Chief of Party | Kazakhstan |2021

Chemonics seeks a chief of party for the anticipated USAID Trade Central Asia Activity. This five-year program will improve region-wide trade connectivity and harmonization to accelerate economic growth and increase economic opportunity in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and will support connectivity with Afghanistan. The activity aims to harmonize customs and border procedures, increase public-private dialog on regional trade and investment, and strengthen cross-border firm-to-firm connectivity. The Chief of Party will serve as the primary point of contact with USAID and will be ultimately responsible for the execution of all aspects of the project. This includes strategic planning, relationship building, stakeholder coordination, risk management, and collaborative learning. This is a full-time position based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.  

Responsibilities include:  

• Provide overall technical and managerial leadership of the entire program, ensuring an integrated vision among different components and actors, and a focus on achieving results 
• Identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner, suggest appropriate program adjustments, and offer solutions in a complex development environment
• Serve as the key liaison with USAID on day-to-day implementation and technical matters along with other offices located in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
• Ensure that all assistance is technically sound and appropriate, and direct implementation of the activity’s strategic long-term vision 
• Foster and maintain collaborative relationships with government counterparts, donor organizations, and local and regional partners
• Supervise and build capacity of technical administrative staff
• Oversee work planning, performance management, and strategic communications

Qualifications:  

• Advanced degree (or foreign equivalent) in a discipline related to economic growth, cross-border trade facilitation, private-sector engagement, or related field
• Minimum ten years of experience in the management and implementation of development projects related to economic growth and trade facilitation and knowledge of customs and border procedures, public-private partnerships, and foreign investment
• Proven expertise in leading and managing development projects related to trade facilitation with U.S. Government and other bilateral, regional, or multilateral donor-funded programs
• Experience in the former Soviet Union, Central Asia, or other countries with former centrally planned economies or similar context and legal & business environment challenges. Prior experience in the former Soviet Union preferred
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with a wide range of stakeholders (i.e., host government counterparts, local governments, private sector, NGOs, and other donors) to promote and leverage technical assistance efforts
• Experience integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment issues within trade and/or private sector development activities preferred
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Fluency in English required. Fluency in Russian or an applicable local language preferred

Application Instructions:

Please send an email with your CV and cover letter attached and “Chief of Party” in the subject line to [email protected] by February 17, 2021. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists.  

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors. If you are in the European Union, please read our EU Recruiting Data Privacy Notice to learn how we process personal data. You may access the notice via the following link: https://chemonics.com/eu-recruiting-data-privacy-notice/.