Chief of Party (COP) / USAID / Nepal Agricultural Input Market System Activity

WSP (formerly Louis Berger) is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for the upcoming USAID/Nepal Agricultural Input Market System Activity program.  This Program will provide support to Nepal to increase the availability and accessibility of four critical inputs- improved seed, fertilizer, irrigation, and agricultural equipment in Nepal through 1) Developing a demand- and supply-responsive and financially viable seed system; 2) Improving soil fertility management and fertilizer distribution system; 3) Enhancing climate adaptive and sustainable water management system; and 4) Increasing adoption of modern agricultural equipment in Nepal. The COP will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal with frequent in-country trips. Be involved in projects with our Federal Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client’s objectives and solves their challenges. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead coordination with USAID/Nepal, USAID implementing partners and other key public and private stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Provide strategic vision and overall leadership, and ensure the provision of timely, relevant, high quality work from both long-term staff and incoming short-term consultants.
• Serve as principal liaison with Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer Representatives (COR and ACOR), GoN (federal and provincial) counterparts, USAID implementing partners, and other donors.
• Ensure component activities are integrated and fully leveraged to ensure the project meets/exceeds expected results. Build synergies among the different activities, and pursue areas of cooperation with key counterparts, other donors, and partner institutions.
• Oversee the drafting and completion of required project reports and deliverables, such as quarterly reports, workplans and technical reports, ensuring their quality and timely submission. 
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in business administration, international development, financial management, agriculture/agribusiness, or another relevant field. 
• 10+ years of professional experience in development at a senior program management level, including direct supervision of professional and support staff.
• 10+ years' developing country work experience. 
• Demonstrated experience in working effectively with national and sub-national governments and entities in developing contexts, and in managing complex activities involving coordination with multiple partner institutions.
• Understanding of innovative and private sector-led agricultural development models in seed system, soil fertility management, climate adaptation and sustainable water management, and agricultural equipment adoption.
• Thorough understanding of market-led agricultural input market systems development initiatives aimed at stabilizing agricultural input market, enhancing market competitiveness, commercialization of input market, and sustained availability of and access to inputs, and strengthened market system resilience, accessibility, and inclusivity. 
• Demonstrated leadership and experience in the establishment of public private partnerships and collaborations between a diverse set of key actors, ranging from agricultural input producers, suppliers, distributors, commercial input providers, and financial institutions, NGOs, B2C and B2B digital platforms, and universities and other research and development centers, community networks, global value chain actors, and other players in the agricultural input market ecosystem.
• Experience building and scaling up the capacity of rural MSMEs for enhanced delivery and distribution of agricultural inputs and goods and services. 
• Experience working with private sector actors, industry groups, regulators, financial sector, and DFIs to improve the commercial incentives for rural MSMEs to invest in climate intelligent, adaptive, and resilient agricultural inputs, irrigation system services, and effective/efficient utilization of agricultural equipment. 
• Experience in capacity building of government institutions for effective design and implementation of activities to increase MSMEs' access to agricultural inputs and soil/land and water management services for more inclusive, competitive, and climate-resilient, agriculture-led, and market-driven economic growth in Nepal. 
• Proven exceptional leadership in the design, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of donor-supported programs of comparable size and complexity.
• Strong communication skills, including interpersonal and in written and oral English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior service as a USAID Chief of Party and with projects of comparable scale and complexity strongly preferred.
• Previous experience working in South Asia (Nepal) strongly preferred.

About the Organization

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the transportation, buildings, energy, water and environment sectors. With nearly 9,500 people in 150 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. www.wsp.com/usa

WSP USA (and all of its US companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.