Salary: Competitive salary for both international and national candidates
Duration: 1 year with possibility of extension
Based in: Bukavu, DRC with frequent travels to Eastern DRC (Goma, Fizi, Shabunda, Kalehe, Bunia, Mambasa & Mahagi, Kigali) and to the field whenever necessary
Closing date: 21 February 2020 at 5:00pm (UK time)

This is an exciting opportunity to join Alert’s largest country programme – the Democratic Republic of Congo team - as the Chief of Party of our new Dutch funded Improving security, social cohesion and human rights in conflict mineral rich regions of Eastern DRC project. This is a senior management position within Alert’s DRC programme and reports directly to the Peacebuilding Portfolio Manager (PBPM). The Chief of Party will be responsible for the oversight of a team of a consortia including 4 other partners (two international and two national partners). They will be responsible for overseeing a team of 27 and will directly line manage 5 staff.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen regional stability in the Great Lakes with the following two specific objectives:

1. Reduced levels of violent conflict and improved security in targeted red 3T and gold mines of South Kivu and Ituri
2. Improved regional security and stability through cleaner chains, more effective governance of mineral chains at all levels

The Chief of Party (COP) is the consortium representative on location responsible for daily direction, oversight, and overall implementation of a project’s activities and achievement of goals. He/she will regularly communicate with the EKN (Dutch Embassy), the PBPM, and the Project Management Team to coordinate project implementation and to ensure that excellent project deliverables are completed on time and within budget. He/she will take the lead on reporting and coordination across the consortium partners and components of the project. He/she will be required to travel regularly to project locations, specifically Bunia, where they will supervise the sub-team ; frequent travel to regional centres (Kinshasa, Kigali, Bujumbura) and some international travel (specifically in Europe) will also be required for national and regional level advocacy.

Essential qualifications include:

• extensive experience of implementing large and complex projects in consortia and with several international and local partners
• at least 7 years of relevant management, supervisory and technical experience with progressive responsibility on projects of a similar scope and scale in the DRC or in a similar context
• Substantial NGO project management experience, including responsibility for contract management and donor relations (preferably Dutch)
• Proven experience of managing teams remotely is a must.

For this role, the skills, qualifications and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be great in this job you are likely, first and foremost, to have a talent for working effectively in complex, politically charged, unstable environments, and across different cultures. You will be professionally credible based on your extensive experience and deep knowledge of the issues at stake and able to communicate effectively with a wide range of actors working on conflict management, social cohesion and development programmes.
Furthermore, we are looking for someone well organized, results and detail-oriented with a proven experience in peacebuilding/ conflict transformation and familiarity with gender- and conflict-sensitive approaches. In addition, experience of developing donor reports and nurturing constructive relationships with international and local partners (governmental and non-governmental) is essential as well as an excellent working knowledge (spoken and written) of both French and English.