Chief of Party, Eastern and Southern Caribbean MELS

Job Description

EnCompass seeks Chief of Party (COP) candidates for an anticipated five-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Services (MELS) activity for Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC), to be based in Bridgetown, Barbados.

ESC MELS will provide the regional USAID/Barbados Mission with strategic and technical support to improve performance management and advance Mission learning. The project is likely to provide comprehensive MEL services, including capacity strengthening and technical support, to USAID/Barbados, local organizations, and potentially regional government counterparts.

In addition to providing overall leadership, management, and technical direction, the COP will have experience working in performance management, organizational development, strategic decision-making, quality control, and project learning, preferably in the USAID context and with Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) practices.

We are looking for someone who can facilitate learning and build relationships, with high political acumen and strong conflict prevention and management skills. S/he must be an inclusive leader, who can navigate change with flexibility and emotional resilience. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience focusing on results and impact, with strong strategic vision and an understanding of systems approaches to programming. S/he will understand how to foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning and will maintain high self-awareness and personal improvement skills.

The position will be full-time and be based in Bridgetown, Barbados with travel throughout the region. Due to COVID-19, and subject to situational changes, the position is expected to be fully remote through June 2021.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

The COP will lead the Activity, providing technical guidance to and supervising both international and national staff and consultants. The COP will be the primary point of contact with USAID/Barbados staff, including the Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representation (CO/COR).

Essential functions:

Administration/Management:

• Serve as the main point of contact for the activity, providing vision, direction, leadership, and management for the contract.
• Provide technical, operational, and managerial oversight to all aspects of the Activity to ensure all activities, and deliverables are executed with quality and timeliness
• Establish and maintain highly collaborative working relationships with local government counterparts, USAID/Barbados and other regional Agency representatives, and USAID/Washington as required, along with relevant in-country stakeholders; serve as the primary point of contact to USAID and as the principal liaison with USAID staff, institutions, and country partners to exchange information and develop professional relationships.
• Manage the country team, ensure technical capacity of staff; provide technical assistance and backstopping when required
• Ensure that all activities are undertaken in full compliance with EnCompass’ standard operating procedures, USAID policies and regulations, and national policies and laws
• Ensure documentation and dissemination of findings, impact, innovations, and lessons learned
• Ensure optimal use of human, financial, and physical resources to successfully meet project milestones, objectives, deliverables and targets

Technical:

• Responsible for the overall technical direction of the activity, ensuring quality and timeliness of all deliverables
• Promote sustainability of project activities with effective networking, linkages to other programs, capacity building of project staff, and institutional strengthening

Other:

• Engage fully as a member of the EnCompass staff team, including participating in staff meetings and other EnCompass events, and providing administrative support to other team members as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Position Requirements

Qualifications

Academic Qualifications

• Minimum of a master’s degree in international development/studies, business, statistics, or a related field required

Experience and Skills

• Minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in developing performance monitoring systems, data quality control and reporting for USAID projects and systems
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ experience working in the area of M&E and results-based management
• Strong experience with evaluation standards and practices required
• Experience working in performance management, strategic decision-making, and project learning
• Experience building monitoring, evaluation, and learning capacities of USAID staff, implementing partners, and government counterparts highly preferred
• Experience managing complex relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including host country governments at different levels; experience mentoring staff and working with international and national consultants and staff
• Substantial experience in managing a team using mixed research methods of similar magnitude
• Demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking/planning, management, and presentation skills required
• Working knowledge of and experience with USG-funded program management, policies, regulations and procedures
• Prior experience managing staff/teams
• Strong familiarity with USAID CLA practices, M&E design and principles
• Familiarity with USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean programming is preferred; local / regional candidates prioritized
• Former supervisory experience required
• Fluency in English
• Ability to travel within the region, as necessary

EnCompass LLC is a progressive Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote, celebrate, and support a diverse and inclusive organizational culture and workforce. We are committed to providing all of our employees with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all are treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate, and explicitly prohibit, discrimination or harassment of any kind, at any time, in all aspects of employment. This includes recruitment, hiring, promotions, disciplinary measures, terminations, compensation, benefits, social and recreational programs, and training. EnCompass also does not tolerate retaliation against individuals who report discrimination or harassment. Our continuing commitment to the principle of Equal Opportunity Employment for all means all employment decisions are based only on the job requirements, the candidate’s qualifications, and the needs of EnCompass as a business—not on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, HIV status, family/marital/parental status, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we work.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

About the Organization

EnCompass is a women-owned business offering innovative and customized solutions for leadership, capacity strengthening, technical assistance, and monitoring and evaluation. We have experience in more than 70 countries and a team of more than 100 staff and 1,200 experts around the globe.

We partner with government and multilateral agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporations around the world, offering thought leadership, rich diversity, and technical expertise in global health, inclusive development, education, human rights, and food security.