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Chief of Party - USAID Mikajy Activity, Madagascar

Tetra Tech International Development Services, headquartered in Arlington, VA is currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified candidates for a Chief of Party position on the USAID-funded Mikajy Activity in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mikajy Activity is a five-year activity (2018–2023) in Madagascar that will advance biodiversity conservation in forest and coastal ecosystems, strengthen natural resource management and land tenure security among vulnerable populations, and promote sustainable economic growth in rural communities. The USAID Mikajy Activity fosters partnerships with communities, civil society, government and the private sector to reinforce capacity for conservation, improve livelihoods through conservation-friendly enterprises and empower communities to advocate for and participate in the governance of land and natural resources.

 

The Chief of Party (COP) will be the principal point of contact in Madagascar for all operational and technical matters related to the Mikajy activity. The COP shall coordinate and ultimately be responsible for all contract management and implementation tasks and will provide the overall leadership, management, and general technical direction of the entire program, ensuring an integrated vision among different components and implementing partners.

 

The COP reports to the Tetra Tech Home Office Project Manager (PM).

 

Responsibilities:

 

The COP serves as Tetra Tech’s in country legal representative and is responsible for the overall implementation of the project. His/her responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following tasks:

 

Programmatic Leadership

 

*Assumes overall responsibility for quality assurance and control of all program deliverables, ensuring that contractual obligations are met and that Annual Work Plans are being successfully implemented;

*Directly supervises the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Grants Under Contract (GUC) Manager and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager.

*Provides technical and administrative leadership, supervision, and direction to the project’s field implementation team, subcontractors and additional short-term technical assistance resources;

*Oversees monitoring and evaluation of project performance and progress and informs Tetra Tech and the client organization of the results of this monitoring;

 

Administration and Personnel Management

 

*Assumes overall responsibility for overseeing efficient administrative, personnel, financial, and related management systems as codified in Tetra Tech’s manuals, handbooks and SOPs;

*Provides management oversight and strategic guidance to administrative functions such as recruitment, procurement, personnel management, grant and subcontract management, and logistics to ensure that procedures are in accordance with client and Tetra Tech policies and regulations;

*Supervises project staff to assure highest standards of performance are achieved in accordance with Tetra Tech corporate-level policies regarding ethics, health, safety, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, among others;

 

Contractual Performance and Risk Management

 

*Creates and maintains a culture of compliance and ethics in accordance with the Tetra Tech Code of Conduct and USAID regulations, and ensures a work environment free from sexual harassment, abuse, and exploitation.

*Is responsible for identifying, managing, and mitigating project problems that put the company at risk financially or legally due to waste, fraud, abuse, or underperformance in collaboration with home office;

 

 

Financial Management

 

*Is ultimately responsible for sound financial management of the project.

*Approves the allocation of project funds to specific program actions/functions and monitors the cost execution of all approved allocations;

*Provides budget inputs per instructions from the PM for inclusion in the company’s Annual Operating Plan, and reviews and revises that plan to account for changes in project approach and circumstances;

*Acts as signatory authority through a Power of Attorney for the purpose of signing banking forms, and other documents such as checks, as needed.

 

 

Outreach Promotion and Coordination

 

*Represents Tetra Tech in-country at conferences, seminars, and other professional meetings that require the presence of the project’s COP;

*Serves as the official spokesperson of project activities with the USAID COR, host country government and local counterparts, and other collaborating institutions and agencies including the Hay Tao team;

Complies with Tetra Tech policy on media inquiries, consulting with home office on response management;

 

 

Qualifications:

* Minimum of a Master’s degree or foreign equivalent in forestry, marine fisheries, conservation or another degree related to biodiversity or natural resources management. An additional 5 years of relevant technical experience can substitute for a Master’s degree.

 

* At least 10 years of professional experience related to the successful implementation of large and complex international donor funded projects focused on managing and implementing co-management approaches with local communities for terrestrial or marine protected area management, and/or Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), and/or community-based forestry programs, and/or community-managed marine areas

                                                               

*Minimum of fifteen (15) years of professional experience with international development programs.

 

*Proven track record of achieving development impacts in a similar context, preferably for USAID funded programs.

 

*Demonstrated capability to work effectively with host country government officials and non-government partners at multiple levels, including organizational leaders and technical counterparts

 

*Experience negotiating and engaging with private sector actors in the development of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to establish or enhance sustainable, transparent and traceable supply chains leading to the successful development of biodiversity-friendly and/or climate-smart enterprises or value chains

 

*Experience with impact investing, conservation finance, and/or climate finance in support of international development programs

 

*Excellent verbal and written communication abilities and strong analytic skills

 

*Proven leadership in the management of large and complex international donor support programs with skills in strategic planning, client relations, and team development

 

*In-depth understanding of biodiversity and climate change policies and procedures

 

* Fluency in English and French required

 

* Knowledge of USAID and other international donor rules and regulations

 

*Financial integrity

 

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