Chief of Party

Overview

Jhpiego seeks a Chief of Party (COP) to provide vision, leadership and direction to ensure the strategic, programmatic, technical, and financial integrity for an upcoming USAID health project in Afghanistan. The project will aim to increase access to and utilization of quality health and nutrition services and adoption of healthy behaviors, especially for women and children. The project will operate over a 5-year period.

The COP will have the overall responsibility for leadership and management and reporting of project activities. S/he will be responsible for making key decisions and solving problems in short timeframes while ensuring operational and project quality and integrity. S/he will serve as the project’s main point of contact with USAID on routine and strategic matters. S/he will also ensure effective organizational management and communication with host country stakeholders, and international partners and agencies.

This position is contingent upon award from USAID.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and project management leadership and strategic direction to ensure programmatic and financial integrity of the project and to achieve rapid and sustained goals, objectives and targets
• Ensure that project is technically sound, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of Afghanistan, its people and donors
• Ensure compliance with the terms of the award
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with USAID as well as private sector partners and other key stakeholders in Afghanistan to maximize resources and avoid duplication of effort.
• Maintain good coordination with the Ministry of Public Health.
• Represent Jhpiego and the project’s progress, achievements and lessons learned to donors, other key stakeholders, and through meetings, conferences, and presentations
• Provide technical leadership and ensure the quality and sustainability of interventions
• Lead the annual work planning process in close collaboration with USAID key stakeholders, and the project team
• Oversee the quality, preparation, and timely submission of project reports to donor
• Mentor, support, supervise and manage a team of highly qualified technical staff and align their efforts to ensure rapid and sustainable results
• Provide guidance, in collaboration with staff, to subcontractors and sub-grantees
• Write and/or review project materials and publications
• Work with finance and project staff to develop and track project budgets
• Work with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) staff to develop M&E frameworks and effectively track data/results
• Work closely with Jhpiego home office staff to ensure effective, timely and coordinated project implementation
• Ensure compliance with USAID operational policies and regulations
  
  

• Masters or other advanced degree in public health, health administration, international health or a related field
• Previous experience serving as COP/project director or DCOP or senior level management
• 10+ years' experience successfully managing large, multi-partner, multi-year international health sector development projects that have implemented successful activities in health systems strengthening, RH, FP, MNCH, immunization, nutrition, and TB
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing project systems and overseeing project start-up and close-out
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan with intimate understanding of local health system and gaps and opportunities in RH, FP, MNCH, immunization, nutrition, and TB
• Experience hiring and supervising personnel and ensuring they acquire the necessary training and skills to meet evolving project needs
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and maintain interpersonal and professional relationships with USAID, host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector
• In-depth knowledge of USAID projects, regulations, compliance and reporting requirements
• Demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, organizational, team-building, and representational skills
• Expertise in research to practice—identifying and adapting best practices to specific project contexts
• Excellent skills in facilitation, team building, and coordination
• Excellent verbal, written interpersonal and presentation skills in English and working knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari a plus.
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in regional and national projects and technical staff
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally 30% of time