Chief of Party

Chief of Party

Concern Worldwide

Syrian Arab Republic

Your purpose:

Concern Worldwide seeks a Chief of Party for an anticipated program ‘Restoring Livelihoods through Agriculture Revitalization (RLAR)” in Northern Syria. The aim is to enhance resiliency at the household and community level in Syria through reinforcement of agro-ecological systems and improvement of sustainable access to key agriculture inputs and services. In pursuit of this aim, the program is designed to strengthen market access and functionality; strengthen agricultural and livestock production; strengthen livelihood opportunities and value chains critical to food security; improve water management, irrigation and land use techniques; and learning and data collection in Northern Syria. The Chief of Party will be responsible for the overall vision and leadership of the program, and is accountable for delivering results. The successful candidate should possess substantial experience managing complex, multi-year USAID or other international donor-funded programs. The position is subject to program award and funding.

You will be responsible for:

• Provide strategic direction and overall supervision and successful implementation of the program.
• Develop and oversee program work plans (interim and annual) and budgets based on expected program outputs and results, and using an adaptive management approach; track performance monitoring analysis and apply course correction.
• Liaise and consult with the donor, acting as the main representative and principal interlocutor, and maintaining a productive working relationship with donor.
• Manage partnerships with partner organizations, local contractors, local ministries and municipalities, and civil society organizations.
• Cultivate opportunities to leverage program financing and expand program impact.
• Ensure sound administrative practices with regards to record keeping, compliance with the donor and Concern Worldwide regulations, communications.
• Administer the program’s financial resources in accordance with program budget, donor, and Concern Worldwide policy.
• Fulfil all donor and Concern Worldwide reporting requirements.
• Ensure regular communication between Concern’s offices in the region which will include international travel and submitting required program reports in an agreed upon format.
• Manage recruitment of national staff and ensure that all internal administrative and HR policies and procedures are followed in accordance with established Concern Worldwide and donor standard practices.
• Supervise and provide support to local and international consultants and staff hired to deliver the program.
• Supervise performance of sub-contractors, sub-grantees, and program team.
• Build strong collaborative relationships with all program partners.
• Coordinate activities internally with other Concern Worldwide programs in Syria, and with other donors.

• Be aware of, understand, comply with and be a model of Concern’s HR policies and Code of Conduct and its associated policies, and ensure that every member of the program team is aware of, understands and complies with all of Concern’s policies and procedures.
• Fully adhere to security protocols and procedures and ensure that all members of the programs team also do so. Contribute to on-going security management and planning as necessary.
• Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Director (the line manager for this role).
• Actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E); 
• Work with relevant colleagues  to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed; 

Accountability 

• Ensure the highest standards of accountability through ensuring good communication and information sharing within and outside the program and enabling staff, beneficiary and other stakeholders’ participation at all stages of the project cycle.
• Promote and ensure compliance with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) commitments and quality criteria
• Ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern's Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) and ensure that information about Concern's commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among programme participants and communities
• Ensure that the CRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all programmes' locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns
• Ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensure that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritised at all stages.

Your skills and experience will include:

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.

• A Master’s degree (equivalent) or higher in agriculture, international development, or another relevant field.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in multi-sectoral agriculture programming, with an emphasis on conflict-sensitive agriculture interventions, gender and women’s empowerment, social and behaviour change communication, and agriculture and livestock in drought prone regions.
• Relevant experience in managing conflict-sensitive programs of similar size and scope as Supporting Livelihoods in Syria activity in Syria, in developing countries and preferably in the Middle East.
• Solid background and knowledge of USAID Rules and Regulations.
• Availability for USAID vetting procedures immediately.
• Strong ability to manage and deal with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a diverse team on programs of similar scale (financially, culturally, staff size and activities).
• Demonstrated strong writing and oral presentation skills in English.
• Able to work in insecure and diverse environments.
• Respectful of security rules.
• Dynamic and willing to take initiatives to complete assigned task, and work independently.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage change effectively.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills and coping with broad range of demands
• High level of critical thinking and proven high quality analytical skills and problem solving abilities.
• Empathy with Concern’s Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives.

We would also like:

• Ability to speak, read and write Arabic is an asset.
• Previous work experience in response to the Syrian crisis
• Previous experience in multi-sectoral response
• Knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere and HAP Standards and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols

Apply Now

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