainability of the project interventions. The COP will oversee a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operating plans, align project initiatives with in-country priorities, and ensure the program is compliant with USAID and Save the Children’s regulations. The project must align closely with the current objectives of the Government of Niger so that activities are complementary and create sustainability.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Develop strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and provide overall management of the program in line with USAID guidelines to achieve project objectives in Niger.
• Ensure high quality technical leadership and oversight is in place for the program.
• Lead team in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and key USAID Implementing Partners (IP), notably the Breakthrough ACTION’s (BA) social and behavior change mechanism, the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) Resilience Food Security Assistance (RFSA) partners, and other partners working in the USAID intervention zone.
• Ensure close collaboration with the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), Global Health Security Agenda, as well as other donors and key stakeholders including the Global Fund.
• Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation, and to allow for timely and accurate decision-making and course corrections when evidence acquired through the activity’s MEL mechanisms suggest the need for change.
• Support a rigorous approach to learning and adaptation driven by data that, in consultation with USAID, lead to refinements and adjustments to the Activity’s technical approaches and annual work plans.
• Ensure compliance with all USG regulations, procedures and Save the Children guidelines.
• Represent Save the Children with partners and key stakeholders, and maintain positive relationships with USAID, the Ministry of Health, and the country office team.
• Establish effective communication and coordination with personnel from the government in order to implement interventions and incorporate country-wide priorities.
• Actively participate as a member of the Country Extended Senior Management Team (ESMT), contributing to country strategic plans.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the project team strives to achieve excellence.
• Incorporate SC’s vision and values and full adherence to Code of Conduct principles.
• Closely monitor security dynamics in the project areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.
• Train, develop, coach, lead, and supervise staff, clearly communicating organization, division and department priorities, and how their work contributes to our mission, ensuring that the working environment continually fosters diversity, inclusion, and belonging – supporting Save the Children values

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant areas of expertise or international development is preferred; Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Minimum 10 years’ of professional experience designing, managing and implementing large and complex programs in technical areas such as maternal, newborn and child health, reproductive health and family planning, nutrition, hygiene, gender, and youth.
• At least five years of senior program experience working and living in a developing country, ideally in Niger or other French-speaking country in West and Central Africa.
• In-depth knowledge of USAID approaches and regulations.
• Prior experience as Chief of Party or Deputy COP.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations.
• Creative problem solving skills with the ability to work effectively in resource-constrained environments.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French.
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams at all levels, both internally and externally
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering and maintaining and environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

About Save the Children

No matter your role when you join Save the Children, each and every day you will challenge yourself to devote your skills, talent and expertise to changing the world for kids. It’s an ambitious goal, and a meaningful one no matter how you see yourself professionally: an accountant, a writer, a data analyst, a teacher, a driver, a designer, or any one of the hundreds of dozens of roles we’re looking to fill every day.

You see, Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)