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Chief of Party, based in Kosovo Community Action Initiative Program

3:57:00 PM

This positoin is based in Pristina, Kosovo

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The Kosovo Community Action Initiative Program (CAIP) is a three-year $9 million USAID funded program primarily working in North Kosovo, focused on building confidence among non-majority communities to create an environment conducive to full participation in Kosovo. The program addresses capacity-development, strengthening and creation of new community development agencies in North Kosovo to institute effective models of local participation; improve regional and national linkages within non-majority communities and between non-majority and majority communities; and improve income-generation and economic development opportunities for communities in non-majority areas.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Chief of Party is fully responsible for overseeing all aspects of day-to-day implementation, personnel management, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, and representation to donors and government of the CAIP, especially with USAID representatives. S/he works closely with the Kosovo Country Director and other key staff to oversee and implement the project in line with donor and Mercy Corps strategy. The Chief of Party acts as one of Mercy Corps’ senior team members in Kosovo, and Mercy Corps globally.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Program Planning and Implementation:

  • Provide overall supervision and coordination of the implementation and integration of activities. Supervise and collaborate with the Deputy Chief of Party, and senior team leaders to design project activities and develop and follow operational plans.
  • nsure that project activities are implemented according to the project design, workplan and standard of excellence expected by Mercy Corps, its donors, and its beneficiaries. Ensure that project is in line with community priorities, Mercy Corps principles, and established country strategic objectives.
  • Work closely with the Mercy Corps Kosovo national team and other senior staff to help maintain a strong and sustainable project, while contributing to the agency's global and Kosovo strategy.

Partnerships and Representation:

  • Build and maintain strong working relationships with local project partners, non-majority communities, NGOs, and civil society. Work with stakeholders to develop capacity building strategies for project partners.
  • Help to develop Mercy Corps’ reputation in Kosovo as a professional, transparent, effective, and innovative organization.
  • Coordinate closely with Mercy Corps’ other programs and USAID programs in North Kosovo, and throughout the country.

Budget Management:

  • Work in close consultation with the Kosovo administrative and finance staff to ensure that project activities are carried out in accordance with Mercy Corps policies and donor regulations, agreements, and budgets. Ensure the appropriate and most effective use donor funds.
  • Work with administration and finance teams to create budget and purchase planning.

Reporting and Documentation:

  • Work with the project team to ensure that activities are carefully documented, that reports for donors and HQ are prepared in a professional and timely manner, and that program summaries and other materials for public consumption are produced and kept up-to-date. The project has intensive donor reporting requirements that may include brief weekly reports, quarterly reports and a final report.
  • Ensure that the project M&E systems and reporting are of consistently high quality, collecting data accurately and following the M&E plan in detail, working closely with the Mercy Corps Kosovo M&E team to collect and analyze data, working with the CAIP team and beneficiaries to design interventions or adapt program activities based upon data.

New Initiatives:

  • Collaborate with other senior staff to develop strategic donor partnerships and secure new funding sources for project concepts. Contribute to proposal development

Leadership and Staff Development:

  • Directly supervise CAIP staff.
  • Work with senior team members to recruit and lead a diverse, skilled, and committed team; incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into team building process.
  • Build a Mercy Corps team that is unified around a common mission and set of core values. Help Mercy Corps staff relate to and feel part of Mercy Corps as a global organization. Play a central role in strategic planning and visioning.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

  • · Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Organisational Learning:

  • As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time on formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: CAIP team (up to 20 team members).

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Mercy Corps Kosovo Country Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Managers of other projects implemented by Mercy Corps Kosovo, especially in the North, and including the EU-funded MRSI project: Pristina-based program and finance support staff, peer program managers, local and international partners and donor representatives; Mercy Corps headquarters based program support, technical support units in relevant spheres and finance and administration officers.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

  • MA/S required or equivalent in management, civil society, governance, international development, or relevant field.
  • 5-7 years of progressively senior management experience, with a demonstrated ability to build staff capacity, in cross-cultural settings as well as excellent team-building and interpersonal skills.
  • Strength in developing strategic partnerships, excellent collaborative relationships with NGO and government entities, international NGOs and donors.
  • Minimum five years’ experience administering donor grants for a variety of sectoral areas in development initiatives. Experience in managing an USAID-funded project expected.
  • Significant experience implementing community mobilization, economic development and/or livelihoods recovery programs.
  • Experience in managing highly visible and politically sensitive projects.
  • Demonstrated success dealing with complicated partnerships and skills in prioritizing major strategies and critical relationships.
  • History of working effectively and respectfully with host country governments, INGO and NGO partners.
  • Previous experience working in Kosovo or the Balkans required.
  • Albanian or Serbian language skills an advantage.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

  • The successful Chief of Party will have a natural leadership instinct and will feel energised by working with and building teams, and maintaining strong relationships with key partners.
  • S/he will possess solid diplomacy, negotiation, and networking experience and skills.
  • S/he will have patience, creativity and an appreciation for navigating a complex cultural context.
  • S/he will have an excellent understanding of resettlement issues and economic development.
  • S/he will bring a positive approach to the job and take on challenges as opportunities to innovate.

LIVING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

This position is based in Pristina, a modern city with access to a variety of services including health care and international pre-schools. Electricity cuts do occur from time to time. Housing is readily available and of high quality. Pristina is an accompanied post. From Pristina, the Chief of Party is expected to travel regularly the one to one and a half hours’ drive to North Kosovo, outside the official working hours.

How to apply:

Apply online at our website:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjo...

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