Chief of Party

Chief of Party

The USAID Karnali Water Activity will create healthy, resilient, and water secure communities at the watershed level through strengthened water and sanitation governance that improves water resource management (including water for more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems), enhances sustainable access to drinking water, improves agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The program team will methodically integrate WRM, watershed biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation service delivery by mapping and strengthening the roles, connections, and capacities of key actors and stakeholders system-wide.

Position Overview

The Chief of Party (COP) provides overall technical and administrative leadership for the USAID Karnali Water Activity and serves as the primary liaison with the USAID/Nepal Mission. S/he will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of the program in consultation with USAID. The COP will take a leadership role in coordination amongst USAID, key stakeholders, and other implementing partners. The COP position requires political gravitas, as s/he will interact with numerous Government of Nepal (GON) institutions and senior-level national and country-level government officials. The COP will have demonstrated ability to work in complex and politically charged environments, to work across different cultures, and to manage diverse teams to delivery impact within agreed timelines.  

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership, management, and strategic direction for the program.
• Oversee and monitor the quality of all program activities and timely delivery of milestones/deliverables to client.
• In conjunction with USAID/Nepal and DAI’s home office determine annual priorities, develop work plans, prepare annual reports and quarterly progress reports, and ensure program responds to changing conditions and operating environments.
• Keep USAID fully informed of program approaches, implementation progress, upcoming activities and events, and donor coordination opportunities, and discuss any challenges that arise. Establish regular communication schedule with the COR. 
• Represent the USAID Karnali Water Activity team with the primary government counterpart – Ministry of Water Supply (MoWS) – and other Nepali government agencies and stakeholders. 
• Oversee program administration, implementation, and financial management to ensure program implementation aligns with budget allocations, internal policies, and USAID regulations.
• Manage the USAID Karnali Water Activity consortium, including ensuring effective communication with all project partners, proactively identifying and resolving partnership issues and ensuring cohesion throughout project implementation.
• Manage, lead, and oversee all expatriate, consultants and subcontractors in achieving project results. 
• Oversee the participatory planning process to produce a strategic plan for project deliverables. 
• Oversee development and implementation of the MERL Plan and GESI Action Plan.
• Implement GESI policies and programming throughout internal management, work planning, implementation and M&E.
• Present project results in both written and oral presentations as required
• Lead team to provide proper coordination and guidance among local government, country-wide initiatives, donors, NGOs and other key stakeholders.
• Directly supervise the Deputy Chief of Party, Director of Operations, GESI Director and Research and Learning Director. 

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible work experience in fields related to water, sanitation and hygiene or watershed management (a minimum of 13 years of experience for candidates representing excluded groups);
• Related work experience in similar positions of leadership such as a COP or a demonstrated track record of progressively responsible managerial experience implementing complex donor-funded projects with multiple activities and diverse teams;
• A bachelor’s degree in international development, urban planning, engineering, environment, business, economics, or a related field of study; A master’s degree preferred.
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• English language fluency (i.e., ability to speak, read, and write); and
• Preference for fluent Nepali speakers.

Level of Effort/Timeline

The level of effort is 260 days per year. The employment contract will be on a yearly basis, with possible extensions until the close of the project on July 15, 2024. The Chief of Party will be based in Kathmandu, with frequent travel to the Regional Office in Surkhet and other field sites in the Karnali River Basin. 

Supervision

The Chief of Party will work under the direct technical supervision of the Home Office Project Team Director. 

Application instructions:

Application link: https://fs23.formsite.com/OLJTgx/jhudlzklzy/index.html?1652817778465

Please fill out the required information and upload your CV. Interested candidates should submit their applications no later than June 3, 2022. (Nepali candidates are encouraged to apply)

DAI promotes workforce diversity and considers excluded groups to include women, Dalits, indigenous ethnic groups, Madhesi, Muslim, persons with disabilities, people living in remote areas, and sexual and gender minorities.