Job Description
Deloitte seeks to identify a candidate for the Chief of Party (COP) role for a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded regional program in Southern Africa anticipated in 2022 focused on mobilizing investment in previously-underinvested sectors in Southern Africa by building the capacity of fund managers, working with financial and non-financial intermediaries to identify bankable investment opportunities, and creating linkages between U.S. and Southern African capital providers.
The ideal candidate for this senior-level position has a proven track record of leading and achieving or exceeding results on large-scale USAID- or donor-funded economic growth program, ideally regional in nature. The CoP will provide strategic leadership and technical and operational oversight across all program activities and will bear primary responsibility for the achievement of the program’s technical objectives, the effective management and development of staff, adherence to the budget, and timely and accurate completion of reporting and contractual requirements. The CoP will be the primary liaison with USAID through USAID’s Contracting Officer’s Representative and serve as the program’s primary interface to key national, regional, and U.S. Government stakeholders in Southern Africa, and the broader donor community. Applicants must be willing and able to work in South Africa, as this position is expected to be full-time and based in Pretoria.
The COP should be able to demonstrate a commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and a healthy workplace culture, including promoting women and diverse professionals into meaningful leadership positions and working effectively with them.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Lead and support the delivery of all program activities, overseeing all technical leads, and reviewing major deliverables for quality, relevance, and impact
- Act as the primary counterpart and direct liaison for the program’s Contracting Officer’s Representative, providing timely responses for the program, its technical and operational team, and any subcontractors on program progress, results, activities, and ongoing work
- Determine the specific responsibilities allocated to technical and operational staff, develop a program structure that facilitates information flow and work completion, and provide and sustain an overall vision of success that fully engages stakeholders and staff
- Communicate with the relevant private sector partners, businesses, governments, donors, and other stakeholders to drive program objectives
- Manage program staff members and align the technical skills of staff to program outcomes and delivery of work products
- Supervise the preparation of workplans and progress reports, guide the development of operational procedures and processes, and approve final versions of the program budget
- Oversee the program startup and closeout phases
Qualifications and Experience
The candidate should possess a combination of the following relevant experience. Candidates need not meet all qualifications to apply:
- At least ten (10) years of experience leading teams in the Southern African financial services industry
- Experience leading or working on donor-funded technical assistance programs, especially those focused on mobilizing investment for under-invested sectors; previous USAID experience is preferred
- Access to a strong network of businesses and capital providers (e.g., banks, development finance institutions, institutional investors, private equity funds, and venture capital funds) and/or non-bank financial intermediaries
- Proven ability to raise financial capital, including experience conducting due diligence, pipeline-building, deal-structuring, and/or matchmaking
- Experience mobilizing finance from private capital providers through the use of catalytic funding or innovative financial instruments preferred
- Experience supporting the facilitation of private investment, including provision of transaction advisory support services to businesses and relevant Government ministries and agencies
- Understanding of the constraints to increased investment in underserved sectors (e.g., health, water and sanitation, education, agriculture) throughout Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, including ways traditional investment models limit access to finance for businesses in emerging markets
- Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to programs or initiatives designed to advance black economic empowerment
- Understanding of key issues at the nexus of finance and gender equality; experience furthering women’s economic empowerment through inclusive finance strategies preferred
- Experience building and managing senior client and partner relationships and representing programs to high-level Government officials
- Experience with local capacity-building, including support to first-time fund managers and/or entrepreneurs preferred
Timing
Timing of award is tentatively anticipated for early 2022, with expectation of a 5-year program award period. COP role would require a minimum of 3 years of service to the anticipated program.
About the Organization
Deloitte is a globally recognized professional services organization with a business practice devoted to promoting economic development and poverty reduction in emerging market countries. For more than 25 years, Deloitte’s Emerging Markets practice has worked with governments, donor agencies, NGOs and private firms in over 60 countries to build the institutions, legal framework, and policies required for effective public-sector management and private sector growth.
