The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) – Technical will work with and report to the Chief of Party (COP) to provide technical oversight for the overall program. In the absence of the COP, they will be the direct link to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The DCOP-Technical oversee a team of predominately national professionals and short-term experts in achieving program results. They will lead the technical team, providing the guidance, direction, and coordination needed to manage and implement technical activities and deliverables. They will oversee the technical staff, including the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)/Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Director; the Gender, Equality, and Social Inclusion (GESI) Lead; and the Programs Specialist.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides technical leadership for program results, including crosscutting issues in coordination with the COP and working collaboratively with the team.
- Provides technical expertise and guidance for overall program planning, technical and operational approaches (including adaptive management), and monitoring loops required for program delivery and success.
- Provides technical guidance in action plan development and implementation.
- Supervises the MEL/CLA Director and GESI Lead and manages a team of short-term technical assistance (STTA) technical experts across program result areas under Sub-Purpose 1 and 2.
- In coordination with the COP, leads preparation of annual work plans (AWPs), annual and quarterly reports, and other requests that may come from USAID or DAI, reviewing all aspects of the program and progress toward delivering program outputs and outcomes.
- Provides ongoing quality assurance/quality control for SRPS technical reports and communication products, ensuring clarity of messages, program contributions, and impact.
- Ensures submission of high-quality and timely deliverables.
- Provides overall coordination for capacity strengthening of regional and national government partners and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including benchmarking based on assessments and documentation of performance improvement.
- Builds and strengthens relationships between and among DAI, USAID, other donors, policymakers, key program stakeholders, technical and implementing partners, and national and local CSO networks, disseminating accomplishments and key lessons learned.
- Ensures that all actions and interventions adhere to USAID and DAI technical guidance and align with global best practices, including the training of staff, as required.
- In the absence of the COP, represents the program with USAID, regional governments, donors, partners, and other key stakeholders, supporting similar interventions.
- Master’s degree or advanced degree in public policy, law, economics, business management, and/r administration or related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated successful leadership on large, complex programs in a similar country context which include experience as a DCOP or a similar key role on donor-funded regional programs, preferably in West Africa.
- Proven ability to cultivate effective working relationships to engage with senior government and its counterparts at the national and sub-national levels. Experience cultivating relationships with other key stakeholders such as donors, other implementing partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, academia, and the private sector.
- Ability to work under pressure and deliver under tight deadlines on a continual basis.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and oral and written communication skills.
- Bilingual fluency in English and French required.
