Chief of Party – Ecuador Climate Change Mitigation through Sustainable Land Use activity

POSITION DETAILS Winrock is recruiting a Chief of Party for a five-year U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Ecuador Climate Change Mitigation through Sustainable Land Use activity. USAID in the Republic of Ecuador is designing a new Climate Change activity that aims to promote sustainable livelihoods and advance natural climate solutions in areas affected by deforestation and land degradation through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and mitigation efforts. The Chief of Party (COP) will play a pivotal role in leading and managing the Climate Change Mitigation through Sustainable Land Use activity in Ecuador. This position requires an experienced and dynamic leader with a deep understanding of climate change, sustainable livelihoods, environmental policy, and USAID project management experience. The COP will oversee all aspects of project implementation, coordination, and stakeholder engagement to achieve the project’s objectives, which include fostering an environment conducive to advancing natural climate solutions in areas affected by deforestation and land degradation in Ecuador. This position is contingent upon award.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide overall strategic vision, managerial and technical leadership, and administrative oversight to achieve outcomes of the program. Lead and apply collective action and participatory adaptive management approaches to ensure relevant, efficient, and effective program interventions. Oversee all project activities, budgets, and timelines to ensure efficient and effective project execution. Oversee and be responsible for financial and administrative aspects of the project including budget and subaward management, ensuring compliance with established Winrock accounting principles and USAID regulations. Direct the programs core team of staff, including performance and risk management, coordination, collaborative learning and adaptation processes, gender integration and social inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, work planning and reporting. Utilize a deep understanding of climate change, environmental policy, and sustainability to guide project activities and decision-making. Analyze project impact and challenges to adaptively manage the project to meet or exceed results. Prepare annual work plans and progress reports and monitor the implementation of these plans. Prepare and submit quarterly reports on the progress of activities and achievement of program results to USAID. Interact directly and on a regular basis with USAID and other stakeholders. Regularly meet with NGO partners and other key stakeholders to ensure progress towards activity objectives and goals. Coordinate and communicate on a regular basis with Winrock’s Home Office. Serve as principal liaison with USAID. Manage relationships with complementary USAID and other donor projects. Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND: Education: Minimum of a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline is required. Work Experience: Minimum of 10 years relevant working experience in managing and implementing complex international development projects, with a focus on promoting sustainable livelihoods and advancing natural climate solutions in areas affected by deforestation and land degradation. A minimum of 5 years of experience in areas related to multi-stakeholder facilitation and/or collective impact approaches; half of which should be international. Political savvy, excellent organizational and management skills, proven leadership abilities within a multi-partner initiative, demonstrated adaptive management capacity abilities.

Knowledge of the legal and institutional context and frameworks for climate change, environmental policy, and sustainability issues in Ecuador. Demonstrated effectiveness in strategic thinking, policy analysis with ability to effectively and collaboratively dialogue with a diverse group of stakeholders, including government bodies. Strong expertise in Collaborating, Learning and Adaptation (CLA). Experience in subaward/grants management, capacity development of local organizations and government entities and a commitment to GHG emissions reduction and mitigation efforts. Demonstrated experience in gender and social inclusion. Skills: Knowledge of USAID policies and procedures related to project management required. Strong collaborative leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, including proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners and lead a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team.

Demonstrated ability to build coalitions and networks that will provide synergies and sustainable solutions for the program. Proven ability to create and maintain effective working relations and coalition building among host country government personnel, stakeholders, NGO partners, and international donor agencies. Excellent interpersonal, writing, oral presentation, and communications skills in English. Fluent (written and oral) in Spanish. Ability to manage a high-volume workflow.

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