Chief of Party - Mali

Job Description

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for a Chief of Party to lead an anticipated USAID-funded agriculture sector project in Mali. The project will reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty in the zone of influence by increasing agricultural productivity and diversity. The project will contribute to increased income and employment, strengthened resilience to economic and climate shocks, improved nutrition and better natural resource management. This position is contingent upon grant and candidate approvals by the donor.

Responsibilities:

The Chief of Party (COP) will provide leadership, management, and oversight for all program activities and staff in accordance with the contract and donor guidelines. S/he will be responsible for leading and building capacity within the project team in market systems approaches to ensure effective implementation of development strategies and project performance targets. Responsibilities include: building capacity of project staff and partners in value chain and market systems development approaches in the context of the project’s specific sectors; serving as a liaison between MEDA and key facilitating partners, including financial institutions, local civil society organizations and private sector actors; providing support to project staff recruitment and administration (where appropriate); effectively managing and mentoring a team of technical specialists; successfully and positively cultivating relationships with external and internal stakeholders; and supporting the development of project performance tracking M&E/MIS systems. The COP will report to the Senior Project Manager and work closely with MEDA’s North America-based asked to supervise this Project. This position will be based in Mali and will involve frequent travel to project locations. Specific responsibilities of the role includes:

Program Implementation and Management

• Development and management of program partnerships to ensure sound coordination and achievement of program objectives.
• Ensuring overall strategic direction for the initiative.
• Work planning and implementation in compliance with guidance provided by USAID and MEDA.

Team Leadership

• Building and managing a staff and fostering an environment of mutual respect in which all team members can achieve excellence.

Reporting

• Documenting processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated.
• Ensuring continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
• Producing written reports on program activities and capturing the impacts of activities.

Financial, Contract and Risk Management

• Ensuring adherence to USAID grant agreement, MEDA policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the government of Uganda.
• Monitoring operational context to ensure that risks are identified and mitigated.
• Ensuring that work is carried out in alignment with MEDA security protocols.

Representation

• Serving as primary liaison with USAID and other stakeholders and representing MEDA in a range of fora and events.

Qualifications:

• Academic degree (ideally Master’s degree) in business, international development , economic development, agriculture and food security, rural development and planning or related field

• COP experience on USAID funded agriculture, food security, value chain or market system development approach is required
  
  
• Minimum of (10) years’ experience implementing value chain/economic development projects including managing teams to deliver economic growth outcomes
  
  
• Demonstrated experience with managing multi-year and multi-million dollar projects, preferably in the Sahel region
  
  
• Strong understanding of and proven experience in designing and implementing activities that align with USAID Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS)
  
  
• Strong understanding of and experience in women’s and/or youth economic empowerment programming, business development, marketing and/or facilitation of value chain development approaches
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize stakeholders into partnerships and alliances, coordinate and facilitate collaborative processes
  
  
• Fluency in English and French is required
  
  
• Appreciation and support of MEDA’s mission, vision and values
  
  

MEDA is an equal opportunity employer and accommodations are available during all phases of the recruitment process. We ask that any applicants requiring accommodation make their needs known in advance.

About the Organization

MEDA develops and implements effective market-driven programs that assist millions of people around the world to realize their economic and social aspirations. Our programming is cross-regional with a significant concentration in Africa and the Middle East, as well as a growing presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, Eurasia and Asia-Pacific. With over six decades of experience in private sector engagement and market systems development, MEDA has successfully adapted our approaches to a range of geographic contexts. To learn more about MEDA and our work, please visit www.meda.org.