Proposed Chief of Party (COP)-Senegal Value Chain Services

Shelter For Life International (SFL) is an international faith-based relief and development organization with over 30 years experience in providing sustainable development and humanitarian assistance to post conflict countries around the world. We are currently operational in Afghanistan, Liberia, and Senegal, with Headquarters located in Minnetonka, MN. Our team provides support and assistance in the following areas:

1. 1. Shelter and Population Settlement

1. 1. Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Development

1. 1. Agriculture Development and Food Security

1. Reconstruction of Physical and Market Infrastructure; i.e. farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, and food storage, etc.

Our mission is to Demonstrate God’s love by enabling people affected by conflict and disaster to restore their lives and rebuild their communities. To learn more about us, please head to www.shelter.org

Position Summary:

We are currently seeking a Chief of Party (COP) to oversee a proposed value chain services project in Senegal, with focus on key cereal, horticulture, and small ruminants. The goal of this project is sustainable economic growth through interventions aimed at improving competitiveness, and increasing economic development, employment, and livelihoods. The position requires a good understanding of agribusiness and value chain enhancements, a strong command of project and administrative management, the demonstrated ability to foster a collaborative team spirit, and the ability to represent SFL with external stakeholders, such as the local and national governments, target communities, and representatives of the U.S. Embassy. The position of Chief of Party serves as the primary contact to the Headquarters Office. This person will ensure that operational goals and objectives are achieved and reported through appropriate and professional means, while maintaining the safety and integrity of the overall mission. This involves close oversight of project budget and progress, establishing positive working relationships with donors and other stakeholders in each of the target countries, providing oversight and ethical leadership to each project staff member. This position is contingent upon award from USAID.

Areas of Responsibilities:

Agribusiness and Value Chain Management

• • Implement a market-led strategy that incentivizes private sector investment in upgrading agriculture market infrastructure.

• Provide overall technical leadership to achieve the results of the project.

Program Operations Management

• • Provide supervision, support, and direction to long- and short-term staff.

• • Oversee financial and administrative aspects of the project, including the budget.

• • Implement enforcement of US Government and SFL’s financial and administrative rules and regulations.

• • Manage sub-awards with international and local service providers.

• • Monitor program indicators and analyze project impact and challenges to adaptively manage the project to meet or exceed results.

• • Lead annual work plans and progress reports, and monitor the implementation of these plans. Ensure all deliverables are submitted to USAID are of high quality and on time.

• • Establish contacts with partners and clients, including the private sector, to ensure coordinated
  • implementation of project activities and represent the Shelter For Life team at key meetings.

• • Work and coordinate with central and regional government officials to ensure collaboration with government activities.

• Coordinate and communicate activities with Shelter for Life’s Headquarter Office.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• • Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, international development, or related field, or professional experience in the same areas (master’s degree or higher preferred).

• • Experience with agribusiness, value-chain management, and/or enterprise development.

• • 10 years demonstrated experience in managing international development programs including experience in agricultural value chain development in emerging markets.

• • Proven expertise in agribusiness competitiveness including product development, marketing, financing, partnerships, investment promotion, and trade facilitation;

• • Past performance at a high level and ability to apply diplomacy skills with a wide range of stakeholders (i.e., national, district and local government officials, private sector, NGOs, and FTF beneficiaries).

• • Demonstrated experience in reporting project progress as it relates to donor guidelines.

• • Strong leadership and administrative skills, management in a cross cultural environment.

• • Comfortable with presentation, and reporting, with communication skills;

• • Preferred: experience integrating gender equality and women’s empowerment issues within agriculture value chain development activities, including entrepreneurship development opportunities

• Prior experience in Senegal is preferable. Experience in West Africa countries is required.

Personal Skills & Abilities:

• • Dynamic leadership skills with ability to maintain a positive work environment with professionalism.

• • Strong teamwork and listening skills combined with excellent interpersonal skills and cross-cultural sensitivity.

• • Ability to research, analyze, coordinate, & plan – both strategically and innovatively.

• • Ability to quickly assess complex programs and situations and form accurate opinions.

• • Ability to respond practically and operate successfully in difficult field conditions.

• • Willingness to adopt the use of locally appropriate technologies.

• • Ability to be flexible, persistent and diplomatic and to gain respect among staff, local community leaders as well as local government ministries and donor organizations.

• • Excellent written and verbal English and French.

• American citizenship is preferred, but not required.

SFL is interested in applicants whose professional ethics, values and determination to achieve impact are evident and aligned with organizational priorities.

Additional notes:

• • A minimum of 12+ months of commitment to live and work in Senegal is required.

• This position is dependent upon the receipt of grant based funding.

Apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter in English to ……. with the subject line: “Proposed COP – Value Chain.” Applications must be in English. Please include your name in the title of all attached documents.

In your resume, the work experience should be presented chronologically and should contain sufficient details to enable the technical review team to evaluate the qualifications and experience.

The CV/resume should include the name, telephone number, and email of at least two references who do not work for the employee’s current company.