Search for Common Ground

Search is implementing an environmental peacebuilding project, entitled “Msitu wetu, umilele wetu (Our Forest, Our Future): Building Peaceful Ties and Shared Ownership in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve”. The project aims to build community resilience and strengthen social cohesion, by strengthening capacities of local citizens to transform conflict and build constructive relationships with local ICCN management structures, provincial authorities and other stakeholder, around issues relevant to the Okapi Nature Reserve.

To lead this effort Search seeks an experienced and dynamic Chief of Party with strong coordination, communication, peacebuilding, and project and budget management skills to oversee and guide the effective and high quality implementation of the project's programmatic vision. The Chief of Party will have solid partner management skills and solid technical knowledge in the areas of natural resource management, peacebuilding and conflict transformation, particularly in the context of wildlife and nature conservation. S/he should have proven experience in managing USAID grants. S/he will be responsible for the Bunia office, and the sub-office in Epulu, as the primary locations for the project team.

Based in Bunia with frequent travel to Epulu and project intervention sites (Ituri Province), the Chief of Party will oversee the project team and the Bunia-based support team. The Chief of Party reports to the Country Director, and works closely with the relevant technical departments, including the Regional Team as well as partners and stakeholders, to ensure the effective implementation of project activities. S/he will collaborate and coordinate with other project leads operating in the same area of intervention.

The Chief of Party is responsible for the effective management, coordination and monitoring of all stages of the project and ensuring program quality. S/he will be the Head of Office for the Bunia office and Epulu sub-office from which the project will be implemented.

Main Responsibilities

• Project management & quality assurance: 
• Ensure the effective use, updating and analyses of key program management tools (work-, spending, procurement, Monitoring and Evaluation and recruitment plans) to guide decision making including by ensuring close collaboration and consultation with all relevant departments of the organization
• Ensure that the project is implemented on schedule, according to the work plan, and with high technical quality
• Determine and develop strategic and programmatic approaches, taking into account the contextual dynamics in the areas of action and transmit programmatic orientations to the teams and partners, in collaboration with the technical staff and the Country Director
• Collaborate closely with the Monitoring and Evaluation, Learning and Research department in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the quality and impact of activities, ensuring that lessons and analysis are integrated into decision-making and strategic direction
• Organize weekly/monthly project progress review with relevant staff, allowing updates of the BVA, expenditure plan and activity plan based on a joint analysis of progress taking into account internal and external factors and M&E data, to ensure that budget projections and activity planning are realistic
• Ensure that the implementation of activities is consistent with Search's vision, including contributing to the implementation of the Common Ground Approach
• Coordinate the necessary support and guidance as required within the project with the various departments involved.

Budget tracking and compliance

• Ensure daily budget monitoring and compliance with budget planning, and coordinate with the different departments of Search, as well as with partners to introduce any necessary corrections
• Ensure that the funds allocated to the project are used in accordance with the forecasts and that their accounting allocation is in line with the budget
• Ensure the follow-up and review of all purchase requisitions (status of need) before validation or submission to the hierarchy for approval
• Ensure that all expenditures are made in compliance with and in accordance with Search and the donor's administrative, financial and operational procedures, including approval of expenditures and documentation
• Ensure that funds are made available to the project and its partners in a timely manner and in accordance with internal procedures. 

Partnership management

• Develop/update partner strategy in support of projects
• Initiate an in-depth analysis of partner skills and capacity building needs, as the basis of the work plan for the Search team and partners
• Lead the contractualization and management of partners according to Search procedures
• Ensure regular assessment and planning meetings with partners
• Accompany and follow up directly with partners in the implementation of activities and reporting
• Ensure the development of a conflict-sensitive communication strategy with project partners
• Ensure compliance with Search's values, rules and procedures, in relation to the management of partnerships and relationships in the field

External Coordination

• Ensure the presentation of the project to stakeholders in all provinces of intervention
• Accompany the project team to ensure close collaboration with the political-administrative and security authorities of the area for the definition, adaptation and implementation of the activities planned by the project
• Participate in and proactively contribute to existing coordination mechanisms (clusters, working groups, etc.) on natural resource management, conflict transformation, and wildlife conservation, to ensure complementarity of approaches and activities carried out by the project
• Ensure the technical liaison of the project with the donor

Reporting

• Anticipate donor reporting needs by coordinating and collecting inputs from field teams in a timely manner and ensure the quality, compilation, finalization and validation of internal and external reports of all types (including financial and narrative) in conjunction with national and regional leadership as required
• Accompany and coach the teams to ensure the quality expected in the reports
• Ensure the quality of the inputs received from the team, and as needed, provide technical support to the teams in order to ensure the expected quality with the support of colleagues from the technical coordination or the region

