Deputy chief of party-operations | Erbil, Iraq | 2021 At Chemonics

Chemonics seeks a deputy chief of party (DCOP) – Operations for the ongoing USAID/Iraq Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) project. DCEO aims to support vulnerable communities to build community resilience and durability against destabilizing factors by increasing their adaptive capacity and economic well-being. The program delivers workforce development, one-to-one business support, firm-level assistance, and community engagement through 4 Task Orders under an IDIQ. The majority of the project’s 50+ staff are currently based in Erbil with offices soon to be re-opened in Baghdad. We are seeking candidates who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world. The DCOP-Operations will have strong management and leadership skills and ideally have demonstrated experience successfully operating in sensitive political and cultural contexts. The location of this long-term field assignment is Erbil, Iraq, with frequent travel to Baghdad.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Oversees all operations including but not limited to human resources, administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting, financial, and property
• Ensures that program implementation is in accordance with Chemonics policy and USAID regulations and procedures, and in alignment with the contract scope of work
• Ensures that the most reasonable, fair, expeditious, and appropriate procurement choices are made pursuant to the contractor’s procurement guide
• Supervises day-to-day field presence in the areas of operations (including the project’s facilities such as office space, equipment and project vehicles), human resources, administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting and financial accounting
• Supervises the daily financial operations of the contract, including cash flow management, time sheet recording, reporting to USAID on the financial aspects of the project, and daily monitoring of obligations, budgets, and expenditures
• Ensures continuous liquidity for the project
• Handles all human resource and personnel management issues and tasks, including recruiting and hiring of local staff, employment mechanisms such as short-term and long-term agreements of local staff, administration of local staff leave and benefits, local staff care and professional development, and performance management and review
• Manages local registration mechanisms and administration, including adherence to compliance with host country requirements, and coordinating with the contractor’s home office, as needed
• Establishes business conduct standards and procedures in compliance with contractor and USAID standards, and ensures staff are regularly trained in this area, including the establishment and use of systems and internal controls to reduce risk and exposure to vulnerabilities
• Investigates and identifies new ways of achieving project efficiencies
• Coordinates with the contractor’s home office on all compliance issues, seeking legal and policy guidance on sanctions and other applicable restrictions
• While not directly responsible for overseeing activity development, the DCOP-Operations will be expected to have a good grasp of the programmatic aspects of the program and be prepared to step in as needed to support the COP and other program staff in activity development aspects of the project while staying apprised of the evolution of the local political, legal, and economic situation and on how to continuously adapt the program

Qualifications:

• Minimum seven years of experience working with donor-funded projects in a related operational role
• Minimum five years supervisory experience, including experience with culturally and geographically diverse staff
• Fluency in USAID’s policies and procedures regarding human resources, financial management, financial reporting, and procurement processes, and systems
• Diverse experience with donors, contractors, and/or international NGOs managing an office or program
• Experience working in developing countries is required
• Experience working in Iraq or security challenged environments is desired
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Fluency in English is required, Arabic language skills strongly preferred but not required