Chief of Party

Chief of Party

Jhpiego - John Hopkins University

Afghanistan

Overview

The Chief of Party (COP) will provide vision, leadership and direction to ensure the strategic, programmatic, technical, and financial integrity for an USAID’s Urban Health Initiative. The $104 million project aims to improve health outcomes in five urban centers in Afghanistan with a focus on reproductive health (RH), family planning (FP), maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), immunization, nutrition, tuberculosis and COVID-19. The project timeline is October 2020-October 2025.

The COP will have the overall responsibility for leadership and management of and reporting on the project activities, making key decisions and solving problems in short timeframes while ensuring compliance, operational and program quality and integrity and serving as the first point of interface with USAID on routine and strategic matters. This includes ensuring effective organizational management and communication when interacting with other projects, partners and agencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic direction to ensure programmatic and financial integrity of the integrated health project and to achieve rapid and sustained project goals, objectives and targets, in a manner that is flexible to and addresses a highly fluctuating operating environment
• Apply adaptive management principles to pivot approaches based on contextual factors to meet program objectives
• Ensure compliance with the project results and oversight of project activities to achieve the stated objectives
• Ensure adherence to latest USG sanctions and policies as project activities are implemented
• Foresee and manage risks and put in place robust risk mitigation plans that are adaptive to the current operating environment
• Remain up to date and current on knowledge and application of the sanctions as well as general licenses
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships and alliances with USAID, local organizations and actors, other USG implementing partners, private sector partners and other key stakeholders in Afghanistan to maximize resources and avoid duplication of effort
• Represent Jhpiego’s interests and present progress, achievements and lessons learned to key stakeholders including USAID and implementing partners in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations
• Ensure the quality and sustainability of interventions through different service delivery channels particularly in the areas of maternal, newborn, and child health, and health systems strengthening, again in the context of a highly fluctuating operational environment
• Participate in relevant technical advisory groups with counterparts and partner institutions
• Lead the annual work planning process in close collaboration with USAID, the project team, and project partners
• Oversee preparation of project reports to USAID
• Mentor, support, supervise, and manage a team of highly qualified staff and align their efforts to ensure rapid and sustainable results
• Provide guidance, in collaboration with key staff, to subcontractors and subgrantees and coordinate activities with other agencies
• Write and/or review technical components of materials and publications related to integrated health and its development
• Ensure resources for project implementation are available
• Work with finance and project staff to develop and track project budgets and ensure project is implemented within budget
• Work with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) staff to develop M&E frameworks and effectively track data and results and establish a culture of data for decision making
• Work closely with Jhpiego home office staff to ensure effective, timely and coordinated project implementation
• Ensure compliance with USAID operational policies and regulations

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in public health, health administration, international health, or a related field
• Previous experience serving as COP or DCOP
• Demonstrated experience working in highly fluctuating operating contexts, with a strong focus on solutions and problem solving within a framework of compliance.
• At least 10 years of experience managing international health projects, including substantial experience managing large, multi-year international health sector development projects (approximately $5M per year) that have implemented successful activities in areas such as maternal, newborn and child health, family planning/reproductive health, health systems strengthening
• Demonstrated experience managing consortiums and building capacity of local organizations
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems and overseeing project start-up
• Deep understanding of the Afghanistan (or similar) social and political context, and developments in the health sector
• Experience hiring and supervising personnel and ensuring they acquire the necessary training and skills to meet evolving program needs
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID missions, host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, the private sector and other donors
• In-depth knowledge of USAID projects, regulations, compliance, and reporting
• Demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, organizational, team-building, and representational skills
• Management, training, or clinical background in maternal, newborn, and child health, family planning/reproductive health, or health systems strengthening
• Expertise in translating research to practice-identifying best practices and adapting them to project realities, with strong attention to quality of care
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan, with intimate understanding of local health system and health systems strengthening, family planning/reproductive health, and maternal, neonatal, and child health care gaps and opportunities
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines, and intense pressure to perform
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including TEAMS and PowerBi
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Ability to travel nationally, security permitting

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