Chief of Party - Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo (P-DEC)
*IMA World Health, a subsidiary of Corus International, is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) with significant multi-sectoral experience to lead the USAID-funded Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo (P-DEC).*
Corus International is a family of organizations which believes that those who were born into impossible circumstances deserve the opportunity for a better life. Corus was formed through the strategic merger of IMA World Health (operating as a public health organization since 1960), and Lutheran World Relief (operating as a livelihoods organization since 1945), and today includes smaller entities of Charlie Goldsmith Associates, Ground Up Investing, and Farmers Market Coffee. Corus International works in over 20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America with a primary focus on health, livelihoods, and emergency response.
Corus International's largest country portfolio is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where IMA World Health has worked alongside the Congolese government, donors, and a variety of local and international partners since 2000 with a staff of over 200. Programs revitalize the country's health system, improve WASH access and systems, prevent and respond to SGBV, promote clean energy, and improve the health of the population. The portfolio includes a focus on both sustainable development and humanitarian assistance activities and operates out of two base offices in Kinshasa and Goma.
The USAID-funded Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo (P-DEC) is anticipated to be upwards of $40 million and meant to span five years. The program is designed to contribute to stabilization through integrated activities that work with local institutions to promote peace and facilitate a transition from humanitarian to development assistance in key areas of eastern Congo.
The COP is directly responsible for the overall success of the project, including management, strategic visioning, and technical oversight. S/he also serves as the key interlocuter with USAID on all administrative and programmatic matters. This position reports directly to IMA's Goma Head of Office and is based in Goma, Eastern Congo.
Responsibilities
- Lead the strategic visioning process and cultivate critical buy-in from team members, consortium partners, and key stakeholders, as well as play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster program objectives.
- Oversee program start-up, management and administration, ensuring that program implementation is on time, target, and budget.
- Manage adaptively using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts and direct pivots to program strategy as needed.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Corus/IMA's relevant program guidelines, principles, values, and quality standards
- Confirm beneficiaries targeting and selection according to transparent criteria; integrate community approaches, conflict sensitivity, gender sensitivity, and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
- Ensure program strategies, approaches, and activities represent global best practices for promoting resiliency and stabilization in rural development in fragile settings.
- Support capacity development of the team to ensure they understand their roles, as well as assist with career development while ensuring a safe and respectful workplace. Hire, onboard, and direct team members.
- Ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor and Corus/IMA needs, setting up and iterating on systems as needed.
- Ensure that programming is designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.
- Represent the project during donor and high-level visits, especially those from USG and private agencies; represent the project in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations all in close coordination with IMA's Country Director.
- Ensure full compliance with USAID rules and regulations
- Promote strong and transparent working relationships with implementing and technical partners, Corus, and USAID, including:
Maintain routine contact with key IMA leadership in country, including both IMA's Head of Office in Goma as well as IMA's Country Director in Kinshasa, to keep them apprised of relevant operational, human resource, security, and other programmatic aspects of the IMA-Goma office
Cultivate and maintain a strong working relationship with key counterparts in Corus International's HQ to keep them apprised of project progress, as well as pertinent issues and roadblocks
Qualifications
Required
- MA/S or equivalent in development studies, international relations, agriculture, conflict management, economic development or other relevant field pertaining to rural development in conflict-affected settings
- A minimum 15 years relevant international development experience
- Experience in peacebuilding or stabilization programming strongly preferred.
- At least seven years in a senior management with experience managing integrated, multi-sectoral programs of a similar size and scope ($10+ million)
- Previous USAID COP experience strongly preferred.
- Experience managing USAID-funded grants, cooperative agreements, and/or contracts
- Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis, and production of high quality project reporting products, including responsiveness to complex programmatic and financial reporting requirements.
- Proven track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships within a consortium with donors, host country counterparts, and NGO/FBO/CBO actors.
- Excellent English writing skills and analytical abilities, including the ability to effectively expresses ideas, thoughts and concepts verbally and in written or graphic form, using correct grammar and structure.
- French fluency
- Experience working fragile contexts, including a demonstrated ability to motivate teams to work constructively under pressure and to respond resourcefully when challenges arise.
- Advanced cross-cultural sensitivity, including experience working and communicating with professional and support staff in a multicultural, multi-linguistic environment; ability to promote an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
Preferred
- Experience living and/or working Eastern Congo
- Experience designing and/or managing multi-sectoral stabilization programs, including a demonstrated understanding of how to build capacity of communities, local agencies, and other service providers to function as equal partners in community-based activities. Demonstrated understanding of key resiliency principles and implementation methodologies, especially in resource-limited settings.
- Experience with USAID rules, regulations and requirements is strongly preferred.
- Experience with USAID Collaborating, Learning, Adapting practices
Living Conditions
The COP role is based in Goma, a major city in Eastern Congo, with up to 50% travel to field locations. The role can be negotiated as an accompanied post for families. Goma remains fairly stable, with occasional instances of violence, insecurity, or petty crime. Field locations experience volatility with more basic living conditions, and staff must adhere to a curfew as well as safety protocols at all times.
IMA/Corus International prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by U.S. or International law.