Job Description
Project background:
The Chief of Party (COP) will support a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress (FFPr) program in Ivory Coast. The FFPr program aims to improve agricultural production and expand trade of agricultural products in developing countries by introducing and adopting climate smart agricultural practices. The five-year project aims to strengthen food security by supporting aquaculture and the horticultural sectors.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- · Responsible for overall management of the program in line with USDA guidelines and within set timelines to achieve objectives;
- Develop and update Life of Project and annual workplans;
- Oversee program administration, operations, implementation, and fiscal management to ensure technical and financial activity aligns with scope and budget allocations, internal policies, and donor regulations;
- Lead the team to provide effective coordination and guidance among academic institutions, local Governments, smallholder farmers, service providers and other key stakeholders;
- Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation;
- Ensure quality control and provide overall technical and management leadership under the award; adjust programs and operations in response to USDA technical direction;
- Represent CNFA with partners and key stakeholders, at conferences, workshops, meetings, and other industry gatherings,
- Maintain positive relationships with USDA, local authorities, and program stakeholders;
- Manage and oversee all contract management and implementation tasks based on established USG regulations, procedures and CNFA guidelines;
- Identify issues and risks related to activity implementation in a timely manner; and
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Experience:
- A Master’s degree in agriculture, management, international development, or a related field of study or equivalent work experience preferred.
- At least five (5) years of experience serving as project director and/or chief of party or of equivalent level; successful experience managing USAID and/or USDA funded programs is highly preferred.
- Experience of working in West Africa, in the horticulture and aquaculture sectors, is strongly preferred;
- Experience of working within the food or agricultural private sector, in particular in Public Private Partnerships, is strongly preferred;
- Experience providing technical oversight and leadership to facilitate expanded trade and competitiveness of agricultural value chains preferred;
- Experience overseeing financial and administrative management of programs, including of personnel, reporting, budgeting and procurement for large, complex programs is required;
- Experience overseeing an M&E team to ensure high quality program reporting, monitoring, evaluation, and learning are required;
- Demonstrated capacity to establish and maintain positive, collaborative, and productive relationships with government and other local partners is required;
- Demonstrated experience serving as ambassador for home office, establishing and nurturing strong relationships with donor representatives and expanding business required;
- English fluency required; additionally, fluency in French is required.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status. CNFA takes affirmative action in support of its policy to advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
Only those candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted
About the Organization
CNFA is a not-for-profit international agricultural development organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. and dedicated to increasing rural incomes by empowering farmers and rural entrepreneurs. CNFA assists smallholders in increasing household-level food security and nutrition through improved agricultural practices, introduction of new varieties, diversification of crop production, food preservation and storage, development of farmer-based organizations, and strengthened linkages to markets. CNFA has a successful track record of implementing agricultural development programs in 43 countries. www.cnfa.org
