Chief Of Party -- McGovern-Dole Food for Education Project/Contract

Level

Management

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is a global humanitarian and development organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that demonstrates God’s love and compassion. ADRA works with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change through empowering partnerships and responsible action.

The successful candidate must understand, respect and honor the mission, purpose and identity of ADRA.

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SUMMARY

ADRA is seeking a Chief of Party (CoP) for an anticipated USDA–funded McGovern-Dole Food for Education (FFE) project in a Central/South America. The project aims to improve food security, reduce hunger, and improve literacy and education. FFE focuses on procuring U.S. agricultural commodities, implementing school feeding, providing financial and technical assistance, and providing nutrition programs. ADRA has implemented school-feeding programs in multiple countries over the last decade, and education is a key sector of work across our project portfolios in 120 countries.

As CoP, your strategic vision, leadership, and adaptive management will deliver results while expanding ADRA’s position as a leader of education and nutrition programming in a location to be determined. You will have overall leadership and management responsibility for the implementation of the project and be the key decision-maker for solving problems and ensuring the success of the project.

This position is contingent upon receipt of funding and requires donor approval.

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PRE-REQUISITES

Required

• Advanced degree (master’s or higher) in nutrition, education, development studies, international relations, economics, business administration, or other relevant field; three years of applicable experience can substitute for a master’s degree.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively increasing management responsibility in international development projects, with at least five years of senior project management experience directly supervising professional and support staff. Previous experience as a Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party is highly desirable.
• Proven leadership skills managing projects of a similar size and scope in developing countries, such as experience effectively managing USDA development activities.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, mentoring, and managing staff, as well as experience managing programmatic and financial reporting.
• Experience managing consortia and relationships with international and local partners at the field level. Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and partners.
• Technical expertise in food security and nutrition, school feeding, and education programming.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation and financial management. Demonstrated experience reducing waste and ensuring financial compliance.
• Written and spoken command of English and Spanish.

Preferred

• Knowledge or understanding of social, economic, cultural and political context in Latin America.
• Direct experience in Latin America.
• Spanish or Portuguese language proficiency may be a requirement depending on the final location.
• Mastery of USDA rules and regulations.

• Experience managing USDA cooperative agreements.
• Demonstrated experience in adaptive management and learning techniques is highly encouraged.

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BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES

• Leading and Supervising - Provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching; sets appropriate standards of behavior, gives regular feedback.
• Relating and Networking - Establishes good relationships with individuals both internally and externally; relates well to people at all levels; builds wide and effective networks of contacts; uses humor appropriately to bring warmth to relationships with others.
• Creating and Innovating - Produces new ideas, approaches, or insights; creates innovative products or designs; produces a range of solutions to problems.
• Planning and Organizing - Sets clearly defined objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances; identifies and organizes resources needed to accomplish tasks; manages time effectively; monitors performance against deadlines and milestones.

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RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide project vision, strategic planning, technical leadership, direction, and management; lead the preparation of work plans; and monitor project progress and timely delivery of all reporting and deliverables, ensuring performance quality and compliance with USDA and ADRA requirements.
• Represent ADRA as the primary liaison with USDA, project partners, key local stakeholders, NGOs, and others.
• Communicate on behalf of ADRA International and ADRA’s implementing office, including maintaining appropriate communication and consultation.
• Ensure appropriate coordination and supervision of all sub-awards or sub-contracts, including supporting management of partners and ensuring reporting and compliance with donor regulations, ADRA policies and requirements, and host country legislation and regulations.
• Understand, navigate, and ensure project compliance with country education systems, frameworks, policies, and legal requirements.
• Recruit, supervise, and coach senior talent for the project; identify and facilitate opportunities for staff professional development; and provide technical assistance to project staff as needed.
• Monitor project financial management, reporting and transactions to meet the highest standards of accountability. Ensure tight USDA regulation compliance and controls to mitigate waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Coordinate activities for monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting to continuously improve project design and implementation; oversee drafts and reviews of semiannual reports; manage mid-term and final evaluation processes, following up on any errors in implementation with a correction plan as needed; and coordinate refine and implement (R&I) year activities.
• Develop and maintain a safe environment that encourages the sharing of problems, ideas, and solutions, and efficiently and effectively adapt approaches to appropriately respond to feedback.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

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TRAVEL

Up to 50% domestic and international travel required. Must have the ability to travel at short notice if necessary. Travel within project location dependent upon security conditions.

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MENTAL/EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be able to work in a fast-paced and customer service-oriented environment; to perform duties under pressure and meet deadlines in a timely manner; to work as part of a team as well as to complete assignments independently; to take instructions from supervisors; to exercise problem-solving skills; and to interact with co-workers, supervisors, network employees, donors and the public in a professional and pleasant manner.

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APPLICATION

Qualified national and international candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please submit your application at www.adra.org/careers

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