Description

DAI seeks Chief of Party candidates on the anticipated project in Ghana focused on enhancing agriculture-led economic growth, resilience, women’s empowerment and nutrition in the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions of northern Ghana. The project will use an innovative market systems approach to increase agricultural productivity in select value chains, strengthen market linkages and strengthen access to finance while also building resilience of households and the market system. The project is expected to benefit smallholder farmers working with maize, soybean, cowpea, and groundnuts.

The Chief of Party is responsible for driving technical innovation in the implementation of project activities, management of project staff, coordination with partner organizations, and establishing an open and constructive relationship with the client. S/he will establish and maintain systems for project operations; coordinate and maintain working relationships with project stakeholders (including ministries, high-level government officials, private sector partners, etc.); manage local implementation teams, and collaborate with local partners to improve stakeholder capacity.

Responsibilities:

• Provides strategic direction and technical leadership to produce project results
• Serves as the project’s key liaison with USAID, government counterparts, and local partners/stakeholders
• Provides leadership and technical support specifically for project staff and subcontractors
• Supervises the project’s technical assistance team to ensure a focus on core results, achievement of annual work plan objectives and targets, and timely/effective implementation
• Collaboratively creates and implements a strategic, long-term programmatic vision
• Monitors the progress and pace of project implementation, assuring that the full potential of the program is realized through the promotion of high quality work and internal controls
• Ensures that project budget projections, expenditure, tracking and reporting are in accordance with USAID and DAI requirements, procedures and practices
• Leads the development and production of all project deliverables
• Ensures that lessons learned and best practices are documented and shared
• Maintains regular communication with DAI Headquarters team on project updates and general project management aspects.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree and at least 10 years of senior-level international project management experience in designing, implementing, and managing large, complex agriculture or private sector development projects
• Technical expertise in agricultural economics, agronomy, business or related fields
• Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated senior supervisory experience, with at least 2 years’ experience managing or implementing agriculture-focused projects in West Africa
• Familiarity with policy issues surrounding agricultural growth and poverty reduction, M4P, systems approach, private sector development
• Existing familiarity with the USAID program management strongly preferred
• Experience designing and implementing gender-sensitive and/or -responsive development programming preferred
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English required.