Chief of Party for USAID/Georgia Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Activity

Headlight Organization Overview

Founded in 2018, Headlight Consulting Services, LLC delivers data-driven decision-making to its partners through robust strategy design support, in-depth monitoring, evaluation, and learning technical services, and facilitated organizational change processes. Headlight brings expertise in qualitative methods, systems-thinking, utilization-focused Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA), emergent methods such as developmental evaluation, evaluation policy design, organizational development, and much more. Headlight offers fit-for-purpose, agile solutions to improve the efficiency and efficacy of development programs around the globe, focusing on the structures and systems that enable sustainable solutions.

Proposal Objective:

Headlight anticipates bidding on the USAID/Georgia Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Activity. The activity is envisioned to enable data-driven decision-making and evidence-based CLA among USAID/Georgia staff and its implementing partners to improve program management and development impact.

The project is expected to last five years.

Summary of Position

Headlight is seeking a full-time Chief of Party who will lead and manage the overall implementation of the activity. S/he will serve as Headlight’s principal liaison to USAID/Georgia. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing strategic direction, overseeing activities, fostering collaboration among project partners, and ensuring the effective application of learning and adaptive management principles. This is a leadership role that requires a proven track record in international development, strong project management skills, and the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders. The position will be full-time over the duration of the project, based in Tbilisi, and will report directly to Headlight’s Director of Strategic Learning based in the United States.

This full-time position is contingent upon the successful award of the activity.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Headlight’s representative and point of contact for the contract. Serve as primary liaison with the USAID/Georgia COR and Contracting Officer.
• Provide strategic leadership and technical advice on key technical activities.
• Oversee project planning to ensure the achievement of project goals and objectives.
• Oversee the design and implementation of evaluations, capacity-building approaches, learning events, knowledge management efforts and other technical tasks conducted under this contract.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including USAID, government officials, and other stakeholders for smooth implementation.
• Manage and oversee the project’s operations, human resources, administration, and financial and contractual accountability throughout the implementation.
• Supervise the project team, including long-and short-term personnel. Provide coaching and mentorship to staff. Coordinate and ultimately be responsible for all project tasks, ensuring quality assurance and responsiveness. Make necessary adjustments to meet the requirements of USAID.
• Attend and collaborate through regular meetings with program leadership, relevant stakeholders at all levels, and monitoring and evaluation staff as needed to collect data and facilitate adaptation.
• Ensure compliance with USAID regulations, project timelines, and deliverables.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in international relations, economics, political science, public policy, or another relevant field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in supporting international development projects, including at least 5 years in leadership positions.
• Understanding of USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) framework, or experience with facilitating workshops, creating learning agendas, implementing adaptive management, and similar activities.
• Technical knowledge and understanding of MEL design, implementation, and management, including (but not limited to) indicator development, data collection and analysis, data quality assessments, performance reporting, evaluation design, evaluation planning, and management/dissemination of evaluations.
• Multifaceted facilitation skills, including with multicultural audiences, particularly related to programmatic and organizational learning.
• Prior demonstrated experience managing personnel, funds and resources for multi-year, multi-task projects. Proven successful leadership in an intercultural team environment in a development context. Ability to supervise a team to complete tasks on time and on budget.
• Demonstrated experience developing long-standing and trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of and experience with USAID policies and procedures regarding human resource management, financial management, financial reporting, procurement processes, etc.
• Knowledge and understanding of USAID Evaluation Policy, ADS regulations, and USAID initiatives.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Georgian nationals strongly encouraged

Benefits

Headlight offers full-time employees a competitive salary package, vacation, holiday, and sick leave, health and life insurance coverage, and much more.

Headlight Consulting Services, LLC complies with all policies, laws, and regulations in Georgia. Headlight provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.