Land O'Lakes International Development is seeking candidates for a Chief of Party (COP) position for a large, anticipated USAID agriculture development project in Malawi. The projected five-year contract contract will be designed to strengthen the competitiveness of the soy and groundnut value chains, improve the nutritional status of women and children, and build the capacity of Malawian agriculture and nutrition small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The project will encourage value chain innovations that increase productivity and help farmers in Malawi’s south central region earn higher incomes.
The COP will provide overall strategic vision, management and direction, including 1) successful implementation of the project and achievement of results, on time and within budget; 2)supervision, mentoring and development of local and expatriate staff; 3) management of project workload including all financial, planning, administrative compliance and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation; and 4) representation of the project to the donor, relevant Government institutions, community groups, NGOs, and potential private-sector partners. It is anticipated that the COP will oversee a large staff of host country employees as well as several expatriates, depending on the scope of the project. S/he will report to Land O’Lakes’ Regional Program Director.
Qualifications:
• Proven ability to manage a large-scale agriculture development project, particularly USAID contracts, involving multiple value chains across diverse geographic areas. Demonstrated ability working with both national and community-level players on value-chain development.
• Minimum 10 years' experience managing field-based agricultural projects, including those with a focus on nutrition, SME and access to finance.
• Master's degree in Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field or equivalent work experience, Ph.D. preferred.
• Proven ability to manage value-chain activities with an engendered approach involving climate smart-agriculture solutions preferred.
• Experience managing large ($25+million) USAID contracts. Ability to develop budgets, recruit short- and long-term staff, and manage according to USAID rules and regulations.
• Proven ability to manage a large, diverse team in multiple field offices and to build the capacity of local staff to become leaders.
• Minimum 5 years' regional experience , and minimum of 3 years’ experience in Malawi preferred.
• Fluency in English is required.
