Chief of Party (COP)

Overview

The Chief of Party (COP) leads the food security and livelihood project in Syria and is responsible for the overall success of the project, ensuring that project activities are completed on time, within budget, and to acceptable technical and quality standards. The COP provides overall team management, technical direction, administrative coordination, operations oversight to the program. The COP is the primary point of contact with the donor, and is responsible for maintaining donor relations and communication, as well as representing the project to other donors, stakeholders, partners, and local authorities. The role operates in a complex and fluid environment that requires independent work with minimum oversight. This position reports to the Northeast Syria (NES) Director.

Responsibilities

1. Leads the technical and administrative implementation of the project, ensuring that established project results and targets are achieved.

2. Leads the development of annual work plans and identification of priority activities.

3. Ensures that project activities adhere to technical and quality standards, and are delivered on time and within budget.

4. Sets the overall strategic and technical direction for the program.

5. Responsible for the day to day management and oversight of project staff, operations, administration, and activities.

6. Ensures project deliverables are met, including overseeing timely submission of high-quality program reports to the donor.

7. Ensures 100% compliance with donor and organizational policies and regulations.

8. Oversees management of project partners and sub-contractors, ensuring that partners and sub-contractors meet established targets and deliverables.

9. Manages a team of host country staff.

10. Responsible for the day to day management and development of project staff, ensuring staffing is appropriate to the needs of the project as well the safety and security of staff.

11. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with donor and other external stakeholders and partners.

12. Serves as primary point of contact with the project donor; responsible for formal and informal donor communications.

13. Establishes and maintain strong relationships with local and international NGOs and civil society organizations, government agencies, Syrian partners, and the private sector to ensure sound implementation of activities funded by USAID.

14. Serves as the principal project liaison with USAID, external stakeholders, and Global Communities headquarters staff.

15. Undertakes all other duties and projects as may be assigned from time to time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficient understanding of USG rules and regulations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and high level of attention to detail.
• Excellent critical thinking skills, analytic skills, and sound judgment.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills and high level of organization and attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and management skills, including ability to oversee, lead and develop diverse cross-cultural teams across multiple geographic locations.
• Fluency in English, written and oral. Abilities in Arabic strongly preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to read and interpret documents and ability to sit at a computer and operate a keyboard.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, social science, or a related field, and a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in the humanitarian, development, or transition field; or master’s degree and a minimum of 8 years of related experience; or a Doctorate degree and a minimum of 5 years related experience.
• Within the years of experience, the Chief of Party must have at least five years of experience managing teams and at least three years of experience working in conflict zones.
• At least 5 years of experience managing USAID-funded programming.
• Previous experience managing local staff in conflict zones.
• Previous experience in food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and/or infrastructure programming.
• Previous experience on programs implemented in the Middle East region required; prior experience in Syria is highly desirable.
• Previous experience managing sub-contractors.