Staff and office management and compliance

• Participate in the recruitment of personnel assigned to the project
• Supervise and support the performance development of the people under his/her supervision (setting and reviewing performance objectives, coaching, training and evaluation) in order to optimize project results
• Create an atmosphere and work space for the whole team leading to the expression of ideas, the willingness to learn and to engage in self-critical and constructive reflections, with the objective of achieving the best results for the benefit of our beneficiaries
• Ensure that staff members adhere to Search's standards and codes of conduct.
• Ensure staff understand and apply the various policies and procedures of Search (Security, Finance, Administration, IT, Logistics)
• Supervise monthly financial reports according to Search procedures
• Control spending and operational costs in line with available budget, through regular monitoring of operational budget in consultation with the Finance Director and office finance
• Participate in the Senior Management Team meetings, and contribute actively to management decision-making and roll out
• Apply any SMT decisions within the Ituri programmes
• Ensure close monitoring of the political and security environment and adapting the security plan accordingly. 

Qualifications

• Experience implementing conflict resolution, mitigation, management, and reconciliation programming utilizing people-to-people peacebuilding approaches.
• At least 10 years of experience in relevant management, supervisory, and technical experience with progressive responsibility working with activities that are of similar scope and scale to this activity.
• A Master’s degree in political science, international relations, international development, public/business administration, conflict studies, other social sciences, natural resources management, or fields closely related to the work required. A Master’s degree may be substituted by a Bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of experience in strategic planning and implementation of related activities in similar conflict-affected areas.
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex, politically charged, unstable environments, work across different cultures, and manage diverse teams to deliver impact within agreed timelines.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects across dispersed areas in consultation with local implementation partners. 
• Excellent capacity for adaptive project management as well as a strong ability to coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to arrive at consistent, timely, and fair decisions that could mitigate risks and maximize project results. 
• Solid knowledge of financial and operational procedures
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills
• Initiative and problem-solving spirit, attentive to priorities, time management, deadlines and achieving results by coordinating his work with the different technical departments of Search.
• Flexibility and ability to travel at least 50% between Epulu, Bunia, Goma, and Kinshasa.
• Fluent in French, English, and Swahili.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work. All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Collaboration- Audacity - Tenacity - Empathy - Results. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults. Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. View our code of conduct here and our privacy policy here.

Les descriptifs de pouvant ne pouvant être exhaustifs, le titulaire du poste pourra être amené à entreprendre d'autres tâches qui correspondent globalement aux responsabilités clés ci-dessus.

• ---------------------------------------------------

Seuls les candidats invités à un entretien seront contactés. Pas d'appels téléphoniques s'il vous plaît. Veuillez consulter notre site Web www.sfcg.org pour tous les détails de notre mission.

Tous les employés de Search doivent adhérer aux valeurs de Search : Collaboration- Audace - Ténacité - Empathie - Résultats. Conformément à ces valeurs, Search fait respecter le code de conduite et les politiques connexes sur la lutte contre le harcèlement au travail, la protection contre l'exploitation et les abus, la protection des enfants, les conflits d'intérêts et la lutte contre la fraude. Search s'engage à préserver les intérêts, les droits et le bien-être des enfants, des jeunes et des adultes vulnérables avec lesquels elle est en contact et à mener ses programmes et ses opérations d'une manière qui soit sûre pour les enfants, les jeunes et les adultes vulnérables.

Search for Common Ground ne fait pas et ne doit pas faire de discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur, la religion (croyance), le sexe, l'expression de genre, l'âge, l'origine nationale (ascendance), le handicap, l'état matrimonial, l'orientation sexuelle ou le statut militaire, dans aucune de ses activités ou opérations.

Consultez notre code de conduite ici et notre politique de confidentialité ici.

Dado que la descripción de funciones no puede ser exhaustiva, el titular del puesto puede tener que realizar otras tareas que coinciden en líneas generales con las responsabilidades clave mencionadas.

Sólo se contactará con los candidatos invitados a una entrevista. Se agradece no recibir llamadas telefónicas. Consulte nuestro sitio web www.sfcg.org para conocer todos los detalles de nuestro trabajo. Todos los empleados de Search deben adherirse a los valores de la organización: Colaboración - Audacia - Tenacidad - Empatía - Resultados. De acuerdo con estos valores, Search hace cumplir el Código de Conducta y las políticas relacionadas con luchar contra el acoso en el lugar de trabajo, la protección contra la explotación y el abuso, la protección de la infancia, los conflictos de intereses y la lucha contra el fraude. Search se compromete a salvaguardar los intereses, derechos y bienestar de los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables con los que está en contacto y a llevar a cabo sus programas y operaciones de una manera que sea segura para los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables. Search for Common Ground no discrimina ni discriminará por motivos de raza, color, religión (credo), género, expresión de género, edad, origen nacional (ascendencia), discapacidad, estado civil, orientación sexual o condición militar, en ninguna de sus actividades u operaciones. Consulte nuestro código de conducta aquí y nuestra política de privacidad aquí.