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25 December 2011
Posted in
Jobs
Position Title: Chief of Party/Operations Manager, USAID OTI Afghanistan
Location: Afghanistan
Start Date (expected): March 2012
Title of Supervisor: DI Practice Area Lead for Peace and Security
Job Summary:
DynCorp International LLC (DI) is seeking Chief of Party (COP) candidates for an anticipated United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded program in Afghanistan to 1) improve local perception of the legitimacy of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA); 2) establish and/or strengthen ties among the GIRoA, informal Governance structures and local populations; and 3) strengthen community-based resiliencies to mitigate sources of instability.
The COP will be the lead DI employee in the assigned program. S/he will provide oversight of the program, supervision of program staff, manage overall in-country relations with relevant U.S. government (USG) entities, host government institutions, and local civil society partners, and ensure the program’s compliance with USAID and DI policies and regulations.
Job Duties & Responsibilities:
- Primary responsibility for managing implementation of the Task Order in compliance with the USAID/OTI-Afghanistan program goal and objectives as well as with all relevant USAID and US Government rules and regulations;
- Overall management of the in-country relationship with USAID/OTI;
- Responsible for making key decisions and solving problems in short time frames while ensuring operational and program integrity in fulfillment of the Contractor‘s responsibilities under the Task Order;
- Management, oversight, and reporting of Contractor progress and quality of performance in meeting the requirements for small grants and other program activities;
- Responsible for implementation of the Security Risk Management Plan;
- In close consultation with the CR, responsible for providing oversight of grant and non-grant activities, including supervision of the program staff, ensuring appropriate grant design, ensuring that procedures are established and complied with for grant development, grant worthiness, grant implementation, management, monitoring, evaluation, and grant closing;
- Responsible for ensuring that the Contractor complies with ADS requirements 201.3.11.16, 203.4.3, and 203.3.6.2 requiring purposeful attention to gender-based constraints encountered in stabilization and development efforts including the following: incorporation of gender analysis and issues in work plans and activity development, inclusion of gender issues in performance indicators, and integration of gender analysis into evaluation planning;
- Responsible, under the guidance of the CR, for contributing to the design and implementation of the M&E system at the activity level and for ensuring that all activities are monitored and evaluated;
- Ultimately responsible for ensuring that relevant staff use, maintain, and upload weekly the Activity Database, and that data is consistent and complete; and
- Supervisor of the Operations Manager and the two Regional Program Managers.
Internal/External Contacts: Interact with USAID representatives; Afghanistan government officials, leaders from civil society and the private sector; international government officials, donor agencies and implementing partners; and senior U.S. Mission and Embassy functionaries as well as Congressional delegations, as needed.
Knowledge & Skills :
- Exceptional knowledge of relevant USAID and federal regulations and policies.
- Knowledge and organizational management experience in post-conflict countries preferred.
- Excellent communication skills required to explain complex processes to a diverse group of stakeholders.
- Strong experience in leadership, relationship-building, and team building including the ability to manage downwards.
- Understand the role of the Contractor in relation to the active role of USAID/OTI in program implementation, and be willing to have close, daily collaboration with USAID/OTI‘s CR and in-country staff;
- Understand that the Contractor‘s organizational interests and USAID/OTI‘s program interests are one and the same rather than placing the organization before the program (or vice versa);
- Strategic thinker, able to contribute to political analysis, and support the USAID/OTI CR by effective communication of the Contractor‘s operating realities in Afghanistan;
- Proactive in determining the need for and demonstrating the ability to make timely executive decisions;
- Understand how to manage and operate within the Contractor‘s systems, including understanding what decisions can be made in the field and when to involve the Contractor‘s home office;
- Detail-oriented person, able to manage and lead the day-to-day details of the program down to the individual activity level but without disempowering other staff.
- Prior experience in establishing systems and overseeing program start up under limited time constraints.
- Experience in hiring and supervising host country local personnel and ensuring training necessary to meet program needs.
- Familiarity with standard business information technology (IT) office applications.
- Oral and written fluency in English required; Fluency in Dari and/or Pashtu is desirable but not required.
Experience & Education
- At least 6 years management experience in highly challenging developing country operational environments; prior experience in Afghanistan is desirable.
- At least 3 years of prior experience with a Contractor or international NGO managing a USAID funded office or program;
- Previous work in management role in a USAID/OTI program is preferred.
- At least 2 years of experience with grant management, preferably in-kind small grants including experience with activity design, development and implementation.
- Experience in financial management, including budgeting, tracking, reporting, accounting, and procurement; previous experience in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up under limited time constraints (in context of managing an international program.)
- Multiple country work experience is required.
Physical Requirements/Working Environment
- Living and working in potentially remote, uncomfortable and/or hazardous conditions.
- Working long hours.
- Moving on short notice and under adverse conditions may be required.
Travel: Must be willing to work and live in Afghanistan, traveling as required to project areas located in other parts of Afghanistan.
How to Apply: Please send resume/CV and a completed USAID Biographical Data form (can be obtained at www.usaid.gov/forms/AID1420-17.doc ) by email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please include " COP/Operation Mgr -Afghanistan” in the subject line. Applicants will be reviewed only when all requested documents are received. You may find it beneficial to include a cover letter that clearly addresses how you meet all of the requirements and include a list of three (3) referees.
Deadline for Applications: January 02, 2012 (late applications may be accepted for a few days after the deadline.)