Chief of Party - Rural and Peri-urban Sanitation Project, Democratic Republic of Congo

In anticipation of a new multi-year USAID Rural and Peri-urban Sanitation Project, IMA World Health is seeking a Chief of Party.

Corus International is a family of organizations which believes that those who were born into impossible circumstances deserve the opportunity for a better life. Corus was formed through the strategic merger of IMA World Health (operating as a public health organization since 1960), and Lutheran World Relief (operating as a livelihoods organization since 1945), and today includes the smaller entities of Charlie Goldsmith Associates, Ground Up Investing, and Farmers Market Coffee. Corus International works in over 20 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, with a primary focus on health, livelihoods, and emergency response.

Corus International's largest country portfolio is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where IMA World Health has worked alongside the Congolese government, donors, and a variety of local and international partners since 2000 with a staff of over 200. Programs revitalize the country's health system, improve WASH access and systems, prevent and respond to SGBV, promote clean energy, and improve the health of the population. The portfolio includes a focus on both sustainable development and humanitarian assistance activities and operates out of two base offices in Kinshasa and Goma.

Based in Kinshasa, the Chief of Party (COP) will provide overall technical leadership and operational oversight for the anticipated “Rural and Peri-Urban Sanitation Activity,” which is expected to: 1) expand market-based approaches and scale up proven financing models to increase demand for improved sanitation services; 2) strengthen the supply chain for sanitation products and services; and 3) improve the enabling environment by building the capacity of existing services providers. The COP will serve as the primary liaison with USAID, other Development Partners working in DRC, and Corus International’s headquarters based in Washington DC (HQ), as well as relevant project stakeholders fostering collaborative working relationships. S/he will ensure the project's goals, objectives, and strategy are achieved and that contractual requirements are met on time and within budget. S/he is responsible for directing the project team with an integrated vision, applying effective leadership and strategic planning skills, management experience, outstanding interpersonal skills, and strong written and oral communication skills. The COP also is responsible for ensuring compliance with Corus’s policies and procedures and USAID rules and regulations, including responsibility for ensuring sub-awardee compliance and monitoring the quality of program implementation.

Actual hiring is contingent upon successful agreement award and USAID approval.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership to the project to achieve expected project results within budget and time-frame
• Serve as principal liaison to USAID and the Government of the DRC, ensuring high levels of coordination, while nurturing relationships with all key stakeholders, including partner organizations at the national and county level, on administrative, financial, and programmatic matters related to the project
• Liaise with USAID partners and other donors, as well as implementing partners and stakeholders, to ensure coordination of and harmonization with other relevant WASH, governance, economic growth, and health activities in DRC
• Lead project teams (e.g. technical, program, finance, and operational staff) to ensure program tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met; staff management includes hiring, supervising, and mentoring project staff
• Oversee project deliverables, including ensuring report preparation and high-quality timely submission
• Direct preparation of annual work plans, project activity updates, and other project- related communication and reporting materials
• Represent the USAID project in all technical, policy, and programmatic fora at all levels (regional, national, and international)
• Ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience, with progressively increasing responsibilities and duties in a field related to the successful implementation of the project, such as WASH technical expertise, local governance, and/or private sector capacity building for improvement of water and sanitation service delivery and achieving behavior change
• An advanced graduate degree in a similarly related field of study, e.g. environment or civil engineering, public health, business administration, governance, etc.
• Deep knowledge of the political, social, and economic context of DRC required, with experience working in DRC preferred
• Familiarity with USAID’s approaches to WASH, the state of the WASH sector in DRC, and small/medium enterprise development and/or social marketing approaches in support of such development
• Proven technical expertise working on large-scale market-focused public health sector projects, including at least eight years of senior-level management experience working on international donor agency-funded projects
• Strong communication skills, including both written and oral presentation skills; proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse public and private partners
• French fluency, with professional proficiency in writing required; conversational English required
• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including technical, management, and evaluation expertise for complex programs in resource-constrained countries; prior experience as a COP is required
• Experience collaborating and coordinating with local and national host government agencies, and aligning program activities and results with national strategies
• Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining strong relationships with government agencies and international donor agencies (USAID, WB, DFID, UN agencies, GF, etc.)
• Strong staff supervision skills and demonstrated ability to coordinate programs with partners from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams

IMA/Corus International prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by U.S. or International law.