Deputy Chief of Party

Job Description

The IRC began working in Mali in 2012 in response to the political crisis. The IRC has provided lifesaving assistance to over half a million displaced Malians displaced by conflict and facing severe food shortages. The crisis in Mali has also led to a collapse of basic public services such as health care and education.

To help the country recover, the IRC is focusing our efforts by providing emergency relief; supporting village savings and loan associations and income-generating activities, especially for women; providing clean drinking water, water treatment kits, water-point rehabilitation, and health care supplies; providing vital health care services and training community health workers; providing children and parents with psychosocial support to help them heal from trauma; and training teachers and reopening schools for children affected by conflict.

Scope of work

The IRC seeks a Deputy Chief of Party (D-COP) for an anticipated five-year USAID Cross-Sectoral Youth activity in Mali. The project will enable vulnerable and marginalized 15–29-year-old Malian youth in the regions of Bamako, Mopti and Segou to become educated, healthy, and productive citizens while building their resilience to recurrent crises. The $25-$50M Cross-Sectoral Youth Activity will focus on an integrated program that includes basic education, workforce development, media literacy to counter disinformation, youth entrepreneurship, and reproductive health.

The DCOP will be responsible for supporting the Chief of Party (COP) in management of staff, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. Coordinate the development, implementation and reporting on detailed management plans that may include implementation plans, deliverable tracking, etc., in assigned area of responsibility. Manage implementing partners and oversee operations. This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in 2023. The position is based in Bamako, Mali.

Responsibilities

• Support the COP in providing strategic and technical leadership and direction, defining and implementing activities to achieve the greatest impact toward project goals and objectives; serve as Acting COP in COP’s absence;

• Provide financial and operational management that optimizes resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely submission of reports to the donor.

• Ensure project delivery meets best practice standard operational policies and procedures for impact and compliance;

• Manage consortium partnerships and maintain collaborative partner relations;

• Support reporting to USAID through both formal and informal debriefings, annual and semi-annual reports;

• Assist COP in maintaining active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions;

• Represent the project and the organization in public, as assigned, and support the distribution of information about project achievements and lesson learned;

• Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility;

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (PhD or MA) from an accredited university in social sciences, international development, or related field; equivalent experience may be substituted for graduate degree;

• At least seven years of experience in managerial roles on similar programs in developing countries, including substantial supervisory experience;

• Significant previous experience managing operations for similar programming in conflict or crisis situations;

• Experience working in Mali or within the West Africa region on economic recovery and positive youth development programming required;

• Previous experience as DCOP of USAID-funded programs preferred;

• Substantial experience managing subgrantees required;

• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders;

• Demonstrated innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation;

• Strong communication skills, both oral and written;

• The candidate must be fluent in English and French.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Women, minorities and people living with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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Qualifications