Chief of Party
Niamey, Niger
Programs – Africa - West /
Full Time - International /
On-site
About Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international peacebuilding organization specializing in conflict transformation. Since 1982, we have been running programs around the world to help societies move from adversarial approaches towards collaborative solutions. Search's work is recognized globally, as evidenced by our nomination for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. Today, our programs cover more than 30 countries, with over 900 staff, 95% of whom are locally recruited, working with artists, media professionals, private sector and security actors, political, religious and community leaders to build a sustainable and viable infrastructure for peace. Through our extensive work with more than 313 radio stations and 26 television stations around the world, we estimate that we have reached almost 40 million people in many of the world's most difficult conflicts.
Search has been present in Niger since 2011. With a main office in Niamey and three sub-offices in Tillaberi, Tahoua and Diffa, our over 90 staff currently implement eight projects and programs. Some of the areas of intervention in Niger include prevention of violent extremism, demobilization and reintegration, local governance, stabilization, digital peacebuilding, humanitarian-development-peace nexus projects, gender, and youth empowerment.
Job Overview
Search is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for a five year, USAID-funded project in Niger that will promote social cohesion between farmer and herder communities. The COP is responsible for the technical leadership and administrative oversight of the project and serves as the primary institutional liaison with USAID and all relevant stakeholders. This senior leader will provide technical oversight of the program: Lead overall project management, apply an evidence-based approach, integrate innovative strategies, and ensure all project activities are consistent with USAID and Search technical guidelines and global best practices. S/he will be responsible for overall program quality, ensuring the quality and timely delivery of deliverables to USAID (annual work plan and project technical and financial reports), compliance with USAID regulations and Search policies and procedures, and financial and operational management. The COP will be responsible for making timely adjustments in strategy and staffing as necessary throughout the life of the project to ensure that project results are achieved, and for establishing management systems that ensure that performance results are achieved in line with output and outcome indicators. He/she will work with partners to provide high-level support for effective local capacity building and sustainability of project activities. The COP will supervise a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operational plans. S/he will also provide mentoring and training to the project team as needed. Working closely with the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), the COP will ensure that sub-grantee reporting, budget monitoring, and evaluation are carried out and respond to donor requests as required.
This position is subject to donor approval and funding.
Roles and responsibilities
- Work closely with the MEAL Officer and Regional MEAL Specialist to implement efficient and effective accountability systems,
- Work closely with the MEAL Officer so that the project can clearly demonstrate outcomes and impact on stabilization and behavior change.
- Ensure that MEAL works with program and operational teams to collect quality data to inform decision-making and people-centered design approaches.
- Work closely with the MEAL Officer to develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation plans and to capture results, best practices, and lessons learned.
- Ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems are used effectively to communicate the impact and performance.
- Facilitate effective collaboration between MEAL staff, technical advisors, and program implementation teams to develop logframes, indicators, implementation plans, quality benchmarks, monitoring and evaluation frameworks and related tools
- Attend monthly budget to actual reviews,
- Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments and cost change requests to donors.
- In close collaboration with sub-grantees and DCOP, lead the preparation of annual budgets for all project activities,
- On a monthly basis, review project management tools.
- Present findings and lessons learned as required.
- In close collaboration with subgrantees and project team, develop strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and overall program management in accordance with USAID guidelines to achieve project objectives.
- Ensure that program activities are designed, implemented, and completed in accordance with annual work plans.
- Lead the development, finalization, and revision (as required) of technical contract deliverables (monitoring plan, learning plan, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports, training materials, lessons learned report and final report).
- Champion learning and adaptive management among implementing partners; fostering a culture of creative problem-solving and innovation.
- Coordinate closely with all subgrantees to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the program.
- In close cooperation with the DCOP, lead the capacity assessment of all training activities required for capacity building and ensure that coaching to support subgrantees puts the acquired knowledge into practice.
- Provide quality technical guidance and advice to local partners on the design, implementation, and monitoring of project activities.
