Chief of Party-Liberia

Chief of Party-Liberia

Project Description:

IFES is an international, nonprofit organization that supports the building of democratic societies. IFES provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 120 countries.

IFES is currently soliciting applications for a Chief of Party position in Liberia. IFES’s five-year program in Liberia is focused on building the capacity of the National Elections Commission to carry out its mandate. Through assistance in constituency boundary drawing, voter registration, referendum and election management, and civic and voter education, and an overall focus on institutional and professional capacity building, IFES is assisting the NEC in meeting its strategic objectives presented in the 2006–2011 Strategic Plan as follows:
• To increase public participation in the electoral process as well as to enhance voters’ capacity to make informed choices in elections;
• To strengthen the Commission’s institutional capacity and capability to manage elections;
• To undertake electoral reform so as to facilitate free and fair elections in conformity with existing conditions in Liberia and international best practices; and
• To conduct all elections (general, chieftaincy, municipal, by-elections) effectively.
By working toward these objectives with the NEC, IFES is ensuring that the program meets NEC’s needs as it works to build an independent and sustainable institution that is able to operate with progressively less international technical assistance.

Job Responsibilities:

The Country Director will manage the IFES program in Liberia. Primary responsibilities will include program management and implementation, as well as management of the IFES field office. The Country Director will also be responsible for identifying new opportunities for IFES in Liberia, whether under the existing program or beyond. The Country Director represents IFES as the organization’s primary representative in Liberia and will be responsible for coordinating programming with local and international actors and maintaining proactive contacts with local leaders, USAID, and the international donor community.

• Maintain project office in Monrovia, Liberia; supervise office operations and supervise local and expatriate staff based in Liberia.
• Provide general oversight of the program in Liberia, including responsibility for program management, strategic vision, fiscal integrity, quality and timing of deliverables;
• Establish and maintain working relationships with the Liberian authorities, international organizations on the ground and funders to ensure successful implementation of the project and avoid duplication of efforts;
• In coordination with IFES/HQ, assist in the identification, recruitment, and hiring of local and international technical consultants;
• Provide oversight and management of technical consultants;
• Supervise the drafting and timely submission of reports to IFES-DC, donors and other stakeholders;
• Develop and strengthen program strategies and workplans;
• Assist in program development for IFES in Liberia by identifying additional programmatic needs;
• Perform other duties as necessary to the overall success of IFES programming in Liberia.

Qualifications:

The COP must be engaged - a dynamic leader, flexible, adaptable and a team player who demonstrates leadership under challenging conditions. In addition, the COP is required to have the following expertise:

• Ten years of experience in democratic development. Experience in Africa strongly preferred.
• Experience in implementing election-focused projects.
• Graduate degree in public policy/administration, political science or law would be advantageous.
• Experience in institutional development of EMB’s is preferable.
• Demonstrated program and financial management experience.
• Experience as a dynamic and engaged action-oriented interlocutor with democracy-development actors at all levels—grassroots to the highest national and international levels.
• Personnel and office management experience-including management, training and development of local staff.
• Experience in proposal writing and budgeting, and liaising with donors.
• Experience in living and working overseas, preferably in Africa
• Strong oral and written communication skills and skills in PC-based word processing, spreadsheets and e-mail technology.