SayPro Chief of Party (DCoP), Community Resilience in Central Africa (CRCA) Country Management, CAR – "The USAID-funded Community Resilience in Central

Location: Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR)

Reports to: Chief of Party, CRCA

Position summary:

The DCoP will ensure successful execution of Community Resilience in Central Africa (CRCA), a five-year multi- million-dollar project funded by USAID. The DCoP will report to the Chief of Party (COP) and assist in program management, monitoring, reporting, developing, and maintaining partnerships to meet activity objectives; providing technical expertise; and handling administrative and supervisory responsibilities as specified by the COP. Together with the CoP, the DCoP must prioritize the safety of project staff and ensure adherence to the “Do No Harm” principles in project research, design, and implementation.

Given the dynamic and challenging nature of the project’s area of operation, the DCoP is expected to promote innovative, adaptive management, and foster healthy coordination and collaboration with project partners and other key stakeholders that are necessary for the project’s success. Additionally, to ensure project sustainability and reinforce the goal of community resilience, the DCoP is expected to prioritize capacity-building and the transfer of skills to local partners.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Lead by example, modeling IC’s values and equipping and empowering direct reports and IC teams to do the same.
• Model the highest standards of integrity and communication both internally with IC teams and externally with local and regional stakeholders, partners, and funders.
• Contribute to the development of IC’s strategic priorities and programs, working with the CRCA CoP to ensure that CRCA considerations are appropriately built into global plans and budgets.
• Represent IC in regional meetings, conferences, and events as needed to coordinate with partners, donors, and other organizations.

Ensure Quality CRCA Programming

• In close partnership with the CoP, plan, direct, and coordinate technical activities to ensure that CRCA goals and objectives are accomplished with prescribed timeframes and funding parameters and in compliance with USAID regulations and Invisible Children policies.
• 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).
• Provide technical leadership in community-based protection and community resilience (particularly in the context of violent conflict and insecurity), with expertise including (but not limited to) early warning systems, local peacebuilding and conflict mitigation, community-based livelihoods initiatives, trauma healing, and community-based conservation.
• Ensure that project beneficiaries are effectively identified according to established criteria across consortium partners.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Collaborate with technical specialists, other team staff, and stakeholders beyond the project to avoid gaps and overlaps and to ensure coordination of materials and communication strategies.
• Support the CoP, in conducting periodic technical reviews and managing changes in project direction and focus as needed.
• In close partnership with the CoP, ensure completion of the project’s financial and technical reporting requirements, capturing the impacts of activities and ensuring a strong value for money proposition behind the project.
• In collaboration with Invisible Children program staff, provide guidance and technical oversight to CRCA national partners and other collaborating agencies, to ensure that lessons learned, and best practices are documented and shared.
• Conduct frequent field visits to Invisible Children sub-offices and project sites as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the Chief of Party.

Ensure the Security of CRCA Project Personnel and IC staff at-large

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by Invisible Children Operational leadership.
• Proactively ensure that CRCA personnel operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Support CRCA Project Operations

• Coordinate with program, finance and administration/logistics staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics (transport, warehousing and asset management), procurement, security, administration and human resources.
• Propose and support the design of new local policies, as needed, and in accordance with USAID regulations.

Support Internal and External CRCA Coordination

• Serve as the Acting Chief of Party in his/her absence.
• As directed by the CoP, serve as a main Point of Contact for the CRCA project to USAID and to relevant local and international stakeholders, with a particular focus in CAR.
• Serve as an active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote the use of best practices.
• Strengthen linkages with other internal resources, including Invisible Children’s LRA Crisis Tracker database and data collected through non-CRCA project activities, to enhance organizational learning where relevant to M&E.
• Maintain close working relationships with counterparts in other relevant local and international NGOs and institutions in the project area of operation, with a particular focus on CAR.

Provide Capacity-Building and Mentorship to CRCA Project Staff and Partners

• In close partnership with the CoP, create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
• Implement, and ensure all staff are effectively using, the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• In close partnership with the CoP, conduct regular staff performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same in a timely manner, to promote accountability and foster motivation and teamwork.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

CAR Country Director Role reports to: Chief Programs Officer

• As the most senior representative of Invisible Children (IC) in the country, you will provide oversight and governance over Invisible Children projects and help maintain an environment of compliance and high ethical standards (organization’s Code of Ethics & Business Conduct).
• Function as the primary point of contact for HQ.
• Serve as the external point of contact for legal correspondence to IC in-country, and legal signatory on official documents in-country.
• Oversee all Invisible Children’s security-related planning and activities in CAR, maintaining consistent and accurate analysis of security dynamics, ensuring adherence to security policies and procedures by staff and partners, and maintaining up-to-date security contingency plans.
• Contribute to the development of Invisible Children’s CAR country strategy.
• Identify and lead efforts to pursue funding opportunities for Invisible Children’s continued growth in impact in CAR.
• Represent Invisible Children at relevant stakeholder events in Bangui, CAR, and regionally.
• Contribute to Invisible Children’s advocacy efforts with key policy stakeholders in CAR and regionally, as requested by the CEO and/or Director of Research and Policy.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities – Sought After Qualifications:

• Cultural sensitivity, patience, and flexibility.
• Demonstrated personal accountability and driven to serve others.
• Ability to problem solve and recommend corrective action as needed.
• Strong organizational and attention to detail needed to adhere to project deadlines.
• Sensitivity to cultural diversity and understanding of the political, contextual, and ethical issues in assigned areas.
• Articulate, professional and able to communicate in a clear, positive fashion with all stakeholders.
• Proficiency in writing technical reports in French and English is required.

Problem Solving & Impact:

• Work on problems of complex and moderate scope that require a review of various factors.
• Exercise judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.

Education:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, International Relations, or related field required.
• Masters’ degree a definite plus.

Languages:

• Persuasive written and oral communication in French and English, including report writing.
• Fluent French; knowledge of local language(s) in the target region of CAR highly desirable.
• Local language ability a strong asset

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant management, supervisory, and technical experience in peacebuilding, conflict mitigation, early warning systems, atrocity prevention, and social protection interventions for women and children with complex projects in central Africa or similar environments required.
• Proven experience coordinating with humanitarian actors in emergency contexts is a plus.
• Technical expertise in two or more of the following areas: community‐ based protection, early warning systems, conflict mitigation, community development, trauma healing, and community participation.
• Experience in building and effectively supervising a diverse team of employees.
• Experience in gender‐sensitive programming and/or social protection interventions for women and children.
• Experience working in the DRC, CAR, or a similar environment.

**Diversity, Equity & Inclusion -**We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success, and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

**Safeguarding -**We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Invisible Children to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Invisible Children are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

Travel: This position is based in Bangui, CAR, with regular travel to Invisible Children sub-offices and CRCA project sites in eastern CAR and northeastern DR Congo. The exact timing and length of that travel is intended to be outcome-driven and should be structured in order to support the effective and efficient implementation of the CRCA project.

“The USAID-funded Community Resilience in Central Africa (CRCA) Activity”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until this position is filled.

How to apply

Application Instructions:

Thank you for submitting your CV and cover letter to jobs@invisiblechildren.com

Please do include “Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP), Community Resilience in Central Africa (CRCA) Country Director, CAR” in the subject line and indicate where you saw the job posting in your email.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until this position is filled.