Job Title:
Chief of Party - Development Food Assistance Program
Requisition Number:
I1488
Area of Interest:
Agriculture
Position Type:
Full Time
Location:
Malawi/Blantyre
Job Description:
Job Title: Chief of Party – Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP)
Department: CRS/MalawiLocation: Blantyre, MalawiFLSA: ExemptReports To: Country Representative
Note: This position is contingent upon grant and candidate approvals by the donor
Background:
CRS/Malawi established an in-country presence in Malawi in 1997 and administers a diverse portfolio of relief and development programs in partnership with the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and other national and international NGOs. Key program areas include livelihoods and agriculture, education, justice and peace, and health and nutrition.
CRS/Malawi is seeking a qualified Chief of Party for an anticipated five-year Title II Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP) in Malawi. The Chief of Party will lead a consortium of NGOs and other development partners in managing and implementing this project.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Leads and supports DFAP consortium partners to achieve program targets.
- Manages all resources assigned to the project, and serves as the primary liaison among stakeholders including the donor, consortium member Country Directors, the CRS Country Representative, and relevant government ministries, raising decisions and issues as needed.
- Coordinates program implementation, monetization, finance and distribution commodities according to the policies and procedures of USG and CRS.
- Directly supervises senior DFAP staff.
- Manages consortium and donor relationships
Program Quality:
- Ensure, in coordination with the key program staff and stakeholders, that the program's strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished and meet expected technical quality standards.
- Ensure appropriate program quality support to consortium members through technical leads
- Oversee periodic technical reviews and manage changes in program direction and focus.
- Oversee that bottlenecks and challenges to program impact are addressed at various levels of stakeholders using forums such as Technical Working Groups, General Body Meetings and meetings with consortium member Country Directors.
- Ensure that vision and plans for the program are innovative and are in line with CRS agency and country program strategies.
- In collaboration with program staff, provide guidance and technical oversight to partners and other collaborating agencies to ensure that lessons of sound practice are documented and disseminated.
- Oversee integration between various technical sectors to achieve program targets
- Ensure, in coordination with the DFAP program staff, that the delivery of quality training, technical assistance and administrative and financial support to all partner agencies, including the selection and coordination of consultants.
Financial Management and Administration:
- Manage program budgets, including tracking of financial and material resources.
- Ensure accurate and timely reporting of program finances and progress status, review actual financial performance against the budget, and explain variances on a regular basis.
- Ensure staff compliance with all USG and CRS administrative and operational procedures and policies, as well as applicable donor regulations.
- Draft and submit program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
- Approve and manage financial transactions within the approved limit
Commodity Management
- Ensure planning, appropriate call forwards, sale of proceeds and documentation of commodity are in accordance to USG regulations and agreed targets.
- Monetization
- Ensure high quality returns in monetization of commodities in accordance with regulations by supporting Monetization Managero Facilitate linkages with the Region, HQ, Lifelinks, Mission and FFP on monetizationo Address issues of Bellmon Analysiso Promote through Monetization Manager good linkages with buyers
- Support Commodity Manager to address any obstacles in commodity call forward, movement and distribution.
- Facilitate appropriate linkages with the CRS Regional Office and Head Quarters in commodity management issues
Representation
- In collaboration with the CRS Country Representative and consortium member Country Directors:
- Act as primary program contact to donor and other local and international stakeholders, responsible for addressing all program matters.o Strengthen linkages with existing and potential partner agencies.o oversee program communication strategies, including compliance with donor's branding and marketing requirementso liaise with Government of Malawi representativeso Represent Consortium with FFP and Missiono Link with appropriate Church office bearers in coordination with the CR
- Facilitate high quality marketing of the DFAP consortium with various stakeholders
- Liaise with Private Sector companies
- Facilitate visits of donors to program
- Ensure periodic communication with Country Directors of consortium members to highlight achievements and challenges of their team's performance
- Address bottlenecks that may arise within the consortium in coordination with the Country Representative of CRS
Human Resource Management
- Lead, coach, mentor and manage a team of consortium staff to meet program objectives.
- Conduct periodic reviews of staff performance in keeping with CRS' and staff's parent agency's performance management system and mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork.
- Coordinate between CRS staff, seconded members and their parent organizations
- Manage the recruitment portfolio for the program, in collaboration with Human Resources and CRS country program management, to ensure optimum service delivery through recruitment of competent and qualified staff.
- Conduct activities that promote commitment and increase skills and knowledge of the DFAP team
- Develop terms of reference for all program consultants and ensure that they are fulfilling their tasks.
Reporting
- Continuously update the CR on the operations of the DFAP
- Ensure that reporting (PREP, OP reports, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports, Monetization reports, etc) are timely and of high quality
Growth, Learning and Innovation
- Promote innovation within the consortium to improve program quality.
- Facilitate the use of M&E data to improve program quality and facilitate learning to enhance skills and knowledge of team members and support scaling up best practices.
- Support country program and agency learning and knowledge management through linkages with the CRS Malawi Head of Programs unit, and relevant staff in the regional office, and headquarters as well as other CP DFAPs as possible.
- Oversight of partner capacity building strategy
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: CRS Country Representative, Country Directors of Consortium, senior DFAP staffExternal: Consortium members, USAID, FFP, Ministry of Agriculture, Office of the President and Cabinet, service providers
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.- Serves with Integrity
- Models Stewardship
- Cultivates Constructive Relationships
- Promotes Learning
Program Manager Competencies:
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.- Sets clear goals and manages toward them
- Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
- Manages financial resources with integrity
- Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning
Qualifications and Skills:
- Minimum Masters Degree in Development Studies, International Relations, Agriculture, Public Health or related field required
- Minimum 8 years of progressively increasing management responsibility in developing countries, including experience in operational research, nutrition or food security.
- Prior management of significant USAID funding required, including previous Title II management.
- Proven leadership and inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams. Demonstrated staff management experience.
- Proven experience in managing complex consortium or partnership relationships required.
- Strategic vision and capacity to oversee a vast and complex program required.
- Experience with participatory methods and partnerships required.
- Public relations skills required.
- Proven ability to think strategically.
- Flexibility to work both in a team and independently.
- Cultural sensitivity, patience and flexibility.
- Demonstrated personal accountability and driven to serve others.
- Understanding of and experience with faith-based organizations, local church structures, and accompaniment and capacity-building principles in local partnerships desired.
- Ability to travel nationally and internationally as required.
- Excellent English oral and written communication skills required.
- Experience working in a variety of developing environments required.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook required.
EOE/M/F/D/V
