RTI is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for the anticipated USAID/DRC GHS activity. The COP will have primary responsibility for the overall strategic leadership and oversight of the project. This position will oversee project implementation and ensure the project meets stated goals and requirements, coordinating, convening, and leading activity partners, teams, and stakeholders ensuring technical excellence and impact, and ensuring all applicable USAID and the Government of the DRC regulations are followed.
The COP will also have principal responsibility for representation of the project to USAID and with the Government of the DRC, provide overall strategic leadership and vision for the RTI-led team and manage long- and short-term technical expertise across all result areas. The position will be based in Kinshasa, DRC with travel to state-level implementation sites throughout the activity.
Please note that this position is contingent upon funding availability/award from USAID.
Desired Skills:
- Demonstrated success in complex health program management including experience in the following: client relationship management, convening and managing multisectoral interventions and strategies, developing program work plans, developing program budgets, managing program implementation, and fielding and managing short term technical assistance for USAID-funded programs.
- Ability to develop a common vision among partners and lead multi-disciplinary teams across the animal, human, and environmental sectors.
- Strong organizational, interpersonal and management skills.
- Strong written and oral presentation skills.
Responsibilities
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Serve as RTI’s point-of-contact with USAID and Government of DRC agencies, multilateral development agencies, project partners, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners at the national, provincial, and district levels with a strong ability to convene cross-disciplinary stakeholders.
- Conceptualize, lead and manage overall design and implementation of project’s technical strategy; overall accountability for ensuring quality of project approaches, interventions and activities and achievement of project objectives.
- Responsible for the overall delivery of project activities in compliance with USAID regulations, including management and oversight of the program’s technical, operational, and administrative staff.
- Interface regularly with USAID on management and decision-making. Ensure that the project activities are meeting client and stakeholder expectations and that project results are proactively disseminated.
- Develop and implement annual program work and performance plans and negotiates agreement of those plans with USAID and other partner organizations. Lead annual project work planning and reporting and be the principal point of contact with USAID, Government of DRC agencies, other implementing partners.
- Work closely with finance and technical staff, pertinent RTI regional and home office staff and appropriate USAID staff when necessary to ensure project resources are effectively and efficiently budgeted, analyzed, disbursed, monitored and reported in achieving project objectives.
- Ensure compliance with RTI and USAID procedures and policies.
- Oversee project financial and administrative activities, requesting direction from RTI headquarters business partners as needed.
- Ensure project resources are effectively and efficiently budgeted, analyzed, disbursed, monitored and reported in achieving project objectives and results.
- When necessary, work closely with key RTI staff, government and non-government officials, contractors and USAID staff to ensure full compliance with local laws (e.g., with respect to taxes, pension, shipping, customs, registration) while integrating with RTI systems and procedures.
- Directly supervise and mentor project staff.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in related field including public health, medicine, veterinary medicine or similar
- Minimum of 12 years of experience in one or more of the following: infectious diseases, epidemic outbreak response, One Health, AMR, lab sciences, surveillance or health systems strengthening.
- Minimum of 8 years’ progressively responsive experience in a senior role managing large and complex integrated health systems or service delivery programs of similar scope and dollar value ($50M+) in West or Central Africa.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively with government, donors, the private sector, and community organizations to achieve health objectives in DRC.
- Knowledge of the DRC human, animal and/or environmental health sectors and established local networks, including relationships with the FMOH and other health donors and IPs.
- Ability to work in complex, politically charged, unstable environments, work across different cultures, and manage diverse teams to deliver impact within agreed timelines across a broad geographic area
- Experience working as COP, Country Director, or similar for USAID-funded project is highly desirable with proven capacity to effectively manage project funds and a diverse team, including remote staff.
- Ability to travel and work in any of the anticipated priority states.
- Ability to build and maintain strong teams and relationships with host-country counterparts and other donors
- Excellent interpersonal communication, writing, and oral presentation skills.
- Proven ability to work under pressure, and with multiple concurrent demands.
- Verbal and written English and French proficiency is required.
- Work experience in Africa, and the DRC or other fragile or conflict affected countries is required.
