JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Since 1963 and in 148 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that designs and delivers technical and management solutions in agriculture, economic growth, and resilience to promote economic prosperity and social inclusion.

Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Kenya

ACDI/VOCA is seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for a current Resilience Learning Activity (RLA) in Kenya, East Africa, and Somalia funded by USAID. RLA activities will be used to design, amplify, and highlight other USAID initiatives on resilience learning to address key knowledge gaps in the Horn of Africa, contributing to the region’s (and respective host-country mission’s) pathway to sustainability.

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will support RLA’s activities that are informed by the program’s work plan along with other requests from the USAID East Africa, Somalia, and Kenya missions. This position requires strategic leadership with technical expertise and a nimble approach to generate institutional learning by working with local and national government entities (both domestically and regionally) while ensuring that all activities are aligned to each respective program funding stream. The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• In close partnership with the COP, plan, direct, and coordinate technical activities to ensure that RLA objectives are accomplished in prescribed timeframes and in compliance with USAID and ACDI/VOCA regulations
• With guidance from the COP, lead the development and execution of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work plans, ensuring that they are aligned with the project’s logical framework and intermediate results (IRs)
• Support the COP in conducting periodic technical reviews and managing changes in project direction and focus as needed and prescribed by the USAID Kenya, East Africa and Somalia missions
• Play a lead role in interacting with key stakeholders, such PREG development partners, government and regional officials, and private sector partners
• Identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner and suggest appropriate mitigation measures and program adjustments to the Chief of Party
• Manage consistent with the ACDI/VOCA Kenya employee manual, Kenyan labor laws, and sound management practices
• Develop and maintain strong relationships and foster collaboration with diverse stakeholders including implementing partners in the region, research institutions, think tanks, government agencies, donors, private sector, and local organizations
• Support the development and test the efficacy of data visualization tools, methods, and analytics to foster learning and adaptive management
• Leverage informational sources and innovative and well-established research methods including observations, assessments, surveys, and reports to drive learning and adaptive management
• Oversee local and regional organizations’ preparation and implementation of learning events, forums, platforms, conferences, and workshops
• Oversee learning and adaptive management and organizational capacity building initiatives
• Provide technical assistance and high-level guidance in Design Thinking to field-level facilitators as they lead USAID partners through long-term design processes and consensus-building
• Actively support internal and external learning processes, including activity implementation (and events) debriefing, identifying, and analyzing lessons learned from technical activities
• Manage short-term technical assistance in the areas of learning, instructional design, and institutional behavior change

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least eight (8) years of experience of relevant technical and management experience.
• Demonstrated expertise and a minimum of 5 years of experience in facilitating cross-sectoral (multidisciplinary) learning and adaptive management efforts.
• Demonstrated expertise and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in resilience programming preferred.
• Advanced degree in management, organizational development, instruction, education, communication, or related field.
• Strong teamwork, and leadership skills.
• Thorough knowledge and demonstrated experience applying design thinking principles and tools to solve development challenges.
• In-depth understanding of resilience, food security, livelihoods, or market systems programming.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral learning and adaptive management efforts.
• Proven expertise in providing learning and adaptive management guidance derived from a wide range of data.
• Demonstrated experience developing content and coordinating learning events, as well as applying diverse adult and organizational learning including coaching, mentoring, peer-to peer, and others.
• Proven skills and expertise in women’s empowerment and gender-sensitive contexts.
• Superb interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Preferred regional experience and thorough understanding of East African context.
• Preferred expertise in managing different funding streams within a project.
• Preferred experience with USAID Resilience initiatives.
• Preferred Deputy/Chief of Party experience.
• Fluent language skills in English.