Chief of Party (USDA /Food for Progress) at Save the Children

Role Scope:

Save the Children is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated FY25 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded Food for Progress (FFPr) program. The Food for Progress program helps developing countries and emerging democracies modernize and strengthen their agricultural sectors. This project is expected to build the capacity of work with the federal, provincial, and local levels of the host government to support efficient agricultural standards and practices throughout the identified value chain. 
This senior leadership position will provide overall strategic direction in the design, management, implementation, and overall quality assurance of the project. The COP will collaborate closely with relevant host country line ministries and other critical partners to provide high-level support for effective cooperation at the national and local level. You will oversee a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operating plans, align project initiatives with in-country priorities, and ensure the program is compliant with USDA and Save the Children’s regulations. The COP is ultimately accountable for an effective and adaptive management approach, relationships with a range of stakeholders, and management of the program team and consortium.

This is a Key Personnel position, subject to USDA approval. It is also subject to project award and funding.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties) 

*not inclusive of all role responsibilities. May be subject to change 

• Lead the management of the program in line with USDA guidelines to achieve project objectives;
• Lead overall program planning, putting in place team structures, technical and operational approaches, infrastructure, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and feedback loops required for program delivery and success;
• Lead partnerships within the program consortium, as well as with external stakeholders as needed, to foster the teamwork required for program success;
• Represent the program to donor officials, host government officials, partner representatives, local stakeholders, and team members;
• Lead annual planning processes and associated donor resource requests, monitoring implementation progress as compared to these plans;
• Ensure the quality of all program deliverables, inclusive of activities, outputs, documentation, and reporting;
• Ensure sound program financial management, logistical and operational structures and management, and reporting;
• Ensure compliance with donors, host government, and Save the Children policies and procedures;
• Recruit, develop, and manage the program team, ensuring that adequate and appropriate capacity building plans are in place and that human resources policies are appropriate for team retention and high performance;
• Establish effective communication and coordination with USDA, the host government, and the country office team;
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the project team strives to achieve excellence;
• Participate as part of the Country Senior Management team contributing to country strategic plans and reporting;
• Incorporate Save the Children’s vision and values and full adherence to Code of Conduct principles; and
• Closely monitor security dynamics in the project areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.

Required Qualifications 

• Post-graduate education (Master’s or higher) in development studies, international relations, agriculture, nutrition, public health, business administration, or a related field;
• Minimum of seven years' experience increasing management responsibility in international development projects;
• Proven leadership skills managing projects of a similar size and scope in developing countries facing complex, volatile, and uncertain contexts;
• Demonstrated experience in managing program implementation, financial reporting, reporting procedures and systems, and staff;
• Familiarity with the social, political, economic, and cultural landscape of host country;
• Experience in recruiting and strengthening the capacity of program staff;
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, private sectors, and other stakeholders;
• Proven success serving in a leadership role for a project addressing issues related to food security, nutrition, resilience, agriculture, natural resource management, livelihoods, or similar;
• In-depth knowledge of USDA’s Food for Progress (FFPr) approaches and regulations;
• Prior experience as Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, or Senior Project Manager for multi-sectoral US Government or USDA funded projects in the field of agribusiness, aquaculture, or similar field;
• Creative problem-solving skills with the ability to work effectively in resource-constrained environments is important;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams at all levels, both internally and externally;
• Experience with USDA policies and regulations are preferred;
• Ability to implement “Theory of Change” in project design, development and implementation;
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English; and
• Commitment to child rights and to the aims and objectives of Save the Children.