- Oversee and support implementation by local partners, including overseeing appropriate targeting and implementation of activities.
- In close collaboration with the DCOP, support compliance to donor rules and regulations.
- Mentor, support, supervise and manage a team of highly skilled people and focus their efforts to deliver rapid and sustainable results.
- Create and maintain a working environment of mutual respect in which the project team strives for excellence.
- Promote accountability by communicating expectations and providing constructive feedback through regular performance reviews.
- Work closely with other senior managers to ensure that the program consistently applies Search's values, ensures the highest ethical standards, emphasizes the importance of communication and teamwork, promotes collaboration with other donor-funded projects and activities, adheres to USAID and Search technical guidance, and directly contributes to the achievement of the program’s contractual outcomes.
- Coordinates specialist roles and responsibilities. This includes taking responsibility for the scope of work of short-term technical assistance (STTA), supporting the recruitment and selection of STTA consultants, planning and mobilization, field implementation and final acceptance of completed work.
- In close liaison with the Field Coordinator, ensure that staff development needs are met and provide support to staff as required, and uphold the office policy of respect and communication between supervisors and subordinates.
- In close collaboration with the Security Manager, ensure that project staff understand and adhere to Search's staff safety and security policies and plans, and that these plans are kept up to date.
- Closely monitor the security dynamics in target areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.
Representation and external communication: Represent Search vis-a-vis partners and key stakeholders and maintain positive relationships with USAID, local ministries, and project subgrantees. Lead communications with USAID, government, media and partner organizations.
Coordination: Lead the project team and ensure appropriate coordination between local government, subgrantees, and other relevant key stakeholders to implement interventions. Coordinate closely with other local peacebuilding and women-led civil society organizations, humanitarian actors and UN agencies to alignment and synergies of project activities with national and humanitarian food security priorities.
Reporting: Manages quality narrative reporting in line with USAID regulations, procedures, and search policies.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL): Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation,
Finance: Work closely with the DCOP to manage project resources and ensure grant compliance, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finances, administration, and reporting to USAID.
Activity Implementation: Lead the technical and managerial oversight of the program, including the development of annual work plans, quarterly and annual reports, and other requirements as requested by USAID.
Subgrantee Management: Manage transparent communication with subgrantees, including negotiating scopes of work, addressing necessary revisions to program work, and troubleshooting issues as they arise.
Human resources: Oversee the recruitment of key management staff and the onboarding and training to adhere to Search and donor policies and procedures.
Monitoring the evolution of political and human security in Niger: Manage and mitigate risk by monitoring national and regional issues that may affect staff and programs.
Preferred Competency and Behavioral Indicators
- Motivates colleagues and direct reports to develop while resolving problems within the context of a proactive and broad vision set by the organization.
- Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and Search’s network of experts to facilitate work intended to provide a service to Search.
- Manages and contributes to both routine activities and initiatives while also making progress on continuous improvement efforts.
- Juggles multiple demands and adapts to new situations with fresh ideas or innovative approaches.
- Contributes to the development and implementation of departmental strategy based on organizational goals and objectives.
- Confirms and socializes standards across functions globally in collaboration with Shared Services teams while allowing for thoughtful collaboration in an international context.
- Practices ethical behavior to meet Search’s expectations for conduct, minimizes ambiguity, and sets an example for others.
- Builds a framework and sets in motion a plan to overcome challenges by making sense out of complexity and an uncertain future, staying cognizant of the implications of a choice for the department, and being decisive while also applying flexibility for further change as needed and with changing work plans to meet environmental factors.
- Sets up procedures and team building to ensure high quality of work (e.g., review meetings).
- Seeks out creative solutions within a complex and international environment while working within an organizational framework of compliance, ethics, best practices, and standards.
- Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others to be more successful; provides effective coaching.
- Provides advice or solutions in their technical or functional area.
- Involves team members in thought leadership discussions and decision making to lead to continued growth and development for team, department members, and Shared Services colleagues.
