Chief of Party, USAID/Youth Grow Activity in Jordan

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 13 countries, and a global staff of 600.

Summary of Position:

IREX seeks qualified Chief of Party (COP) candidates for the anticipated USAID-funded Youth Grow Activity in Jordan. This activity will aim to increase youth access to high-quality career planning information and livelihood opportunities; strengthen youth leadership through targeted support of local youth-led and youth-serving organizations in order to promote youth participation as decision makers and key contributors to individual, household, community, and national well-being; and strengthen Government of Jordan (GOJ) systems, in partnership with youth, to provide more coordinated and effective services, practices, and policies that embody the principles of Positive Youth Development (PYD). Based in Amman, 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 strengthening youth leadership, increasing access to high-quality career planning information and livelihood opportunities, and improving the enabling environment for PYD.
• Serve as principal liaison with USAID and develop productive collaborative relationships with a wide range of key stakeholders including government officials, other donors and implementers, youth-led and youth-serving organizations, civil society and private sector partners, 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 eight (8) years of relevant experience leading youth-focused programs with a master’s degree in a relevant field such as business, economics, education, international development, non-profit management, etc.; or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least 10 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 the Middle East).
• Strong understanding of the Jordanian context and or experience implementing programs in-country strongly preferred.
• Ability to establish strong working relationships with youth leaders, senior government officials, youth-led and youth-serving organizations, leaders from the education and civil society sectors, 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 positive youth development, institutional performance improvement, livelihoods, youth policy reform.
• Proven leadership qualities and excellent management skills.
• Strong representational and organizational skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; language skills in Arabic highly preferred.

Jordanian citizens and young leaders strongly encouraged to apply.