Chief of Party At Concern Worldwide

Job Title: Chief of Party – Community Nutrition Activity, Bangladesh

Job Location: Bangladesh, TBC

Job Type: Regular, Full Time**

Reports to: Country Director. You will report to the Country Director, and you will line manage the Deputy Chief of Party, Finance Manager and other programme staff. You will also work closely with the Programme Director, Country Finance Controller, Systems Director, Desk Officer and Advisors.

About the role: This is a 60-month, new role with unaccompanied terms based in Dhaka Bangladesh with a salary of Grade 6 (€52,994- €58,881).

*This position is contingent on upon successful agreement award and USAID approval. We would like you to start in March 2022 (dependent on funding approval).

Founded in 1968, Concern Worldwide (Concern) is an international humanitarian aid organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty and alleviating suffering through emergency relief and long-term development programs spanning livelihoods, education, nutrition, health, and WASH. Concern currently operates in 24 of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, and works in partnership with communities, public and private service providers, local government, academic institutions, and other local and international organizations to ensure sustainable delivery of effective services.

Your purpose:

Concern Worldwide seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated Community Nutrition and Health programme (subject to funding approval from USAID/Bangladesh). This programme will be a five-year consortium between four international partners, with Concern Worldwide as the lead. The programme will aim to improve the nutritional status of women and children within the 1,000 days defined as pregnancy to the child’s second birthday. The Community Nutrition and Health Projectseeks to support maternal and infant and young child nutrition status by 1) improving the quality of nutrition and health services provided at community level; 2) improving nutrition and health behaviours; and 3) strengthening governance for nutrition at national and sub-national levels. The Activity also seeks to improve communities’ resilience to shocks as a cross-cutting outcome.

The COP will be responsible for the overall vision and leadership of the program, and is accountable for the successful management of the program and delivering results. The COP will adhere to Concern’s program quality standards and ensure compliance with Concern and donor requirements. S/he will maintain positive and productive relationships with the donor and local and international partner organizations throughout the co-creation process and project lifecycle. The successful candidate should possess substantial experience in managing complex, multi-year USAID or other international donor-funded programs.

The Chief of Party will:

• Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership to the program to achieve expected program results within budget and time-frame
• Serve as principal liaison to USAID and the Government of Bangladesh, ensuring high levels of coordination and maintaining productive working relations, while engaging with and nurturing relationships with all key stakeholders (partner organizations, local government, civil society, etc.) on administrative, financial, and programmatic matters related to the project.
• Liaise with USAID partners and other donors, as well as implementing partners and stakeholders, to ensure coordination of and harmonization with other relevant Nutrition and Health activities in Bangladesh.
• Manage the relationship between all consortium partners and ensure partner activities are adhering to the agreed workplan and budget.
• Represent the program in all technical, policy, and programmatic fora at all levels (regional, national, and international)
• Lead program teams (e.g. technical, program, finance, and operational staff) to ensure program tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met.
• Provide leadership and oversee staff management including hiring, supervising, and mentoring project staff to achieve project goals and develop national partner leadership capacity.
• Oversee program deliverables and fulfil all donor and Concern Worldwide reporting requirements, including the production of timely and accurate financial and programmatic reports.
• Direct preparation of annual work plans, program activity updates, and other project-related communication and reporting materials.
• Using an adaptive management approach, track performance monitoring analysis and apply course correction

· Ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations as well as Concern policies and practices.

· Ensure regular communication and nurture collaborative relationships with all program partners and Concern head offices

· Work collaboratively with the wider Concern programme team, including advocacy, MEAL, and others, to ensure cross learning and input into new programme design based and delivery of the Country Strategic Plan

· Ensure that there is a robust CHS Improvement plan in place for the consortium, along with an accessible and inclusive Complaints Response Mechanism.

· Work with the Government Relations and Compliance Advisor to ensure that all NGO Affairs Bureau compliance requirements are meet.

Accountability

· Promote and ensure compliance with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and quality criteria

· Ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern’s Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) and ensure that information about Concern’s commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among programme participants and communities

· Ensure that the CRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all programmes’ locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns

· Ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensure that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritised at all stages.

Your skills and experience will include:

Basic Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree (equivalent) or higher in public heath, international development, or another relevant field.
• A minimum of 7 years’ work experience in a program management position; preferably 10 years or more, with progressive responsibilities in a field related to the successful implementation of the program, such as community nutrition, local governance, health.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience managing donor funds, preferably for USAID awards. Strong knowledge and experience in budget management.
• A minimum of 5 years’ staff management experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in an environment conducive to learning and development. Experience coaching senior program staff.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including technical, management, and evaluation expertise for complex programs in resource-constrained countries.
• Strong communication skills, including both written and oral presentation skills; proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse public and private partners.
• Experience collaborating and coordinating with local and national host government agencies and international agencies, and aligning program activities and results with strategies.
• Deep knowledge of the political, social, and economic context of Bangladesh required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, and Bangla would also be an advantage.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience as a Chief of Party or comparable senior leadership position on similar, international, donor-funded programs in complex countries, preferably with USAID funding.
• Familiarity with USAID’s approaches to Community Nutrition, the state of the health sector in Bangladesh, and small/medium enterprise development and/or social marketing approaches in support of such development.
• Knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%. The position will be located in Dhaka Bangladesh.