Chief of Party – Resilience Food Security Activity At Concern Worldwide

Job Title: Chief of Party – Resilience Food Security Activity, DRC

Job Location: Eastern DRC, TBD

Job Type: Full Time, Unaccompanied

Reports to: Country Director. You will report to the Country Director and will line manage the Deputy Chief of Party and other program staff. You will also work closely with the Programmes 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 Eastern DRC with a salary of Grade 6 range from € 54,054 to € 60,059.

**This position is contingent on upon successful agreement award and USAID approval.**We would like you to start in September 2023 (dependent on funding approval).

Concern Worldwide has operated in the DRC in 1994, successfully implementing programs in emergency response, livelihoods, food security, protection, and health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) throughout the country. Concern DRC has eight offices with over 300 staff throughout the country. The head office is in Kinshasa with coordination offices in Goma (North Kivu), and Kalemie (Tanganyika). At the program implementation level, there are offices in Manono, Nyunzu, Kiambi, and Kabalo (Tanganyika) and Kitchanga (North Kivu).

Your purpose:

Concern Worldwide seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated project “Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA)” in Eastern DRC. RFSAs work to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations through multi-year resilience food and nutrition security activities. These activities work at the individual, household, community, and institutional levels to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition and strengthen transformative opportunities. RFSAs are intended to strengthen resilience in populations vulnerable to acute, chronic hunger, and malnutrition; recurrent shocks, stresses, and crises; and to reduce the need for ongoing or future emergency food assistance.

The COP will be responsible for the overall vision, leadership, and representation 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. They will maintain positive and productive relationships with the donor and local and international partner organizations throughout the co-creation process and project lifecycle. They will manage the DCOP and finance staff. The successful candidate should possess substantial experience managing complex, multi-year USAID or other international donor-funded programs.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 40%.

The Chief of Party will be responsible to:

• Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership to the project to achieve expected project results within budget and time-frame.
• Serve as principal liaison to USAID and the Government of the DRC, ensuring high levels of coordination and maintaining productive working relations, while engaging 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 food security, nutrition, WASH, natural resource management, conflict mitigation and resilience activities in DRC.
• Represent the USAID activity in all technical, policy, and programmatic fora at all levels (regional, national, and international).
• Lead project teams (e.g. technical, program, finance, and operational staff) to ensure program tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met.
• Effectively manage senior program and operations teams across the geographic location. Maintain a deep understanding of technical activities and provide technical guidance as needed. Manage staffing plans and recruitment as necessary.
• Provide leadership and oversee staff management including hiring, supervising, and mentoring project staff to achieve project goals. Manage team dynamics, staff wellbeing and provide coaching and mentoring support to direct reports and other team members. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports.
• Oversee project 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, project 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 project partners and Concern head offices.

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 development studies, international relations, agriculture, nutrition, public health, business administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 7 years of work experience in a senior program management position; preferably 10 years or more, with progressive responsibilities in a field related to the successful implementation of the program, such as food security, nutrition, agriculture, or resilience.
• Must possess proven leadership skills managing projects in developing countries facing complex, volatile, and uncertain contexts; experience managing projects in DRC preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience managing donor funds, preferably for USAID awards. Strong knowledge and experience in budget management and financial reporting.
• A minimum of 5 years of staff management experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in an environment conducive to learning, development, and adaptive management. Experience coaching senior program staff.
• Experience managing USAID resilience activities with multiple sub-awardees.
• 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.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and 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 DRC required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French.

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 resilience and food security; the state of food security and nutrition sectors in DRC; understand and demonstrate commitment to the importance of gender and youth dynamics in food security programming and within staff and management.
• Understanding and knowledge of USAID and U.S. Government regulations and program administration, management, and reporting procedures and systems is preferred.
• Knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere and HAP Standards and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols