Counterpart International is seeking a Chief of Party for an anticipated four-year Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Cameroon, which aims to increase school enrollment, attendance and the health and nutritional statuses of children. With the support of the local and headquarter staff, the Chief of Party will provide vision, technical leadership, financial and administrative oversight of the program and will serve as the principle institutional liaison to USDA, local African organizations, and host government agencies. The Chief of Party should have competence and extensive past experience relevant to leadership, management, project implementation and training of staff. The Chief of Party will also provide staff management and development, and ensure the highest quality of project monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communications.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Through close collaboration with the Counterpart Headquarters Team, the Chief of Party will:
• Provide technical and managerial leadership on issues of childhood nutrition and development, education, food security, commodity management, gender equality and local capacity building.
• Lead design and implementation of all program components and activities.
• Overall leadership, recruitment, training and supervision of office staff and partner organization.
• Serve as primary liaison to USDA, local and national governmental authorities, local NGOs, community organizations, and other donor organizations.
• Facilitate learning and integration of Counterpart’s regional best practices on food security and nutrition initiatives and the program’s technical areas.
• Provide mentoring and professional development support to project staff, with emphasis on building capacity of national staff.
• Oversee field budget preparation, and overall financial oversight to ensure strict fiscal accountability.
• Ensure the highest quality of program monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communications.
• Ensure compliance with Counterpart and USDA rules and regulations, particularly with respect to financial and grant management.
Through close collaboration with the Counterpart Headquarters Team, the Chief of Party will:
• Provide technical and managerial leadership on issues of childhood nutrition and development, education, food security, commodity management, gender equality and local capacity building.
• Lead design and implementation of all program components and activities.
• Overall leadership, recruitment, training and supervision of office staff and partner organization.
• Serve as primary liaison to USDA, local and national governmental authorities, local NGOs, community organizations, and other donor organizations.
• Facilitate learning and integration of Counterpart’s regional best practices on food security and nutrition initiatives and the program’s technical areas.
• Provide mentoring and professional development support to project staff, with emphasis on building capacity of national staff.
• Oversee field budget preparation, and overall financial oversight to ensure strict fiscal accountability.
• Ensure the highest quality of program monitoring, evaluation, reporting and communications.
• Ensure compliance with Counterpart and USDA rules and regulations, particularly with respect to financial and grant management.
Requirements/QUALIFICATIONS:
• Minimum of eight (8) years’ experience in food security and nutrition, with a specific focus on school feeding, formal education and literacy training.
• Bachelor Degree in Education, Nutrition, Public Health, Agricultural Economics, International Development, International Relations, or a relevant field, Master’s Degree highly preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of the special requirements necessary to manage programs in sometimes harsh environmental areas.
• Experience liaising with government entities such as Ministry of Basic Education, Ministry of Public Health and other relevant ministries related to school feeding and child health and nutrition.
• Proven ability to lead a consortium team, with each partner covering a wide range of activities, while also coordinating with relevant UN agencies such as UNICEF and UNESCO.
• Track record implementing US Government-funded projects; good financial management skills including preparing and managing budgets, banking activities, contracts and negotiations; and developing and managing procurement and logistical procedures and policies.
• Excellent commodity management skills including supervising inventories, stock management and commodity reporting.
• Experience and skills in training and managing office staff.
• Excellent organizational, analytic, oral and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated supervisory and leadership skills.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Recent work experience in Cameroon and a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the North region of Cameroon.
• Excellent public speaking and writing skills in both English and French.
• Good command of Microsoft Office, particularly word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Minimum of eight (8) years’ experience in food security and nutrition, with a specific focus on school feeding, formal education and literacy training.
• Bachelor Degree in Education, Nutrition, Public Health, Agricultural Economics, International Development, International Relations, or a relevant field, Master’s Degree highly preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of the special requirements necessary to manage programs in sometimes harsh environmental areas.
• Experience liaising with government entities such as Ministry of Basic Education, Ministry of Public Health and other relevant ministries related to school feeding and child health and nutrition.
• Proven ability to lead a consortium team, with each partner covering a wide range of activities, while also coordinating with relevant UN agencies such as UNICEF and UNESCO.
• Track record implementing US Government-funded projects; good financial management skills including preparing and managing budgets, banking activities, contracts and negotiations; and developing and managing procurement and logistical procedures and policies.
• Excellent commodity management skills including supervising inventories, stock management and commodity reporting.
• Experience and skills in training and managing office staff.
• Excellent organizational, analytic, oral and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated supervisory and leadership skills.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Recent work experience in Cameroon and a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the North region of Cameroon.
• Excellent public speaking and writing skills in both English and French.
• Good command of Microsoft Office, particularly word, Excel and PowerPoint.
