Chief of Party - USAID/WBG Basic Education Activity

Creative Associates International

Ramallah, Palestine

Project Summary

Creative Associates seeks a Chief of Party (COP) to lead the USAID-funded West Bank Gaza Basic Education Activity, which will strengthen education services for Palestinian children of KG 1 through Grade 6 that enable them to thrive and reach their full developmental potential. Under the Basic Education Activity, USAID seeks to work with the private sector, non-formal, non-governmental, community-based, UN, and civil society partners to strengthen early childhood and primary educational opportunities through high-quality early childhood education services and supplemental support structures to strengthen foundational pre-primary and primary education for children in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Specific areas of focus include strengthening foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, social emotional learning (SEL)/soft skills, education in emergencies, emergency response, education recovery, building teacher and student resilience capabilities and assets, and strengthening pathways between non-formal to formal education.

The COP will be responsible for the overall vision and technical leadership and management of project implementation and staff care in a complex and crisis/conflict-affected environment. The COP will act as a coach and mentor and will lead the capacity building of staff and partners. The COP will build successful relationships to facilitate project implementation.

Responsibilities

Oversee technical implementation and operational management of the activity.
Supervise activity implementation and ensure the activity meets stated goals and reporting requirements under extremely difficult programming conditions.
Serve as primary liaison to USAID, implementing partners, and key education stakeholders in country, including government officials, civil society organizations, and other donor-funded implementing partners.
Supervise, mentor, coach, and ensure professional development opportunities for a diverse program team.
Ensure staff morale and wellness in West Bank and Gaza offices are prioritized.
Foster a collaborative working environment where teamwork is rewarded and differences and diversity are embraced.
Determine annual priorities, develop work plans, and ensure program responds to changing conditions and operating environments, in conjunction with USAID and Creative Headquarters.
Oversee and ensure technical soundness in overall approach and project activities; ensure that GESI principles and local capacity strengthening are fully integrated into implementation.
Work collaboratively with the DCOP to oversee project operational, financial, and administrative systems and processes, ensuring streamlined and compliant project management.
Lead and oversee a diverse team of professionals, both from Headquarters and in the field, to identify and address operational, logistical, and technical activities within the challenging and dynamic environment of Gaza.
Coordinate with the Emergency Education Cluster, as well as various INGOs and local organizations, to identify opportunities for collaboration and enhance the effectiveness of project implementation.
Establish and foster collaborative partnerships with organizations working in education, youth development, and related subjects; oversee the coordination of implementing partners.
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Advanced degree in education, or related field.
Minimum 10 years of experience managing and leading large, complex donor-funded, preferably USAID, education activities in developing countries.
At least three of the ten years of experience must be in education programming, with either early childhood education or non-formal education.
Experience in education in emergencies, conflict settings and/or fragile states.
Experience maintaining relationships with a broad range of stakeholders such as donors, implementing partners, non-governmental organizations and private sector entities.
Demonstrated knowledge and application of relevant USAID policies and strategies, including USAID’s Education Policy; Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy; Youth in Development Policy; and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting-Framework.
Demonstrated knowledge and application of USG rules and regulations and specific requirements and restrictions unique to the context.
Demonstrated leadership skills and experience working in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams.
Experience working in West Bank/Gaza and/or the MENA region highly preferred
English language proficiency, including excellent English communication skills and advanced writing capabilities, required.
Professional fluency in spoken Arabic preferred.