CHIEF OF PARTY - Kenya Investment Mechanism at Cardno

The successful candidate will have an opportunity to work with one of the world’s largest USAID-Focused development consultancies. Join Cardno in making a difference in Kenya. We are seeking a World-Class Chief of Party (COP) candidate to lead our multinational team in one of Kenya’s largest and most ambitious efforts to mobilize finance for small businesses. We are looking for a team-builder and an innovator who will work with financial institutions, development partners, and enterprises to overcome financing constraints and support the Government of Kenya in achieving the Vision 2030 goals. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to work with one of the world’s largest development consultancies and a high-caliber USAID-client team, pioneering initiatives that will mobilize up to $1bn in business finance.

The purpose of the anticipated USAID-funded Kenya Investment Mechanism program is to promote private sector growth for development gains. In simplified terms, the effort looks to identify small business (and larger when applicable) and entrepreneurs, and mobilize all forms of capital with technical assistance and transaction advisory services–both by itself and in partnership with other USAID programming–to seed enterprise growth at scale. The intended project will promote private sector growth through a comprehensive and integrated focus on finance, investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation to support the objectives of the United States Presidential Initiatives including: agriculture’s Feed the Future (FTF), Power Africa, Trade Africa, and Global Climate Change, as well as the USAID’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH); Resilience; and Enhancing Capacity for Low Emissions Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) funded by USAID. The program budget is anticipated to be approximately $50-75 million over five years.

The Chief of Party (COP) will be responsible for assuring that all assistance provided is technically sound and appropriate for the needs to be addressed and for adequately managing and supervising the work of all organizations and individuals engaged under the project while in country. Additionally, the COP will be expected to play a leading and substantive role in developing and implementing all activities; s/he shall be the lead person for Cardno in liaising with the donor staff, institutions, and client country partners to exchange information and develop professional relationships.

The COP should have strategic vision, leadership qualities, technical expertise, professional reputation, management experience, and interpersonal skills to fulfill the diverse managerial requirements of the project. The COP will manage the technical teams, ensuring coordination of goals and efforts across the entire project effort. Administrative and technical support will be provided by our Washington DC and Nairobi offices.

Qualifications for the Chief of Party Job

• Minimum 10 years of experience implementing and managing donor-funded projects in private sector development and access to finance;
• Prior experience working with commercial banks, impact and equity investors in a developing country context in support of poverty alleviation;
• Knowledge of financing tactics and investment patterns for SMEs in the target sectors (Agriculture, Energy, Trade, Climate Change, Water, Sanitation) and experience working with the commercial banking sector in East Africa strongly preferred;
• Experience with PPP structures and frameworks
• Experience in E. Africa required; experience in Kenya preferred
• Prior experience managing donor projects required; USAID experience preferred
• Excellent written and oral communications skills required
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation
• Master’s Degree in a relevant subject (MBA, MA in Business, Economics, International Development, etc.) or 15+ years of relevant experience
• Fluency in English required; Kiswahili capability desired
• Kenyan or expatriate professionals encouraged to apply