Regional Lead, Africa - Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI) at Abt Associates

The Opportunity

• The purpose of Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI) is to strengthen global food security and climate resilience. The cooperative agreement will provide technical support to countries through a buy-in mechanism to support the development and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This includes support for the monitoring and evaluation of such plans. As the CACCI Regional Lead, Africa, you will be responsible for liaising between the CACCI core team, CACCI local and regional partners, and USAID Missions, promoting collaboration across existing and new awards under the main activity, promoting the activity to USAID Missions, encouraging buy-ins and associate awards, facilitating co-creation of awards, and promoting regional, country, and local stakeholder engagement in the activity across Africa. You will work closely with the CACCI Project Director, Deputy Project Director – Technical, USAID Activity Managers and teams at local missions, and representatives from other USAID implementing partner-operated activities and local stakeholders to ensure buy-ins and associate awards are demand-driven and meaningfully and sustainably advance locally-led development.

Core Responsibilities

• Maintain oversight of and coordinate CACCI activities in Africa.
• Ensure close coordination with and leveraging of other relevant initiatives, including USAID private sector engagement and NAPs and NDC global support mechanisms.
• Provide geographic knowledge and technical support to project staff and partners.
• Collaboratively create and implement a strategic, long-term programmatic vision for CACCI in Africa.
• Ensure clear communication with USAID and stakeholders about project activities and accomplishments.
• Interact directly and on a regular basis with USAID to coordinate program direction and ensure strategic alignment, collaborative learning, and successful adaptive management.
• Work with the USAID Missions across Africa as well as local actors to co-design Mission buy-ins.
• Leverage regional cooperation to promote the development and implementation of NAPs and NDCs.
• Directly support capacity strengthening work to support target countries in designing, implementing, and monitoring their Paris Agreement obligations.
• Ensure close coordination with and leveraging of partners’ capabilities and other relevant initiatives, including USAID private sector engagement and NAPs and NDC global support mechanisms.
• Ensure clear communications with clients and stakeholders about project activities and accomplishments.

What We Value

• Bachelor’s Degree + 12 years of relevant experience, or master’s degree + 10 years of relevant experience, or PhD + 8 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated progressive experience as Regional Lead or similar senior management role on a multi-year, multi-country activity of similar, scope, and complexity to the CACCI activity.
• Experience with program design, co-creation, policy planning and implementation, and capacity strengthening.
• Experience working in the region is required; experience in Feed the Future countries is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders including USAID DC-based team, senior Mission personnel, embassy officials and other local in-country stakeholders.
• Experience with stakeholder mapping, building dialogue through multi-sector forums, government engagement and buy-in.
• Bachelor’s degree in international development, engineering, environmental policy, climate change adaptation, political science, sociology, economics, statistics, business, public administration, organizational development, communications, or related field.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to multi-task and strong teamwork skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French required.
• Professional competency in another regional language is desired.
• This position will be based in the region, preferably Nairobi or Addis Ababa.
• This position is full-time (100%) and reports to the Deputy Project Director – Technical for CACCI.