Deputy Director

Job Description

BACKGROUND:

The Centers of Excellence (COE) activity was designed by USAID and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) to support Egypt’s economic development by establishing “partnerships for human and institutional capacity building between higher education institutions in the United States and developing countries. ” The COEs will strengthen the capacity of Egyptian universities to respond to changing public and private sector needs for applied research and skilled graduates in the sectors of agriculture, water and energy. As the Government of Egypt (GOE) body responsible for funding, overseeing, regulating, and accrediting higher education efforts in Egypt and ensuring the quality of higher education nationwide, MOHESR seeks through this project to build upon ongoing USG-supported efforts to strengthen higher education access and quality in key technical fields. Specifically, USAID and MOHESR intend to create a sustainable model for market driven university education in an environment that fosters scholarship supported equitable access for women, persons with disabilities, and academically qualified, yet financially needy students.

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

The Deputy Director, (DD) will serve as an in-country manager based at our Egyptian partner university. Under the direction of the Chief of Party and Program Director, the DD will supervise the project staff based at Egyptian partner university and guide project activities at our Egyptian partner university in accordance with the ASU work plan and overall project objectives. The DD will also be interfacing with the USAID, and the Egypt COE stakeholders and partners.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

With minimal administrative oversight, essential responsibilities will include and not be limited to the following:

• Supervises the Technical Advisor based at Egyptian partner university and direct her/his work.
• Provides support for project implementation to the university; Technical Advisor; M&E Specialist; Communications Specialist; and Corporate Engagement Specialist.
• Provide leadership support to Egyptian partner university in the areas of strategic planning; operational effectiveness; development and execution of various plans (i.e. Life-of-Project plan, workplan, strategic plan, hiring plan, sustainability plan, etc.); and policy and procedure development.
• Provides guidance and information to ASU’s Program Director, Project Manager, Finance Director and other project team members to support planning, reporting, decision making, and risk analysis.
• Resolve problems and issues affecting the project and direct measures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the project.
• As authorized by the ASU Program Director, directly liaise with USAID, MOHESR, Government of Egypt agencies and other partners, as required, to implement project activities.
• Develop and manage relationships with external partner organizations including academic partners, industry partners, community and others in support of Egyptian partner university’s strategic goals.
• Develop stakeholder network and organize stakeholder workshops to review project’s progress.
• Organize various academic and governance workshops and seminars to support the project’s goals.
• Serves as ASU’s representative on various advisory boards, councils and committees as assigned.
• Contribute content to written materials, such as reports, newsletters, and brochures.

• Update activities and tasks in SmartSheet, as required.
• Submit weekly status reports to Egypt COE Project Manager to report activities.
• Provide support to other staff which may include carrying out tasks outside of scope of work, when needed, to support project implementation.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated skill in developing and communicating a common vision among diverse partners, developing stakeholder networks, and establishing pathways for successful communication and coordination across stakeholder organizations.
• Demonstrated skills in performance monitoring, the planning and implementation of gap assessments for continuous learning and performance improvement, and outreach to further enhance project impact.
• Demonstrated leadership in the administration of international donor technical assistance projects with skills in strategic planning, business development, management, supervision, budgeting, and delivery of presentations.
• Evidence of strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written.
• Project management experience in managing multilateral institutional projects funded by NGOs, industry, or government agencies.
• Knowledge of the USAID, World Bank and/or other international agencies.
• Experience in traveling to and working on international projects, e.g.: Africa, Middle East.
• Experience in prioritizing and handling multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
• Evidence of superior analytical, communications, organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to clarify roles and responsibilities to ensure understanding of expectations; taking action to mitigate conflict.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in International Development Education, Education Leadership and Policy, Public Administration or another relevant area.
• Minimum of seven (7) years or professional experience in the successful implementation of human and institutional capacity development programs.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• D. degree in International Development Education, Education Leadership and Policy, Public Administration or another relevant area.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

This position will be based at our partner university in Egypt. This position will have frequent interaction with administrators, faculty, and students working in the COE. Interaction with Egypt and international Energy stakeholders. Interaction with the USAID, ASU, and other centers and universities in Egypt. Travel to various locations within and outside Egypt and visits to the USA are required. Regular use of standard office equipment including, but not limited to: computer workstation/laptop (keyboard, monitor, mouse), printer, fax, calculator, copier, telephone and associated computer/technology peripherals. Requires moderate driving using personal vehicle to perform work.

About the Organization

Our mission at Arizona State University is no less than revolutionizing the model for public higher education. We call it the New American University, and we began our transformation in 2002, led by President Michael Crow. Six years later, Newsweek hailed ASU as “one of the most radical redesigns in higher learning since the modern research university took shape.” By 2016 and again in 2017 and 2018, U.S. News and World Report named ASU the most innovative university, ahead of Stanford at #2 and MIT at #3. The ASU model has relevance for developing countries seeking to meet escalated expressions of challenges that we face in the United States. In 2015, ASU established ASU International Development to support cross-university pursuit of development projects. ASU ID provides a single point of contact for donors and partners seeking to access the university’s myriad resources. Since 2015, ASU has successfully implemented projects for USAID, the State Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Inter-American Development Bank, and private sector donors including foundations such as MasterCard and Gates. Countries of work include Brazil, Barbados, Haiti, India, Pakistan, West Bank, El Salvador, Vietnam, Indonesia, Peru, Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Jamaica, Aruba and the Pacific Islands. ASU provides strong back-office support to its partners as one of the few university research enterprises to be ISO 9001-compliant.

ASU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.