Chief of Party – USAID/OTI Mozambique

Job Description

This Opportunity:

The United States Agency for International Development/Office of Transition Initiatives plans to establish and manage a three-year flexible, quick-response mechanism to implement activities that will support stability in northern Mozambique. A more nuanced program objective will be articulated once the program is established and operational.

The Chief of Party (COP) serves as the designated lead for overall management of the in-country relationship with OTI and provides leadership and is responsible for all aspects of field management and oversight including reporting of progress and ensuring quality of activities undertaken under the Task Order.

Under the guidance and technical direction of OTI, the COP provides oversight of activities and supervision of program field staff while ensuring appropriate small grants and activity design, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation, Task Order start-up and close-out, and compliance with USAID rules and regulations. The COP keeps apprised of the local political, legal, and economic situation and how to continuously adapt the program.

This is a full-time position based in Mozambique and contingent upon contract award.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in OTI programming, we are interested in hearing from you. We are a learning organization and provide growth opportunities from the start. We pride ourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart a fulfilling career!

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The COP will be responsible for:

• Managing the in-country relationship with OTI and working in close consultation with and under the guidance of the OTI country representative (CR).
• Making key decisions and solving problems in quick-paced environments while ensuring operational and program integrity under the overall program direction of OTI.
• Providing oversight of grant and program activities, ensuring appropriate procedures are established and complied with for grant design, development, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation, and grant closing.
• Contributing to the design and implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system at activity and program levels under the guidance of OTI’s country representative and ensuring learnings are incorporated into subsequent activity and program design.
• Becoming familiar with and ensuring that relevant staff use, maintain, and contribute to the consistent use of the OTI Activity Database and that data is accurate, consistent, and complete.
• Supervising the Deputy Chief of Party – Operations (DCOP-Ops) and the Senior Program Development Officer, and field staff more generally.

Key Competencies Required:

• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience and a bachelor’s degree or ten (10) years of relevant work experience without a bachelor’s degree. Relevant experience entails working in complex, high-speed, and/or challenging field operations in developing countries for at least three (3) of these years.
• A minimum of three (3) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience with programs that provide high-quality, quick impact delivery of assistance in evolving, transitioning, or unstable environments.
• Experience with complex political environments and/or preventing or countering violent extremism (P/CVE).
• Experience with grants management.
• Experience in hiring and supervising host country local personnel and providing appropriate training and capacity development to meet program needs when required
• Financial management experience, including budgeting, financial management (tracking, reporting and accounting, and procurement).
• Experience with grants or small grants under contract programs.
• Experience working in a developing country with a donor, contractor, or international NGO managing an office or program.
• Experience with activity design, development, and implementation.
• Fluency in written and oral English.
• Proficiency in Portuguese.

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

• Prior experience working in Mozambique.
• Experience supervising culturally and geographically diverse staff.
• Experience with in-kind and/or small grants.
• Experience working in complex political transition and/or conflict environments.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up and close-out under limited time constraints.

About the Organization

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. 

Palladium Americas:

Our Americas’ business team has brilliant and passionate colleagues working in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America as well as the Caribbean, fulfilling projects and assignments for clients from institutions, corporations, governments, and foundations based in the Americas. We have offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status. 

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.