Chief of Party – Somalia – Accelerated Basic Education Activity

Job Description

Job Description

Project Description

The purpose of the USAID/Somalia Accelerated Education Activity is to increase access to quality accelerated basic education and non-formal education for out-of-school children and youth in southern Somalia. This Activity will improve learning outcomes for children and youth, strengthen community involvement in and ownership of education, and strengthen local and federal government capacity to oversee the delivery of quality education to marginalized Somali children and youth.

The Somalia Accelerated Education Activity will have the following intermediate results:

• Increased equitable access to safe, free, relevant, quality Accelerated Basic Education and Non-Formal Education programs.
• Improved learning outcomes in foundational skills areas (literacy, numeracy and social emotional learning) and other key skills as appropriate.
• Increased community engagement and local ownership of Accelerated Basic Education (ABE) and Non-Formal Education (NFE) programming.
• Strengthened capacity of government at local and national levels to oversee the provision of quality public education.

Position Description

The Chief of Party (COP) will be responsible for technical leadership, administrative oversight, and overall coordination of the project. The COP will serve as the principle institutional liaison with USAID and key stakeholders. The COP will manage staff and ensure that the project meets stated goals and reporting requirements, as well as ensure the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of all products and activities generated under the activity. The COP should have demonstrated ability to work with multiple stakeholders and manage diverse teams to deliver impact within agreed timelines and budget.

The COP ensures compliance with all terms of the project contract/agreement and all relevant EDC and donor rules and regulations.

Illustrative responsibilities may include the following:

• Manage the country office, including supervision of program staff and ensuring operations, including HR, security, logistics and administration, are able to meet program needs, evolving contexts and potential crisis situations in a timely, effective and efficient manner.
• Manage USAID Mission relations and engage stakeholders such as but not limited to key government ministries, USAID implementing partners (IPs) and other IPs, private sector actors, academic institutions, faith-based organizations, and civil society actors
• Work with EDC home office and local office staff to identify technical specialists/consultants to continually refine strategy and to provide for short-term technical assistance to meet the objectives of the project
• Ensure gender equity and social inclusion and conflict sensitivity as principles across programming and among staff
• Manage sub-awards to ensure quality of implementation as well as capacity building as necessary
• Drive coordination and collaboration to leverage donor investments and maximize the impact of programming
• Oversee the planning and the management of activity-level implementation, monitoring and evaluation, adaptive program management, and deliverables that meet an agreed-upon work plan
• Advise and educate other partners/USAID teams/local and national stakeholders on policies and services offered by the project
• Work with finance and operations teams to manage robust financial management and operational systems that mitigate risks associated with both waste and abuse as well as security threats.
• Assure compliance with contract provisions and deliverables including annual work plans and other reports; and
• Oversee the design and roll out of a comprehensive capacity building strategy that promotes sustained impact and continued success beyond the life of the Activity

The candidate for the position of Chief of Party shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree plus 15+ years of relevant experience in leadership roles in development/humanitarian contexts, OR a Master’s degree plus 10+ years of relevant experience in leadership roles in development/humanitarian contexts.

Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 5+ years’ experience in a COP or equivalent roles
• Technical expertise in one or more of the following relevant areas including: Foundational learning in literacy, numeracy and SEL, youth development, gender, accelerated or non-formal education.
• Experience implementing or managing programs (preferably education and/or youth development) in Somalia (required).
• Experience engaging with and collaborating with host country government and private sector stakeholders in fragile contexts.
• Demonstrated experience integrating gender equality and social inclusion into development projects.
• Financial management experience, including budgeting, financial management (tracking, reporting, and accounting), and procurement.
• Proven experience in project management and organizational development, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Proven capacity to manage large complex programs (including subcontracts) in a multi-cultural environment.
• Experience working with USAID and familiarity with Agency processes and procedures.
• Experience managing large-scale national or regional programs in crisis and conflict contexts.

Language:

Fluency in English is required. Demonstrated ability to communicate in Somali, both verbally and in writing is preferred.

Additional Information

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls, please.

EDC is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

About the Organization

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

EDC promotes equity and access to high quality education and health services and products that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. We support an inclusive workplace culture that embraces many perspectives and broadens our understanding of the communities we serve, enhancing and enriching our work.