Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) - STARR Project at International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

Job description

Project Description

IFDC is recruiting for the anticipated USAID Strengthening Agriculture and Regional Resilience (STARR) Project based out of Nairobi. The overall goal of the activity is to promote increased agricultural production, investment, trade and resilience to shocks in the larger East Africa region including select IGAD, COMESA and SADC countries by addressing agricultural issues that can only be solved on a regional basis. STARR has the following objectives:

• Strengthening cross-border agricultural trade and value chains;
• Improved regional agricultural inputs;
• Strengthening resilience;
• Strengthening the regional policy environment.

Responsibilities

• The DCOP will play a key role in supporting the program Chief of Party to effectively achieve the results defined in the project and will take the lead role in managing activities related to Objectives 2 and 3 as well as overall alignment between the various technical teams of the project.
• The DCOP will support the Chief of Party in managing staff and providing technical leadership in the design and implementation of project activities. We seek an individual with significant broad and proven expertise in market systems, agricultural development with emphasis on the input sector in a developing country context, preferably in East Africa. The DCOP will complement the Chief of Party with experience in facilitation and systems approaches, comprehensive and integrated food security and agribusiness, and able to bring lessons learned from past interventions.
• The DCOP will ensure that the project meets all USAID requirements and complies with USAID policies and regulations. Key responsibilities include: 1) overall program responsibility; 2) ability to manage toward maximum effectiveness, efficiency and output; 3) apply a facilitation approach to implementation; 4) represent the program to donors, key stakeholders and host country government counterparts by assuming primary responsibility in negotiating terms and conditions of the program.

Required Skills

• Master’s degree from an accredited university in Development, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Agriculture, Natural Resources, International Relations or Social Sciences;
• Strong management and leadership skills, including the ability to mentor staff;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and excellent presentation skills;
• Fluency in English (oral and written) required;
• Strong analytical capacity;
• Willingness to travel extensively in East and Southern Africa.

Required Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant work experience, including experience with a contractor or international NGO with demonstrated supervisory experience;
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience working on USAID-funded projects, preference for former DCOP/COP or senior technical staff experience;
• Strong experience working in the agriculture, agribusiness and the agri-inputs sector both at a national and regional context;
• Previous work experience implementing market systems projects essential;
• Previous work experience in East or Southern Africa essential;
• Experience in hiring and supervising of local personnel;
• Financial management experience, including budgeting; financial management (tracking, reporting, and accounting); and procurement;
• Experience with activity design, development, and implementation.