Chief of Party, McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program – Sri Lanka At Save the Children

Save the Children is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for PALAM/A, a USDA-funded McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole) project in Sri Lanka. Since 2018 PALAM/A has supported Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to provide school meals, reduce hunger, improve literacy and health practices. By providing school meals, teacher training, and related education and nutrition support, the project helps boost school enrollment, attendance, and literacy achievement.

This senior leadership position will provide overall strategic direction in the design, management, implementation and overall quality assurance of the project. The COP will collaborate closely with relevant Government of Sri Lanka line ministries and other critical partners to provide high-level support for effective cooperation at the national and local level. You will oversee a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operating plans, align project initiatives with in-country priorities and ensure the program is compliant with USDA and Save the Children’s regulations.

This position is contingent upon donor approval.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Lead the management of the program in line with USDA guidelines to achieve project objectives;
• Ensure high quality technical, financial, programmatic and administrative leadership and oversight is in place for the program;
• Oversee program strategies, technical approaches, reports, work-plans, and budgets;
• Direct line management of the Deputy COP;
• Ensure compliance with USDA regulations, procedures and Save the Children guidelines;
• Ensure good practice by supporting the development of strong M&E mechanisms
• Represent Save the Children with partners and key stakeholders;
• Establish effective communication and coordination with USDA, the Government of Sri Lanka, and the country office team;
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the project team strives to achieve excellence;
• Participate as part of the Country Senior Management team contributing to country strategic plans and reporting
• Incorporate SC’s vision and values and full adherence to Code of Conduct principles;
• Closely monitor security dynamics in the project areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor Degree and 10 years’ of professional experience designing, managing and implementing large and complex programs;
• In-depth knowledge of USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education approaches and regulations;
• Prior experience as Chief of Party, Deputy COP or senior project manager for multi sectoral US Government funded projects;
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to lead and work effectively in a team;
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and partners;
• Specific technical expertise in food and nutrition security, school feeding and education programming;
• Familiarity with and commitment to addressing gender equality in programming;
• Creative problem solving skills with the ability to work effectively in resource-constrained environments is important;
• Proven negotiation and conflict resolution abilities;
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite;
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams at all levels, both internally and externally;
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering and maintaining and environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Why you should join the Save the Children Team

Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.

Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in YOU!

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

*Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.*

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.