Senior Management Systems Advisor, Resiliency - Ghana

Project Summary:
Resiliency in Northern Ghana (RING) is an integrated project and partnership effort under USAID’s Feed the Future (FtF) Initiative designed to contribute to Government of Ghana (GoG) efforts to sustainably reduce poverty and improve the nutritional status of vulnerable populations. The purpose of the RING project is to improve the livelihood and nutritional status of vulnerable households in targeted communities of twelve Districts in Northern Region. The project components aim to increase resiliency in Northern Region by increasing income diversification and smoothing income and consumption through increasing access to credit. Further, the economic growth and agriculture activities will be complemented by social mobilization and health education messages, which strive to improve nutritional status among women and children.

Position Summary: The Senior Management Systems Advisor position will be a senior-level position which provides technical advice in the development (as needed), implementation, and fine-tuning of the management systems at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and District Assemblies (DA) level so as to assure that they are responsive to the issues and needs related to food insecurity and under-nutrition among the vulnerable households within their purview. These systems are most likely to include planning, budgeting, financial management, supervision implementation oversight, and monitoring and evaluation. The Senior Management Systems Advisor is a “key personnel” position, requiring approval by USAID, and considered essential for the overall management and success of the RING program. Along with other key personnel, he/she must have expertise and experience in working directly with host country governments, especially at decentralized levels, in the areas of agriculture, agricultutral livelihoods, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, local capacity development, systems strengthening, management, financial systems, and gender.

The Senior Management Systems Administrator position is based in Tamale, Ghana and is full-time. The project is expected to begin in late 2012 and will run for a three-year period, with a possible two year extension period.

Specific responsibilities include: • Work with the Chief of Party, M&E Specialist, and technical staff to provide support to District Assemblies in establishing and operating improved management systems and processes. This will include a focus on participatory planning, the preparation of annual development plans, improved budge formulation and management, stakeholder outreach and improved performance monitoring and reporting. • Improve the ability of local government to raise and manage funds, and to operate programs on a sustainable basis. • Design and manage training programs to strengthen the capacity of local government and critical non-governmental organizations.

Qualifications: • Experience Requirements: Eight-ten (8-10) years or more of progressively responsible work experience in advising government counterparts in developing and using management systems to support programming at the community level; USAID experience preferred; • Preferably 2-3 years of experience in working with de-centralized government structures and preferably in Africa; • At least a Master’s degree in international development, agriculture, economics, public health, nutrition, or related field of study. • Significant coordination skills, broad general and technical knowledge, an ability to cope with multiple interests and challenges, experience in developing countries, and skills to ensure coherence and consistency in spite of urgent deadlines; • Must be willing and able to travel throughout Northern Ghana; • Fluency in English required.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

How to apply:

To apply, please visit our website: www.msiworldwide.com.