Nicaragua: Chief of Party, Lifting Nicaraguan Voices Project, Nicaragua

Organization: Project Concern International
Country: Nicaragua
Closing date: 16 Jun 2017

Job Description

Anticipated Start Date: September 2017 (Note: This position is contingent upon award)

**Spanish and English fluency are required for this position

Founded in 1961, Project Concern International (PCI) is an international non-profit organization that empowers people to enhance health, end hunger, and overcome hardship. Last year alone, PCI served more than 19 million people in 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Since 1991, PCI/Nicaragua has implemented a diverse portfolio of community-based programs in both rural and urban areas to improve health, improve resiliency, and promote the empowerment of vulnerable communities. PCI currently works in 15 municipalities and in 946 communities throughout Nicaragua. PCI is recruiting for a Chief of Party (COP) to lead an anticipated, five-year, multi-million dollar USAID-funded project designed to support the existence of an independent Nicaraguan civil society to effectively advocate for democratic principles, processes, and institutions.

The COP is responsible for the overall implementation of the project, and s/he provides technical and administrative supervision to the project. The COP will manage coordination with key stakeholders (including the GoN, civil society, the private sector and others), oversee subcontracts with local NGOs/CSOs, and lead communications with USAID.

Primary Responsibilities:

Provide an integrated vision and lead execution of inter-related components in local capacity strengthening, community mobilization, civil society advocacy, youth engagement and CSO networking.
Support testing and piloting of innovative concepts to solve civil society challenges and transition proven innovative solutions to scale.
Provide strategic leadership through vision, continuous improvement of quality, innovation and establishing a results-driven-management system.
Mentor senior technical staff to develop standard operating guidelines, quality assurance and control systems, milestones, successful startup and efficient technical service delivery mechanisms.
Provide strategic oversight for all activities and ensure to cost-effectively achieve project objectives.
Oversee partners’ and sub-grantees’ performance by establishing accountability mechanisms in program, finance, commodity and data quality management.
Develop systems to identify operational risks and their management and to reduce risks in project implementation.
Establish a culture of evidence-based decision-making and data driven analytics through a well-developed monitoring and evaluation system.
Assure good financial management of the project (e.g. budget execution, program-finance linkages, monitoring and reporting processes and procurement systems) and adhere to PCI and USAID financial policies and procedures.
Oversee total compliance to PCI and USG regulations in all aspects of program implementation.
Lead in establishing excellent communication protocols and working relationships with Government, donors, partners and other stakeholders.
Establish a work culture that respects and prioritizes the needs of communities, especially the most vulnerable.
Lead in managing human resources through recruitment, mentoring, setting performance objectives, rewarding and training project team members.

Qualifications:

Minimum of 7 years of prior related management experience.
Experience managing complex, multi-million dollar contracts and/or cooperative agreements funded by the US Government.
Demonstrated delivery of strong results in a COP role.
Experience in Latin America, with strong preference for recent work in Nicaragua.
Master’s Degree in Administration, Education, Public Policy or related field. (Ten years of experience may take the place of a post-graduate degree).
Relevant technical expertise in local capacity strengthening, community mobilization, grants management, and other related fields; preference for experience working to support CSOs to carry out advocacy campaigns and promote policy dialogue.
Experience working with a range of stakeholders, including CSOs, the private sector and the media, and proven capacity to facilitate coordination amongst diverse sectors.
Demonstrated abilities in USAID reporting, budgeting, procurement, and project management, including monitoring and evaluation.
Excellent understanding and familiarity with US Government donor regulations.
Proven leadership skills and demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, and managing/mentoring staff.
Development philosophy in keeping with PCI’s mission, vision, core values and approach to integrated, community-driven programming.
Excellent analytical and self-motivation skills; excellent advocacy and persuasion skills; able to think critically.
Strong financial management abilities.
Excellent verbal and written Spanish and English.
Experience managing development programs in complex political settings is preferred. Job Location Managua, , Nicaragua