Type and Nature of Contacts
- Routinely coordinates with colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolves problem situations with tact.
- Has multiple and regular high-level external donor and partner contacts. Is externally-branded and visible.
- Represents, as assigned, selected programs or projects and other organizations, including donors, vendors, and international and local partners.
- Interacts with the country office and regional staff.
Required qualifications
- At least 15 years' experience in peacebuilding or a related field, preferably in a senior management role in emergency contexts or fragile states. Experience as Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party is an advantage.
- Education: Masters degree (or equivalent experience) in agriculture, gender, political science, security studies, peacebuilding, sociology, development studies and other relevant field.
- Good understanding of the Niger context.
- Fluent in written and spoken French and English.
- Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
- Experience in implementing projects in highly sensitive and insecure environments and in rapidly adapting programming to respond to shocks and address emerging tensions.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
Usual office environment conditions; ability to travel internationally at least 20% and domestically 30%.
Supervisory and Budget Responsibility
Typically manages multiple direct reports and/or consultants and/or manages multiple functional areas and associated budgets.
This position is subject to donor approval and funding.
Applications are received until October 24, 2024
As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.
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Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work. All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Collaboration- Audacity - Tenacity - Empathy - Results. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults. Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. View our code of conduct here and our privacy policy here.
Les descriptifs de pouvant ne pouvant être exhaustifs, le titulaire du poste pourra être amené à entreprendre d'autres tâches qui correspondent globalement aux responsabilités clés ci-dessus.
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Seuls les candidats invités à un entretien seront contactés. Pas d'appels téléphoniques s'il vous plaît. Veuillez consulter notre site Web www.sfcg.org pour tous les détails de notre mission.
Tous les employés de Search doivent adhérer aux valeurs de Search : Collaboration- Audace - Ténacité - Empathie - Résultats. Conformément à ces valeurs, Search fait respecter le code de conduite et les politiques connexes sur la lutte contre le harcèlement au travail, la protection contre l'exploitation et les abus, la protection des enfants, les conflits d'intérêts et la lutte contre la fraude. Search s'engage à préserver les intérêts, les droits et le bien-être des enfants, des jeunes et des adultes vulnérables avec lesquels elle est en contact et à mener ses programmes et ses opérations d'une manière qui soit sûre pour les enfants, les jeunes et les adultes vulnérables.
Search for Common Ground ne fait pas et ne doit pas faire de discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur, la religion (croyance), le sexe, l'expression de genre, l'âge, l'origine nationale (ascendance), le handicap, l'état matrimonial, l'orientation sexuelle ou le statut militaire, dans aucune de ses activités ou opérations.
Dado que la descripción de funciones no puede ser exhaustiva, el titular del puesto puede tener que realizar otras tareas que coinciden en líneas generales con las responsabilidades clave mencionadas.
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Sólo se contactará con los candidatos invitados a una entrevista. Se agradece no recibir llamadas telefónicas. Consulte nuestro sitio web www.sfcg.org para conocer todos los detalles de nuestro trabajo. Todos los empleados de Search deben adherirse a los valores de la organización: Colaboración - Audacia - Tenacidad - Empatía - Resultados. De acuerdo con estos valores, Search hace cumplir el Código de Conducta y las políticas relacionadas con luchar contra el acoso en el lugar de trabajo, la protección contra la explotación y el abuso, la protección de la infancia, los conflictos de intereses y la lucha contra el fraude. Search se compromete a salvaguardar los intereses, derechos y bienestar de los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables con los que está en contacto y a llevar a cabo sus programas y operaciones de una manera que sea segura para los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables. Search for Common Ground no discrimina ni discriminará por motivos de raza, color, religión (credo), género, expresión de género, edad, origen nacional (ascendencia), discapacidad, estado civil, orientación sexual o condición militar, en ninguna de sus actividades u operaciones. Consulte nuestro código de conducta aquí y nuestra política de privacidad aquí.
