Deputy Chief of Party

Works closely with and report to the Chief of Party (COP) to provide technical oversight of the program including administrative and managerial tasks needed to ensure efficient program implementation, coordination, program compliance and delivery. In the absence of the COP, serves as Acting COP and the project’s key representative to USAID, Government of DRC, relevant civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.

This role is contingent on approval of a USAID grant, donor approval, and funding.

Food for the Hungry (FH) is searching for an experienced Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the anticipated BHA/DRC Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) with an anticipated budget of $100m-299 million over 5 years. The program will seek to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations through multi-year resilience food security activities. These activities work at the individual household, community, and institutional level to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition and strengthen transformative opportunities. RFSAs are intended to strengthen resilience in populations vulnerable to acute, chronic hunger, and malnutrition; recurrent shocks, stresses, and crises; and to reduce the need for ongoing or future emergency food assistance.

FH Culture

All we do, and how we do it, seeks to promote God’s beauty, goodness, and truth in a broken world. As such, we are defined by our ability to make people’s lives measurably better; our ability to deliver impact is the measure of our collective success. For we know that we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has already prepared in advance for us to do. At Food for the Hungry, we operate under a set of values called Heartbeat Values.

Principal Responsibilities

• Provide In coordination with the COP, oversee the technical aspect of the program, including planning, implementation, project results and deliverables, in accordance with the approved project work plan.
• Lead the national and local government consultation and permissions process through closely working with relevant ministries and agencies where applicable.
• In coordination with the COP, lead development of annual work plans, budget in close collaboration with the Project team and relevant government counterparts.
• Coordinate with the Project team and relevant government counterparts to foster a smooth implementation of work plan activities, including facilitating technical and programmatic preparation and stakeholder consultations.
• Work in close collaboration with Project team, and the FH country team and Global Service Center to prepare and submit deliverables (Prep, ARR, etc.) and complete reporting requirements on schedule to USAID.
• Work closely with CLA and M&E teams to ensure appropriate and meaningful collaboration, learning and adaptation to enhance program delivery.
• Work with Finance and M&E staff to compile and submit necessary reports to FH Country Office, Global Service Center, donors, and government as required by local regulations.
• Support the COP to ensure that staff members adhere to the work plan to ensure that all targets and deliverables are met in accordance with the scope of work, and within budget.
• Supervise programs and operations staff and relevant consultants.
• Oversee the program support components (capacity building, safeguards, communication, MERL) to ensure they are in line with USAID strategies.
• Liaise with government at national and provincial levels, civil society organizations, private sector companies and other stakeholders to support delivery of the project objectives.
• Oversee local sub-grants and short-term consultants to ensure monitoring and quality of deliverables.
• When required by the COP serve as an alternate point of contact and representative of the project with USAID, other donors, implementing partners and stakeholders.
• Support the COP in set up and implementation of project operational and financial systems to ensure compliance with USAID policies and procedures and harmonize with FH regulations.
• Support the COP to organize CLA events with staff and partners regularly to anticipate, identify and address risks, issues, and gaps, in a timely and compliant fashion.
• Support the COP to establish and keep promoting a collaborative and positive work environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Level Specifications

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial data develop reports easy to read and use by other stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, program, organizational management, and communication skills, as well as sound analytical abilities..
• Proven ability to successfully lead an intercultural team in a development context, including supervising long-term field staff and short term international and local experts is required.
• Fitness to live and travel in rural and urban areas with extreme conditions and limited medical support.
• Ability to travel up to 30% of time to fragile contexts, and/or locations.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience with a proven track record in leading and managing large project/ programs combined with leading teams in public-funded projects of similar size and duration.
• Must have relevant work experience as a DCOP, or senior field management experience such as Project Director, Regional Director, or Country Director roles that required working closely with a donor, contractor, or international NGO managing an office or program.
• At least 5 years of experience in RFSA related sectors is required.
• Experience working in DRC or in a country with a similar level of socio-economic development is desirable.
• Knowledge of M&E methodologies (USAID MERL, ToC, and CLA processes), quality assurance, and work planning processes.
• Knowledge of Project/Program Planning and Management required.
• Experience working and negotiating with Government bodies, donors, and partner at all levels.
• Previous management experience on USAID projects, preferably as DCOP, Operations Director, Programs Director highly preferred.

Education/Certifications

• Master’s degree in international development or a relevant degree in one or several RFSA core sectors.

Language

Fluency in spoken and written English. Intermediate skills in French language is preferred. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from senior leadership, Government representatives, USAID, board of directors, consortia partners and the general public.

Safeguarding Policy

FH strives to provide an environment free from sexual exploitation and abuse and harassment in all places where relief and development programs are implemented. FH holds a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse and harassment. FH expects its employees to maintain high ethical standards, protect organizational integrity and reputation, and ensure that FH work is carried out in honest and fair methods, in alignment with the Heartbeat Values, safeguarding, and associated policies. Violations to stated policies will be subject to corrective action up to and including termination of employment.

An application and resume through our online system is required. Click here to access our system.