- Bachelor’s degree in international development, development economics, food security, public nutrition or health, public administration, or related field is required; master’s degree preferred. - Minimum of 7-10 years of professional experience in implementing USG-funded food security or related programs with a minimum of seven years of experience in a leadership role. - Experience in managing large field programs with multiple local and international partners, with expertise in scaling up programs in complex environments, including demonstrated skills in strategic planning, management, and budgeting. - Knowledge of USAID regulations and policies. - Expertise in both the nutrition and livelihood sectors is ideal. - Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and - supervise, with an ability to develop a common vision among partners, and lead and be a member of multi-disciplinary teams. Sense of humor and ability to deal with ambiguity. - Knowledge of gender equity and transformative concepts. - Creative problem solving skills with the ability to work effectively in resource constrained environments. - Strong analytical skills and excellent oral and written English communication skills. - Fluency in spoken and written French required. - Prior COP and Title II program management experience preferred.
Summary: Save the Children, working with its sub-recipient World Vision International (WVI), is implementing the Livelihoods, Agriculture and Health Interventions in Action (LAHIA) project, a five-year, $29.8M integrated USAID funded Title II food security program in Niger concentrating efforts in the Maradi Department. The priority components of the program include reducing chronic malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women and children under five years of age with a focus on children under two as well as increasing local availability and access to nutritious food by diversifying agricultural productivity and rural households’ income, and increasing resilience to shocks. Gender and environment are themes that run throughout all program interventions. Critical components also include coordination with other stakeholders and donor funded food security and resilience programming as well as identifying and capturing learning opportunities. The LAHIA Chief of Party (COP) provides overall project management, leadership, technical guidance, and support to the program at the country level, including managing responses to food- and nutrition-related emergencies which may occur in the target area or as requested/instructed by Food for Peace. The COP is accountable for program quality, compliance with USAID regulations and SC policies and procedures, and financial and operational management. S/he will serve as the management leader and coordinator of a team of agricultural, income generation, MCHN, WASH, disaster prevention and/or risk reduction specialists, implementing activities that will be integrated within communities to improve synergistic effects and provide greater impact. The COP will also serve as the primary liaison with Ministry government representatives, donors, partner agencies and local institutions and communities as well as with the FFP and program-related USAID Mission staff. S/he will have a critical role coordinating with other Title II programs in country, as well as other resilience and food security programming, with a particular focus on learning opportunities and knowledge management. S/he will be expected to play a pivotal role in the development of future funding proposals. Key Responsibilities: General/Representational: - Ensure overall program success and that activities are effectively contributing to the overall goal and intermediate results of the program; the program should be working within a clear and transparent theory of change which is understood by all staff. - Lead adaptation strategies based on beneficiary and staff feedback, formal assessments, and monitoring and evaluation results to ensure program responsiveness to on-going learning. - Maintain critical oversight of high risk areas, including, but not limited to:procurements, monitoring and evaluation, environmental compliance, and staff security. - Direct transparent communications with project partners, including negotiating scopes of work, addressing requisite revisions in program work, and troubleshooting issues that may arise. - Maintain focus on SC program principles and ensure the same of project staff. - Encourage teamwork, openness, and honesty among District staff and between SC and its partners. - Remain up-to-date regarding current Save the Children International (SCI) and Save the Children US rules, regulations and expectations and ensure that they are being correctly implemented on the project. - Represent SC and the LAHIA program in USAID donor meetings and with representatives from USAID Food for Peace Office and the Government of Niger; maintain communications and good working relationships with officials. - Ensure regular, transparent, equitable and timely communications with subrecipient(s). - Represent SC and maintain communications and good working relationships among the international and local NGO community, among community leadership structures and community-based organizations, and to visiting donor teams and other key contacts. Keep abreast of NGO, government, and donor initiatives relevant to SC’s work. Program Implementation: - Ensure the smooth running of all LAHIA program activities, including livelihoods, health and nutrition, WASH, and commodity management.Promote close collaboration between technical teams and integration of key concepts across sector activities. - Ensure program implementation meets SC HQ and donor expectations for quality, timeliness, and compliance. - Ensure monitoring and evaluation systems are in place for use in program implementation and reporting; ensure the program meets the requirements for mitigation and monitoring as approved in the Initial Environmental Examination/Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan. Financial and Administrative Oversight Financial: - Ensure that efficient systems are in place to support all financial and grant management and that procurements effectively use project resources in compliance with USAID regulations. - Ensure the team implements quality programming in a cost-effective manner. - Oversee the timely expenditure of approved budgets, avoiding both under spending and overspending on grant line items. Track funding by individual sources of funds. - Ensure that financial practices support Save the Children’s accountability to the donor and that financial reports are timely and complete. - Oversee program subrecipient agreements, including but not limited to, donor compliance, financial management and program achievements. Administration and Reporting: - Oversee the development and dissemination of reports related to project activities; ensure that both SCI Country Office and SCUS have copies of relevant reports, approvals and communications with donor. - Coordinate with SCUS on issues of LAHIA award management and reporting. - Ensure development and submission of donor required reports, including, but not limited to, work plans, quarterly reports, annual results reports, pipeline analyses, and financial forecasts and reports. Ensure close coordination with SCI Country Office and SCUS to ensure appropriate levels of support are included in proposed budgets. Human Resources: - Supervise program staff, with direct supervisory responsibility of DCOP, Field Operations Manager, Health and Nutrition Coordinator, Livelihoods Coordinator, Gender Specialist and MEAL Manager. - Working with country office, ensure that the program is compliant with local labor laws and SC policies and procedures. Ensure that all staff are aware of and understand SC policies and procedures; take appropriate disciplinary measures as needed. - Promote a non-discriminatory and productive work environment; promote gender equity within both program operations and program activities. - Promote staff capacity building; working with senior managers, identify gaps and implement solutions. - Ensure updated job descriptions for each position, conduct annual performance evaluations, identify staff skills development needs and work with other project team members and country staff to meet those needs. Provide management support to staff as needed. - Ensure timely recruitment, orientation, and training of new staff as needed. Monitor program needs and adjust staffing as appropriate, filling any gaps in a timely manner.
