Somalia: Chief of Party-Somalia (IFES)

Project Description:

Based in Mogadishu, the Chief of Party (COP) will manage IFES’ program in Somalia with a primary focus on providing technical support to, and ensuring successful completion of, all project areas. The successful COP candidate will a) serve as IFES’ primary in-country representative and coordinator of programming with local and international actors, and b) will have prior extensive experience in democracy and governance programming, with specific experience in elections and political processes and civil society engagement, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Chief of Party will report to the IFES HQ Regional Director of Africa, and will engage in regular communication and troubleshooting with the HQ Somalia program management team.

This position is for a pending award with an anticipated issuance date of January 2016.

Job Responsibilities:

Technical Direction and Program Implementation

Establish and maintain close working relationships with key local stakeholders, international NGOs, and the donor community to ensure successful implementation of the project;

Serve as IFES’ senior election expert in Somalia, providing expert-level technical support and advice to key stakeholders and beneficiaries;

Oversee the day-to-day technical management of IFES’ project(s) in Somalia;

Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of program strategies and activities;

Prepare and manage the implementation of the project(s) annual work plans in fulfillment of the project’s objectives and goals, and within the allocated budget;

Ensure the highest quality of program monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and communications;

Management

· Ensure, in conjunction with IFES’ HQ team, compliance with IFES and relevant donor rules and regulations, particularly with respect to fiscal management and technical reporting.

· Establish strong working relationships with the field staff to facilitate the completion of program tasks in a timely manner;

· Provide general supervision and mentoring of local and international field staff;

· Manage security procedures and protocol in coordination with the IFES HQ Security Manager and Regional Director;

· In coordination with IFES HQ assist in the identification, recruitment, and hiring of Somalia office staff, as well as local and international technical consultants.

· Provide oversight and management of technical consultants, including review of all consultant reports and deliverables.

Qualifications:

· The COP must be an engaged and dynamic leader, as well as a diplomatic, flexible, and adaptable team player who demonstrates leadership under challenging conditions. In addition, the COP is required to have the following qualifications:

· A post graduate degree in international politics, development, or related field is required;

· Minimum of 10 years of experience on democracy and governance programming in developing countries, with experience in elections and political processes, governance, civic engagement/civil society, institutional development or directly related technical areas;

· Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible management experience (which may be concurrent with the above ten years of technical experience), preferably as a development professional administering donor-funded programs in Sub-Saharan Africa;

· Demonstrated experience working with senior government officials, local governments, NGOs, and the international donor community;

· Experience working with civil society organizations specifically as relates to strengthening their technical capacity in aspects of electoral processes;

· Familiarity with the international donor community and experience as an action-oriented interlocutor with democracy-development actors at all levels;

· Experience managing USAID-funded projects preferred, with demonstrated knowledge of USAID regulations;

· Demonstrated knowledge of report writing and management of budgets;

· Ability and skills to promote and inspire effective collaboration between individuals, organizations and networks;

· Strong interpersonal, presentation, and communications skills to meet the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the program and to effectively coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders;

· Experience living and working overseas, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa;

· Strong analytical reasoning skills;

· Strong diplomacy skills and cultural sensitivity;

· English fluency required; Somali and / or Arabic language skills are an advantage.

To Apply:

You must go to http:www.ifes.org/ to the Careers section and apply online. Applications are only accepted in this way. Make sure you upload all papers together (ie. cover letter and application, etc.). Resumes are only reviewed and accepted if submitted through our careers page.