Deputy Chief of Party: USAID's Innovation Design, Execution, and Acceleration Support (IDEAS) Activity

Job Description

POSITION MANDATE

Resonance is seeking candidates to serve as the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the anticipatedInnovation Design, Execution, and Acceleration Support (IDEAS) activity. The IDEAS activity will provide design assistance, technical expertise, and administrative support that will bolster USAID and implementing partner efforts to execute open innovation programs, as well as accelerate the resultant innovations for increased uptake inappropriate markets or contexts. The DCOP will be responsible for providing senior-level technical and administrative management of open innovation activities.

This is a full-time position based in Washington DC, reporting to the Chief of Party (COP).

OUTCOMES / ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The DCOP will primarily bear the overall management and oversight of human resources, procurement, administration, financial accounting, compliance, and operations for this anticipated project. In close collaboration with the Chief of Party (COP), the DCOP is responsible for making key operational decisions, ensuring contractual and legal compliance, and swiftly solving administrative and operational problems. They will assist the COP in managing relationships with USAID, counterparts within governments, and various key project partners, including grantees. The DCOP will supervise senior support staff, managing team workloads to ensure goals and deadlines are met.

Roles and responsibilities include:

• Ensure streamlined operations, responsible compliance, and sound financial management and monitoring systems with Resonance and USAID rules and regulations;
• Oversee administrative and logistical support to the portfolio of open innovation activities;
• Streamline and maintain procurement and compliance processes, contractual compliance, human resource management, oversight of local subcontracts, financial management, and communications to meet all grant deliverables and milestones;
• Supervise, train, and mentor key team members in the areas of administration, logistics, human resources, procurement, budgeting and finance, and grants management;
• Manage and support technical staff and local and international short-term experts to achieve goals and ensure completion of programs on schedule and within budget;
• Work with the COP, technical leads, and overall project team to develop annual work plans, monthly and quarterly progress reports, and a strategic grants program;
• Serve as the primary liaison to vendors and local subcontractors;
• Manage USAID approvals for travel, hiring, and equipment procurement
• Work closely with the home office Project Management Unit to ensure project compliance with USAID and Resonance procedures, rules, regulations, and best practices.
• Serve as acting COP in their absence; support the COP on donor-requested tasks and deliverables

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPEIRENCE

• Master’s Degree in business administration, public administration, public policy, or a related field.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible work experience in managing complex projects of similar size and scope as IDEAS
• Minimum of three (3) years of overseas field experience or working in one or more developing countries. Field experience may also include providing overseas support to field-based projects.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, or supporting the development of, innovative approaches to development challenges. Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent abilities to develop and manage systems for multiple, simultaneous activities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with multidisciplinary teams;
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with multiple stakeholders including government officials, private sector, multilateral organizations, educational institutions, local implementing partners, and community groups, especially as it relates to building capacity to work with donor organizations;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English is required.

PREFERRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Experience managingUSAID-funded open innovation programs is preferred
• Experience managing complex, USAID funded grants programs is preferred

TRAVEL EXPECTATIONS

Limited travel could possibly emerge dependent on requirements.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position operates in a professional office environment, and routinely requires the use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

As a part of the responsibilities for this job, the employee is required to communicate, detect, converse with, discern, convey, express oneself, and exchange information orally and in writing with others. The employee must be able to remain in a stationary position, sitting at a desk for prolonged periods, move or traverse inside the office and facilities; operate, activate, use, prepare, inspect, place, detect, or position computers and other office equipment, such as a calculator, copy machine, furniture, and computer printer. The employee must be able to make substantial repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and fingers. The employee must be able to lift and move up to 15lbs at times.

WORK AUTHORIZATION / SECURITY CLEARANCE

US work authorization required. Preferably DC based, but remote could be considered.

AAP/EEO STATEMENT

The Equal Employment Opportunity Policy of Resonance is to provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all associates and job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation) parental status, genetic information (including family medical history) political affiliation, military service, age, veteran status, disability, or marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. These protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring, appraisal systems, promotions, training, and career development programs. Consistent with these obligations, Resonance also provides reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

Resonance believes that employees should be provided with a working environment which enables each associate to be productive and to work to the best of his or her ability. We do not condone or tolerate an atmosphere of intimidation or harassment based on any of the above-mentioned characteristics.

We expect and require the cooperation of all employees in maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free atmosphere.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls or emails please.

About the Organization

Come grow with us! If you are a passionate change agent who thrives in a collaborative, entrepreneurial and inclusive, culture committed to operational excellence, we would like to meet you.

At Resonance, you get involved in the work, in the field, not just in the deck. Our teams are autonomous and self-sufficient. You get to weigh in with founders and leaders on how to drive change and grow the movement while growing the company.

Resonance is an award-winning, Certified B Corporation consultancy that delivers market-based solutions to address the world's toughest challenges. We enable a variety of donor, commercial, and investor clients around the world to catalyze lasting impact. Resonance seeks to catalyze large-scale social, environmental, and economic change by fostering new and dynamic forms of collaboration. We do this by fostering public-private partnerships, facilitating sustainable investment, and providing deep analytical insights in frontier markets.