Chief of Party (COP)

Job Description

Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Job Id: 573
# of Openings: 1

Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a Chief of Party (COP) for the anticipated five-year Young People for Integrity and Accountability in Zimbabwe funded by USAID. The activity will focus on three objectives:

• Build knowledge, attitudes, and capacities of young people to shun corruption;
• Build and strengthen the capacity of sub-national institutions as champions for anticorruption reform and policy implementation;
• Increase the efficacy of anti-corruption actors in public and private spheres at sub-national levels to identify, monitor, report, and address corrupt practices..

This will be a full-time position based in Harare and will be contingent on award and funding. This position is open to both Zimbabwe citizens and expatriates. For more information, please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The COP will lead programmatic, operational, and administrative activities of the activity and will report to DI’s Senior Director of Program Management. The COP will be responsible for developing a strong vision and implementation of the program with an evidence-based approach, integrating innovative strategies, and delivering on all objectives of the project. They will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of all staff. They will also provide mentorship and training, as needed, for all staff. The successful candidate must have significant international program management experience in Zimbabwe or other countries with similar settings. They will serve as the primary point of contact between USAID and the DI program.

Essential Job Duties:

The position’s responsibilities will include:

Programmatic

• Provide technical and strategic leadership on all program activities, including matters of budget, compliance, and reporting;
• Develop regular reports and ongoing activity monitoring consistent with the requirements of DI’s cooperative agreement with USAID and with internal reporting requirements;
• Manage the preparation and presentation of all work plans, MEL plans, and reports;
• Collaborate with USAID staff to achieve all program goals;
• Serve as technical lead in designing, implementing, and overseeing the aspects of the activity;
• Represent DI externally at meetings, workshops, and other events;
• Act as a key liaison with the host country government and USAID offices in Zimbabwe and Washington, DC, in the areas of oversight, reporting, and compliance;
• Manage a diverse team of project staff throughout Zimbabwe; and
• Provide technical assistance, as needed, to program partners, grantees, and beneficiaries.

Administrative

• Continue to build and lead DI’s dynamic local team;
• Approve expenditures and other financial transactions in accordance with DI and USAID policies and practices;
• Liaise regularly with USAID, local staff and partners, STTAs, and DI’s home office to ensure that deadlines are met and high-quality deliverables are completed and submitted in a timely manner; and
• Manage relationships with local partners and government, civil society representatives and international donor representatives.

Secondary Job Duties:

• Contribute to ongoing Democracy International business development efforts, in Zimbabwe and around the world.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in international development, political science, management, or other relevant field;
• 10 years of experience in project support and oversight, including managing programs in transitional or developing environments, managing teams, grant-making, and budget oversight;
• Minimum of 5 years of experience with USAID compliance and reporting requirements as well as a thorough understanding of the USAID regulatory environment;
• In-depth familiarity with, understanding of, and ability to successfully navigate within the Zimbabwean context;
• Experience and technical expertise working on youth development, sub-national governance reform, and anti-corruption particularly in an international development context, strongly preferred;
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders;
• Professional fluency in English is required
• Professional fluency in a local Zimbabwean language (please list all languages spoken), desired;
• This position is open to both expatriates and Zimbabwean citizens.

Reporting:

• This position reports to Director of Program
• Management.

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and CV. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified.

DI will only contact candidates of interest.

About the Organization

DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 70+ countries.

DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.