Program Director/Deputy Chief of Party at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 15 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Program Director/Deputy Chief of Party

Requisition Number: 16-0171
Location: Abuja, Nigeria  

Position Summary

• The Program Director / Deputy Chief of Party will be responsible for program development, learning and practical implementation of those lessons for Creative’s program in Nigeria.
• The position will be based in the head office, located in Abuja, with work expected to be carried out in the North East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. In the absence of the COP, the Program Director will serve as the COP.

Reporting & Supervision:

• Reporting directly to the COP, the Program Director/DCOP will support the COP in developing and implementing program activities in line with the program strategy.
• S/he will directly supervise the Grants team, Monitoring & Evaluation team, and Reporting Officer, and will closely coordinate with program development staff in Abuja and in the state offices.

Primary Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Chief of Party, the Program Director/DCOP will:

• Oversee the activity development process, and will provide direct management of the grants unit, ensuring coordination and communication with activity development staff in the state offices and Abuja;
• Along with the COP, engage OTI counterparts to guide program strategy, including setting objectives, developing theories of change, and supporting program expansion into neighboring areas if required;
• Provide management oversight of the M&E and research functions on the program, ensuring coordination and mutual support between Program and M&E teams, and establishing feedback processes to ensure that activity lessons and research outcomes feed into and inform the activity design process.
• Travel to state offices in Yobe, Borno and Admawa to ensure that lessons are practically applied into activity design;
• Directly oversee program development and implementation of national level activities, and establish processes to connect national activities with state activities and with the broader program strategy;
• Identify program opportunities and potential local partners;
• Act as the Chief of Party when s/he is absent from the program; and
• Perform additional tasks as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Relevant work experience, including experience with a donor, contractor or international NGO managing an office or program with some demonstrated supervisory experience;
• A  minimum   of  four  (4)  years  of  experience  working  on  complex, high-speed   and challenging field operations in transition environments;
• Experience with activity design, development, and implementation, and close-out;
• Experience with grant management;
• Capacity to understand and analyze national, regional, and local politics; to guide the program staff in creatively designing grants that relate to the current country context;
• Experience working in post-conflict and resource-limited environments is required;
• Experience with activity design, development, and implementation;
• Exceptional organization skills and ability to work and multi-task under pressure;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with culturally and geographically diverse staff, fostering overall good dynamics within and between teams;
• Fluency in written and oral English is required.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with in-kind and small grants, preferably programs that require various and simultaneous procurements of goods and services and management of providers of short-term technical assistance;
• Proficiency in French is an advantage but not required; and
• University degree in a relevant field highly desired, but not required.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Only finalists will be contacted.  No phone calls, please.
• Creative Associates International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran.
• Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.