Chief of Party – Haiti Resilience and Agriculture Sector Advancement (HRASA)

Project Description:

USAID Feed the Future Haiti Resilience and Agriculture Sector Advancement (HRASA) is a 5-year activity implemented by DAI. The Activity is currently in its first year of implementation. HRASA builds on USAID’s decades of investment in the Haitian agricultural sector and catalyzes the resourcefulness and innovation of Haitian market system actors to transform agricultural market systems so that they are more competitive, inclusive, and resilient—ultimately advancing Haiti’s food security, sustainable economic development, and the Journey to Self-Reliance.

HRASA’s overarching goal is to increase individual, household, and community resilience through strengthened, well-functioning, and inclusive market systems. While Objective 1 activities focuses on improving the efficiency/ effectiveness of existing market system actors, Objective 2 aims to stimulate and expand PSE and investment in agricultural market systems. Finally, Objective 3 targets subsistence farming households, strengthening their capacities to participate in market system opportunities emerging from activities under Objectives 1 and 2.

Role’s Purpose:

The Chief of Party (COP) is based at the Project’s Main Office in Cap Haitien, Haiti, with frequent travel to the regional office in the south, Port-au-Prince and field visits. The Chief of Party (COP) provides overall technical and administrative leadership and expertise to the project. The COP serves as the primary liaison with USAID/Haiti on management and technical matters as well as the liaison with other implementing partners, donors, and key stakeholders (local and international). The COP must have demonstrated ability to work in complex environments and manage diverse and substantial teams to deliver impact.

Objectives and Duties:

• Provide technical and managerial leadership on agriculture market systems development (MSD), building resilience, food security and economic development.
• Direct the vision and resources to meet the various components of the activity, ensuring a consistent technical approach implemented in line with the objectives of the HRASA Activity. Manage and ensure workplan, contract deliverables (including inputs from subcontractors and consultants), and quarterly reports are on time and of high quality.
• Lead the HRASA Activity to achieve successful, impactful results and high client satisfaction, reflected in CPAR scores/narrative and award fee determination.
• Serve as the lead liaison and maintaining productive relationships with USAID, key government ministries, private sector entities, and other donor-funded programs.
• Provide timely and accurate reporting to USAID on all program areas.
• Ensure that HRASA’s technical and operational implementation principles are applied to all internal and external activity conducted under this SOW are implemented and complies with resilience programming principles, DAI and USAID policies and regulations.
• Ensure that key cross-cutting gender and social inclusion considerations are built into project activities.
• Directly supervise the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Director of Finance & Operations (DFO), Strategic Communications Manager, and Security Manger.
• Build the capacity of local staff in both technical and managerial skills, including coaching and mentoring the local DCOP.
• Supervise and guide the DFO in establishing and maintaining administrative and organizational structures.
• Supervise the MEL Director in developing the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP), and ensure that all performance indicators and illustrative activities are aligned to project objectives.
• Oversee budget preparation and provide overall financial oversight to ensure strict fiscal accountability.
• Coordinate with home office project management team to ensure accurate forecasting of project’s financial performance through careful planning (pipeline budgets, etc.) and financial management.
• Coordinate with the DAI’s home office on a regular basis.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in relevant field such as economics, agriculture, rural development, international affairs, business administration, or another related field;
• Minimum 10 years of demonstrated project leadership experience in international development, preferably in the LAC region, with USAID COP experience required;
• Demonstrated track record of working in teams and fostering collaborative partnerships;
• Technical expertise in at least one of the following areas required: market systems and private sector engagement, agriculture and value chain development, resilience, food security and livelihoods, and gender and social inclusion;
• Demonstrated experience overseeing monitoring, evaluation, collaboration and learning (CLA) and adaptive management;
• Ability to work and quickly adapt in a complex and volatile environment;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French;
• Demonstrated experience implementing development programs in Haiti required.

Reporting: The Chief of Party will report to the Home Office Project Team Director (PTD)