Party Chief at Millennium Water Alliance

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• The COP will provide strategic oversight in the planning, decision making and implementation of the following functions:
• Serve as STAWI program primary contact with the donor and the program partners. Establish, maintain, and continuously cultivate excellent working relationships with donors, national and county governments, strategic partners, and other collaborators within the region.
• Serve as the STAWI primary point of contact between the MWA-led grant and the STAWI contractor to ensure a productive and responsive working relationship with them to achieve the overall goals of the STAWI program platform.
• Provide high level representation and communication, clearly articulating program vision, integrated strategy and objectives, program achievements and learnings to the donor community, government, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide overall leadership and direction to a large and complex program ensuring an integrated vision among diverse program components and partners, to achieve the desired results.
• Lead strategy for partnership and engagement with MWA local partner organizations to build their capabilities to successfully implement STAWI Program.
• Promote strategic planning and strong coalition building among MWA partners with consistent communication and shared learnings and knowledge management.
• Ensure focused documentation of program results and pro-active dissemination of program learnings and outcomes. Ensure learnings are shared and incorporated to continuously improve program performance.
• Provide oversight and supervision of a dynamic team at the Program Hub and at the implementing partners’ level comprising of technical, operational and management staff, support the recruitment and coaching of high-performing and integrated cross-functional teams capable to delivering a high quality and well-coordinated program results.
• Promote and support development of a program culture that reflects collegiality and peer support, accountability and high performance, innovativeness, and continuous quality improvement to achieve desired results.
• With input from STAWI implementing partners and in conjunction with USAID and key stakeholders, determine annual priorities, develop work plans. Prepare, and ensure timely submission of annual reports and quarterly progress reports.
• Provide oversight and ensure grant compliant policies, processes and procedures are put in place and followed in line with project plans and objectives. Provide oversight over effective quality assurance measures for early identification of risk and proactively oversee corrective measures to manage risk.
• Oversee program implementation and financial management to ensure program alignment with budget allocations, internal policies, and USAID regulations.
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and learning (M&E) functions and design, implement, and monitor the quality of all program activities and timely achievement of set deliverables. Ensure a robust plan to track program data and report results across the program locations.
• Convene and lead regular program meetings including technical working group meetings as well as Program Management meetings for improved collaboration and share lessons and common practice.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree preferred in a relevant field E.g., environmental studies, water resources management, and engineering.
• Leadership and management experience and strong networks in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties preferred.
• At least 10 years of high-level management experience in the development sector, preferably in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
• Previous successful experience as a Chief of Party, Country Director or equivalent roles is required.
• Demonstrated experience in successful program management including management of functions of complex multi-activity projects.
• Provide strong budget management and oversight to quickly identify problems and take corrective action.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships.
• Proven ability to provide effective and primary representation with high profile donors and government stakeholders.
• Previous experience implementing and managing USAID-funded programs required.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a good and productive working environment.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Excellent relationship management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally.
• Trusted networks across relevant sectors of the program.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented.