Chief of Party, Somos Comunidad Program

Job Description

Position Summary PADF seeks a Colombia-based Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program called “Somos Comunidad.” This multiyear program will strengthen local systems for enhanced human security conditions and thus mitigate the effects of organized criminal groups and other violent incidents in target locations. This Activity will implement innovative, place-based and community-responsive crime and violence prevention solutions by strengthening the local systems to effectively respond and improve citizen security dynamics. Furthermore, this Activity seeks to strengthen trust, collaboration and communication within and among communities and GOC security sector stakeholders to increase citizen security, thereby increasing community resilience. The COP will be the public face of PADF, the operational affiliate of the Organization of American States, and a leading provider of services and support in Colombia. Fluency in English and Spanish required. The position is contingent on funding.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall program leadership, management, and technical direction and serve as the primary liaison with USAID on strategic, managerial, and technical matters, making key decisions and solving programmatic problems in a timely manner
• Coordinate program activities according to the approved work plan and in consultation with USAID and key stakeholders and ensure the project meets high standards for performance and integrity that comply with applicable regulations and PADF policies
• Develop partnerships and liaise with USAID, the private sector, partner organizations, national, state, and local governments in Colombia, and other key stakeholders to support program activities as required
• Manage and develop the capacity of a team of technical experts, advisors, local partners, and staff
• Provide strategic and problem-solving guidance to the team for the completion of program activities in identified sectoral and geographic areas and capture lessons learned throughout the program implementation
• Perform strategic, financial, and operational planning, including work planning, forecasting, training, and ensuring project compliance with all contractual reporting and financial requirements of USAID, and oversee all contractual and budgetary aspects of project management
• Ensure that benchmarks, performance goals, and indicators are monitored and achieved
• Lead high-quality report preparation in English and Spanish, capturing program activities, impacts related to all activities, and ensuring timely submission
• Foster partnerships and alliances to leverage additional funds and support for program activities

Competencies

• Change Management – The COP must be a change management expert. This involves being prepared for change and remaining relevant in a rapidly evolving environment
• Results Orientation and Attention to Detail – For our rapidly evolving environment, a focus on results is non-negotiable. The COP must ensure that work plan, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting efforts are aligned with contract requirements, project objectives, and USAID’s collaborate, learn, and adapt framework, Journey to Self-Reliance, and thinking and working politically
• Networking – While professionally representing PADF to USAID, the Colombian government, local partners, and other project stakeholders, the COP must also establish and maintain relationships with national and local government officials, law enforcement, civil society organizations, local partners, and other development partners and USAID implementers
• Team building and Team Leadership – The COP must have the ability to gain the trust of others and consistently act with integrity is a critical success factor. The COP will develop innovative approaches to team building, team leadership, training, and collaboration as she/he builds and leads an adaptive team to monitor and modify project initiatives based on consistent evidence and data to achieve results and ensure implementation is effective, technically sound, and politically savvy
• Business Acumen – Operational ability to ensure that the transactional aspects of the program are well executed in a world of fast-moving and changing expectations and align within PADF’s values, quality standards, and its organizational strategy, as well as with do-no-harm principles

Required Qualifications

• Fifteen (15) years of experience in project management, supervision, administration, and implementation of cooperative agreement or contract requirements, including ten (10) years in a senior management position meeting deadlines, achieving targets, establishing and maintaining systems for project operations, and overseeing the preparation and submission of required reports to donor agencies, particularly USAID
• Proven success serving in a leadership role for a project addressing issues related to community resilience, citizen security and governance, preferably in Latin American and the Caribbean
• Demonstrated ability to maintain working relationships with the project team, partners, and stakeholders
• Demonstrated success in coalition building and government adoption and implementation of evidence-based programming, public policies, results frameworks, and other measures
• Demonstrated experience in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up and close-out under limited time constraints
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required
• Graduate-level degree or higher in a relevant field is required
• At least eight (8) years of professional experience with USAID projects of similar size and complexity is required

More About PADF

PADF is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962.

PADF’s core values. “H-E-A-R-T” = Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork.

PADF is strong because we are diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. PADF does not discriminate based on ability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of cultures, languages, socio-economic backgrounds, and perspectives on the world. PADF is an equal opportunity employer.

About the Organization

About PADF:

Created in 1962 through a unique agreement between the Organization of American States (OAS) and the private sector, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is an independent, non-profit organization that creates public-private partnerships to assist the least advantaged people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Having worked in every country in the region, PADF engages community-based groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public and private sector in the process of implementing appropriate solutions for sustainable development. The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) empowers disadvantaged people and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve sustainable economic and social progress, strengthen their communities and civil society, and prepare for and respond to natural disasters and other humanitarian crises, thereby advancing the principles of the Organization of the American States (OAS).