Job Description
POSITION SUMMARY
IREX seeks qualified Chief of Party (COP) candidates to lead the upcoming five-year USAID-funded Modernizing Kosovo’s Workforce Activity. The activity will work with non-formal training providers, formal education institutions, and the private sector to offer demand-oriented skills. The activity will also expand opportunities for economic and democratic participation, in particular for young Kosovo citizens, and contribute to a more inclusive broad-based growth of Kosovo’s economy, by enhancing alignment of youth skills with market needs.
Based in Pristina, the COP will oversee all staff and program implementation to ensure that objectives are met on time and within budget.
This position is contingent on funding.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide strategic and technical leadership to the program; deploying innovative and adaptive program implementation that engages a wide range of stakeholders to address the issue of the skills mismatch in the labor market
- Serve as the principal liaison with USAID, as well as with key government officials, other donors and implementers, private sector and civil society partners, program beneficiaries, and other stakeholders
- Develop and maintain effective partnerships with local, regional, and international organizations
- Ensure program activities are efficiently implemented on schedule and within budget; responsively adapting to changes and lessons learned throughout implementation
- Supervise, manage, and mentor program staff and work in close coordination with IREX’s home office
- Oversee program budgeting, financial management, and compliance
- Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of program activities as well as facilitate learning and improvement across activities and amongst key stakeholders
- Represent IREX publicly and support its organizational development
- Other duties, as assigned
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Master’s, or doctorate in Economics, Public Administration, Business Administration, International Development, or a related field with at least eight (8) years of relevant experience including at least three (3) years as a COP or senior manager of projects of similar scope and complexity
- Successful track record of supervising, designing, managing, and implementing complex donor-funded technical assistance projects (with strong preference for past USAID-funded project management experience)
- Demonstrated track record of achieving results in workforce development, private sector engagement, and or diaspora engagement
- Ability to establish strong working relationships and collaboration with senior government officials; education institutions, faculty, and administrators; media, civil society, and private sector leaders; international donors; and other stakeholders
- Proven leadership qualities and excellent management skills
- Demonstrated ability to track and manage budgets and plan both strategically and creatively to meet project objectives in compliance with USAID rules and regulations
- Strong representational and organizational skills
- Experience in Kosovo or South Eastern Europe is preferred
- Demonstrated experience and/or understanding of the labor market landscape in Kosovo is preferred
- Professional fluency in English in both written and oral communication. Ability to speak Albanian and/or Serbian is preferred.
- Citizens of Kosovo or third-country nationals living and authorized to work in Kosovo strongly encouraged to apply.
TO APPLY
Please visit https://app.jobvite.com/j?aj=oyWGefw8&s=Devex to submit your CV for consideration, preferably along with a cover letter which summarizes your qualifications and states your salary expectations.
About the Organization
IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $90 million, offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 400. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide.
