Chief of Party, Malawi USAID/ Enhancing Community Engagement in Teaching & Learning Material Utilization and Management

Summary

Save the Children seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for the anticipated five-year USAID-funded Teaching and Learning Materials program in Malawi. This activity aims to strengthen community’s role in ensuring oversight, transparency, and accountability in the management and utilization of Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM’s) in Malawian public primary schools and communities. By working to improve the capacity and systems of key actors along the book chain, such as the Malawi Ministry of Education and the private sector, while simultaneously strengthening linkages between these actors, this activity will improve the sustainability of the Malawi book supply chain.

This senior leadership position will provide overall strategic direction in the design, management, implementation, and overall quality assurance of the project. The COP will be Save the Children’s primary point of contact with USAID and all relevant stakeholders. The position will collaborate with the Malawi Ministry of Education and other critical partners to provide high-level support for effective capacity building at the local level and sustainability of the project interventions. The COP will oversee a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operating plans, align project initiatives with in-country priorities, and ensure the program’s compliance with USAID and Save the Children’s regulations. The COP will ensure that the project implementation aligns closely with the current objectives of the Government of Malawi so that activities are complementary and create sustainability.

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Develop strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and overall management of the program in line with USAID guidelines to achieve project objectives.
• Ensure high quality technical leadership and oversight is in place for the program.
• Lead team to provide proper coordination and guidance among local government, country-wide initiatives, community partners, NGO’s, and other key stakeholders.
• Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation.
• Establish compliance with USG regulations, procedures, and Save the Children guidelines.
• Represent Save the Children with partners and key stakeholders, maintain positive relationships with USAID, local ministries, and the country office team.
• Establish effective communication and coordination with personnel from the government to implement interventions and incorporate country-wide priorities.
• Actively participate as a member of the Country Extended Senior Management Team, contributing to country strategic plans.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the project team strives to achieve excellence.
• Incorporate SC’s vision and values and full adherence to the Code of Conduct principles.
• Closely monitor security dynamics in the project areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.
• Provide supervisory, management, coaching and mentoring of project staff Teams especially staff directly reporting to COP
• Oversee financial and budgetary Management and utilization in compliance to USAID requirements
• Champion partner capacity building and growth to effectively deliver their critical roles

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, international development, business administration, or another social science is required.
• Minimum 7-10 years of professional experience designing, managing, and implementing programs in the fields of literacy, international education, and/or supply chain management.
• At least five years of senior program experience working and living in a developing country, especially in Malawi or another Southeast African country.
• Prior experience as Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, or similar role.
• In-depth knowledge of USAID approaches and regulations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations.
• Creative problem- solving skills with the ability to work effectively in resource-constrained environments.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in education, business administration, or international development.
• Experience working with public-private partnerships.
• Knowledge of Chichewa will be considered an asset.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond.  As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)