DAI seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for the ongoing USAID/Rwanda Nguriza Nshore project. Nguriza Nshore is a $15 million program, with approximately 2.5 years of implementation remaining, that aims to build the capacity of financial institutions, facilitate private investment, and strengthen the enabling environment to drive SME growth and create non-farm jobs for rural Rwandans. Nguriza Nshore uses an innovative Catalytic Growth Facility—comprising grants, subcontracts, and technical assistance—to strengthen Rwanda’s finance and investment ecosystem. The Facility works with ecosystem actors through a co-creation process to pilot and scale activities such as de-risking and testing new SME loan products with financial institutions, cost-sharing feasibility studies to analyze opportunities with rural businesses, and piloting credit scoring tools that target women and youth.
The COP will provide overall leadership, management and general technical direction of the entire activity, ensuring an integrated vision among different components and actors, and a focus on achieving the results defined in the contract. The COP must identify issues and risks related to activity implementation in a timely manner and suggest appropriate activity adjustments. This individual must act as the key liaison between USAID/Rwanda and all other counterparts, implementing partners and Government of Rwanda officials involved with the activity.Additional Responsibilities:
Lead the annual work planning development process, implementation of workplan activities, and delivery of annual targets;
Submit timely, high quality project deliverables to USAID and DAI;
Oversee multiple activities simultaneously, including hiring, training, mentoring, and supervising local personnel;
Build the capacity of local staff in both technical and managerial skills; and
Ensure compliance with local labor laws, USAID policies, and DAI policies and procedures.
Expected Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical area such as business, economics, agricultural sciences, or rural and economic development is required; a master’s degree in business administration, economics, agricultural sciences, or rural development is desired.
Fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in the area of agribusiness, banking, business development service management, policy-making, or private sector development is desirable.
Demonstrated experience in Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) fund management, transaction facilitation, investment banking, financial modeling, public private partnership facilitation, and public-private dialogue in the Sub-Saharan Africa context and institution coalition building in developing economies is desirable.
Prior experience as chief of party, deputy chief of party or senior technical advisor for projects of similar complexity and financial size, with demonstrated experience managing a diverse team/s of professionals, and with administrative, procurement, hiring, recruitment, financial and logistical aspects of activity implementation is desirable.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to develop and communicate a common vision to partners from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams is desirable.
Demonstrated, excellent writing and spoken English skills are required.
This position is approximately a 2.5-year assignment, based in Kigali, Rwanda. The anticipated start date for the position is October/November 2020, though the position could begin later for exceptional candidates. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply immediately for consideration.
DAI is an international development company. For more than 45 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 80 countries. Our development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.
