Chief of Party, USAID/Bangladesh Education Scholarship activity

About IREX:

IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $100 million, work in more than 100 countries worldwide with offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 600.

Summary of Position:

IREX seeks qualified Chief of Party (COP) candidates for the anticipated USAID-funded Education Scholarship activity in Bangladesh. This activity will aim to assist aspiring teachers, existing teachers, and education administrators be competitively selected to obtain associates, bachelors, and master’s degrees at U.S. tertiary and community colleges. Based in Dhaka, the COP will oversee all aspects of program implementation, providing a vision for the program and ensuring that objectives are met on time and within budget.

This position is contingent on funding.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic and technical leadership to the program, including a comprehensive vision for designing a Bangladeshi Teacher Education Scholarship program and assist aspiring teachers, existing teachers, and education administrators to be competitively selected to obtain associates, bachelors, and master’s degrees at U.S. tertiary and community colleges.
• Serve as principal liaison with USAID and develop productive collaborative relationships with a wide range of key stakeholders including government officials, US and Bangladeshi higher educational institutions, schools, other donors and implementers, youth-led and youth-serving organizations, program beneficiaries and others.
• Develop strong collaborative, supportive, and mutually respectful relationships with diverse team members, with other leaders at IREX, and with leaders at key stakeholder and partner organizations.
• Ensure program activities are implemented on schedule, within budget, and coordinated to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Oversee program budgeting and forecasting, financial management, compliance and subgrants management.
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting to ensure the program adapts as needed to meet objectives and learning is acquired and shared broadly to maximize impact and sustainability.
• Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout program implementation while also promoting an evidence-based positive youth development approach.
• Supervise, manage, and mentor program staff; lead recruitment of specialized technical staff.
• Ensure that IREX’s safety and security policies and procedures are applied to all program and staff operations.
• Represent IREX publicly and support its organizational development.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience leading scholarship and/or education-focused programs with a master’s degree in a relevant field such as education, international development, non-profit management, etc.; or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least 12 years or relevant experience also considered.
• Successful track record of supervising the implementation of complex donor-funded technical assistance programs of similar size (with strong preference for past USAID-funded program management experience in South Asia).
• Strong understanding of the Bangladesh context and or experience implementing programs in-country strongly preferred.
• Ability to establish strong working relationships with higher education institutions, schools, senior government officials, youth-led and youth-serving organizations, leaders from the education, international donors, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee budgets and effectively plan both strategically and creatively to meet program objectives on time and on budget.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in-service and pre-service teacher training; education administrator professional development; implementing international education scholarship or exchange programs including competitive selection processes, pre-departure scholar support, host institution and scholar training and support during studies in the U.S., as well as alumni programming; forging higher education institution linkages between the U.S. and other countries. Higher education experience preferred.
• Proven leadership qualities and excellent management skills.
• Strong representational and organizational skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; language skills in Bengali highly preferred.