Chief of Party Food for Education, Liberia
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Job Description, Responsibilities & Requirements
About the Position
Chief of Party Food for Education, Liberia
Mercy Corps is seeking an experienced and dynamic Chief of Party (CoP) to lead a $10-35 million USDA-funded McGovern-Dole Food for Education (FFE) program in Liberia. The program focuses on improving literacy of school-age children and increasing the use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices.
This position is contingent on donor funding and approval.
Responsibilities
Strategy and Planning
- Lead the development of an overall vision and strategy for the FFE program.
- Play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster and/or improve strategic objectives of the program.
- Foster a culture of collaborating, learning, and adapting for effective implementation throughout the project lifecycle.
Program Management
- Oversee program management and administration for the duration of the program.
- Provide strategic guidance, oversight, and quality assurance for all activities, outputs, and deliverables.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards, and strategic plan.
- Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration, finance, and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.
Representation, Coordination, and Partnerships
- Identify, build, and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments, and other stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
- Facilitate learning and integration of Mercy Corps’ lessons learned and best practices on school meals programming, in addition to broader food security and nutrition initiatives and the program’s other technical areas for internal and external stakeholders.
Team Management
- Oversee recruitment and onboarding of the program staff, including expatriates, national staff, and consultants.
- Promote staff accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback.
- Supervise and manage all staff to ensure day-to-day activities are implemented in a coordinated fashion according to schedule, budget, and quality.
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of staff roles, and assist with career development.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
Finance & Compliance Management
- Responsible for the management of the overall program budget.
- Regularly monitor expenditure to ensure each team and partner adheres to their respective approved budgets.
- Ensure sound financial management, including programmatic budgeting, spending projections, and monitoring of payments in compliance with USDA standards.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
- Actively learn about safeguarding and integrate it into their work.
- Practice the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
- Encourage openness and communication in their team; encourage team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.
Requirements
- Minimum of 10 years’ of senior leadership experience on projects of similar scope and scale.
- University degree in a relevant discipline (education, public health, etc.).
- Technical experience and understanding of school meals programming, education, child nutrition, and food security.
- Experience working on programs pertaining to commodities management, proven track record working with a range of government and community actors and managing teams in multiple offices and locations.
- Effective personnel management, coordination, and decision-making skills.
- Strong understanding of US government compliance issues.
- Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.
- Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
We Offer
- Competitive salary (based on experience)
- Opportunity to work with a leading global organization
- Professional development opportunities
- Comprehensive benefits package
About the Company
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Mercy Corps started operations in Liberia in 2002 in response to the humanitarian crisis brought on by the two Liberian civil wars which took place from 1989-1997 and 1999-2003. Since then, Mercy Corps’ interventions have evolved based on the context and needs of Liberian people. Based on the changing needs, Mercy Corps Liberia has implemented programs in renewable energy, food security, agricultural livelihoods, financial inclusion, nutrition, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and in youth economic empowerment.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants, or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.