Chief of Party/Program Manager, Disaster Risk Management At Project Concern International

Overview

Founded in 1961, Project Concern International (PCI) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing health, ending hunger, overcoming hardship, and advance women and girls around the world. PCI has been registered and working in Ethiopia since 2005. PCI has five decades of experience and demonstrated impact in long-term development and community health, and 40 years of experience managing large-scale US Government (USG) grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

PCI is partnering with Global Communities (GC), an international development non-profit organization. GC’s mission is to create long-lasting, positive and community-led change that improves the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people across the globe.

ABOUT THE JOB:

PCI/GC seeks an experienced Chief of Party/Program Manager (COP/PM) for the anticipated Disaster Risk Management Professionalization and Youth Leadership Activity (DRM-PYL), a $7.68M five-year, US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project in Ethiopia. The project will be designed to build the next generation of young disaster risk management (DRM) professionals by equipping them with the skills that they need to actively engage in disaster risk management, and by creating professional employment opportunities for them to be actively engaged and employed in the DRM system.

The COP/PM will provide regular guidance on program management, facilitate a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder process to create a consortium and agreement between government partners, universities, TVETCs, and ministry officials to start-up and expand a multi-region Fellowship program (with multiple Fellow cohorts), amongst other strategic oversight.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The COP/PM will have overall responsibility for the activity.

• Collaborate closely with the project’s university, NGO, and private sector partners and facilitate universities to play a substantive and significant role in project leadership, management, and sustainability.
• Provide leadership, direction and supervision to project staff, subcontractors and consultants.
• Serve as Global Communities’ primary representative communicating with USAID on this program.
• Lead regular work plan, budget and implementation reviews to facilitate the cost-effective and timely achievement of contract deliverables.
• Ensure project activities are completed in compliance with USAID rules and regulations and contract requirements.
• Oversee the production and submission of timely activity and financial reports to USAID, effectively and accurately communicating project progress, achievements, challenges and utilization of funds.
• Act as the primary point of contact with USAID, universities, government counterparts, and other critical in-country stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, beneficiaries, subcontractors, suppliers and partners.
• Represent Global Communities and program interests as necessary and appropriate.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Education: An advanced graduate degree in a related field of study strongly preferred. Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum ten years of professional experience, with progressively increasing responsibility managing donor funded programs, particularly those related to disaster management, humanitarian assistance, and youth.
• Minimum of five years’ experience with humanitarian assistance and disaster risk management in developing countries.
• Senior leadership experience on a USAID program is strongly preferred. Experience on a USAID program and demonstrated knowledge of USAID rules and regulations are required.
• Experience managing USG donor funded programs of similar size and scope.
• Supervisory experience at a senior level.
• Strong communication skills both written and spoken.
• Experience managing a donor funded programs that include capacity building of youth, education, and training a plus.
• Ethiopia experience is required. Experience working with a range of stakeholders in Ethiopia strongly preferred.