Position : DEPUTY CHIEF of PARTY – MADAGASCAR
Ref: DCOP FtF Madagascar
Application Deadline: February 15, 2025
CARE seeks a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the anticipated five-year USAID-funded Sustainable Food Entrepreneurship project in Madagascar. Sustainable Food Entrepreneurship will have two components: 1) increasing production of diverse and nutritious foods; and 2) strengthening resilient markets.
The DCOP will report to the COP and will directly oversee the technical components, planning, implementation, quality assurance, effective coordination monitoring, and reporting of the Project. The DCOP ensures that activities are evidence-based and that the project meets its objective, targets, and reporting requirements. The DCOP will lead the technical team to be responsive to field teams’ needs for efficient implementation, in alignment with best practices, and adaptive to relevant research and evidence to maximize project impact. The DCOP will provide program leadership in developing, managing, and supporting a cohesive project work plan and activities through strong linkages between field implementation and technical teams.
The DCOP will also coordinate and manage relationships with technical leads of key sectors, civil society organizations, other implementing partners, and the Government of Madagascar (GoM) and ensure meaningful engagement with relevant government line agencies, civil society, academia, the private sector, and other stakeholders. In the absence of the COP, the DCOP will assume overall leadership and management responsibility for the USAID project.
This is a Key Personnel position, subject to USAID approval. It is also contingent on project award and funding. National candidates are encouraged to apply. This position will be based in Antananarivo and report to the Chief of Party.
Application Deadline: February 15, 2025
Primary responsibilities:
- Work closely with the Chief of Party to provide overall technical and management oversight for the Project, including the development and implementation of the annual work plans, quarterly and annual reports, and other requests that may come in from USAID.
- Oversee the overall technical management of the program in collaboration with the Technical Advisors and Specialists to deliver high-quality results, ensuring an integrated vision across components and actors, and ensuring that the Project meets CARE and USAID standards. Ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities.
- Ensure that the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and progress of all technical activities are in accordance with strategies and standards and meet the goals and objectives of communities, USAID, and the GoM.
- With the regional leads, oversee sub-recipients’ technical strategies, approaches, and activities.
- Collaborate with the MEAL Director and Technical Advisors to establish a robust system for measuring project impact and high-quality statutory reporting that allows for data to guide effective implementation.
- Supervise and monitor activity implementation and ensure activities meet stated goals and that all deliverables and targets are on time and with high quality and accurate reporting requirements.
- Supervise a team of senior international and national staff and consultants with expertise in a diverse set of technical areas. Ensure adequate technical capacity of staff to manage complex donor-funded projects.
- Identify learnings, issues, challenges, and risks of program implementation and plan for the alternatives in favor of the target groups.
- Work closely with the Chief of Party to maintain good working relations with USAID, the government of Madagascar counterparts, partners, private sector entities, civil society organizations, and academic institutions.
- Participate in national working groups, high-level coordination and donor meetings, and other relevant fora.
Required qualifications and experience:
- Master’s degree or higher in agriculture, international development, or related field preferred.
- Substantial, progressively responsible senior experience in international development in senior management capacity.
- At least 8 years of technical experience in one or more of the following areas: agriculture, food security, and rural development. At least 5 years of experience working in Southern Africa, preferably in Madagascar.
- Strong technical expertise in areas related to agriculture, food security, market systems, nutrition, value chain development, or resilience programming.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively and efficiently with government officials, for-profit private sector entities, local community organizations, donors, and other stakeholders, particularly at the national and sub-national levels.
- Strong management skills with strategic vision, progressive leadership, and negotiation as well as written and oral presentation skills to fulfill the project’s diverse technical and managerial requirements.
- Sound experience in financial management, award compliance, sub-award management, and tracking performance and costs via specific funding streams, ideally with USG funding.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and partners.
- Experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff and teams.
- Strong oral and written proficiency in English and French; Fluency in Malagasy preferred.
- Demonstrated commitment to Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion principles and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Harassment, and Abuse (PSHEA).
- Ability to travel within Madagascar and outside the country as required.
Malagasy candidates are encouraged to apply.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, interested candidates should send their resume and a covering letter with salary expectations to [email protected] in mentioning DCOP FtF Madagascar in the subject line by February 15, 2025. The applications will be reviewed promptly upon receipt, only finalists will be contacted.
CARE is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities and people from diverse groups are encouraged to apply. CARE will never request payment or charge a fee to apply for any position.
CARE International has zero tolerance for the exploitation, sexual abuse and mistreatment of women and children and mobilizes all its employees in the implementation of its global policy.
CARE International will contact the previous employers of candidates for this position to determine whether they have been found guilty of violating codes of conduct relating to harassment, sexual exploitation or abuse, or fraud, or whether an investigation was underway at the time of the termination of the previous employment contract, into facts of this type. Submission of an application for this position implies acceptance of this system for gathering information from previous employers.