Chief of Party

DI - Democracy International

Pristina, Kosovo

Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a Chief of Party (COP) for the anticipated five-year Accountable Justice Activity in Kosovo. The goal of the Accountable Justice Activity is to promote an independent, accountable, and efficient justice system that delivers timely and fair justice to all Kosovans and upholds the rule of law as a foundation for democratic governance and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The COP will be responsible for technical leadership, administrative oversight, and overall coordination of the Activity and will report to DI’s Director of Program Management. The COP will be responsible for developing a strong vision and implementation of the Activity with an evidence-based approach, integrating innovative strategies, and delivering on all objectives. They will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of all staff. They will ensure the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of all products and activities generated under the Activity. This individual will also be expected to identify issues and risks related to contract implementation in a timely manner and suggest appropriate contract adjustments. They will serve as principal institutional liaison with USAID and key stakeholders.

Essential Job Duties:

The position’s responsibilities will include:

Programmatic

Provide technical and strategic leadership on all activities, including matters of budget, compliance, and reporting;
Manage the preparation and presentation of all work plans, MEL plans, and reports;
Collaborate with USAID staff to achieve all Activity goals;
Serve as technical lead in designing, implementing, and overseeing the aspects of the Activity;
Represent DI externally at meetings, workshops, and other events;
Act as the lead liaison with the host country government and USAID offices in Kosovo and Washington, DC, in the areas of oversight, reporting, and compliance;
Manage a diverse team of Activity staff; and
Provide technical assistance, as needed, to Activity partners, grantees, and beneficiaries.

Finance & Administration

Continue to build and lead DI’s dynamic local team;
Liaise regularly with USAID, local staff and partners, STTA, and DI’s home office to ensure that deadlines are met and high-quality deliverables are completed and submitted in a timely manner;
Manage relationships with justice system and government institutions, justice seekers, civil society representatives and international donor representatives;
Ensure effective implementation of administrative and financial procedures compliant with DI and USAID policies;
Oversee financial tracking systems and coordinate and monitor Activity budgets to ensure all expenditures are in compliance with DI and donor regulations and within the scope of the Activity’s long-term budget;
Ensure that timely cash flow analyses and projections are provided and accurate for internal management purposes and to the donor, as needed;
Review and oversee administrative, procurement, and financial management procedures and recommend improvements as needed; and
Approve expenditures and other financial transactions in accordance with DI and USAID policies and practices.

Secondary Job Duties:

Contribute to ongoing Democracy International business development efforts in Kosovo and around the world.

Required Qualifications:

Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in a senior management position in a program of similar magnitude in the areas of rule of law and justice, preferably in strengthening judicial independence and self-governance, in Kosovo or a country with similar context;
Relevant advanced degree in law, political science, international development, international affairs, or a related field of study;
Minimum of 5 years of experience with USAID compliance and reporting requirements as well as a thorough understanding of the USAID regulatory environment;
Ability to establish strong working relationships with a variety of program partner institutions including the judiciary and other justice sector actors, government representatives, civil society organizations, donors, academic and research institutes and Bar and other legal associations;
Proven success and exceptional leadership in the design, management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of similar-sized USAID and other international donor-supported programs, with skills in strategic planning, management, supervision, and budgeting;
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
Strong familiarity with, understanding of, and ability to successfully navigate Kosovo’s complex political context;
This position is open to expatriates.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience:

Proficiency in Albanian is strongly desired, additional proficiency in Serbian a plus;
Advanced experience and knowledge of core rule of law principles and demonstrated ability to integrate them effectively into legislative drafting;
Extensive experience with Kosovo’s court culture and experience in driving change management initiatives within judicial systems;
Proven experience with digital justice systems and court case management platforms, including their implementation, optimization, and integration into judicial processes;
Experience in enhancing court efficiency, both in court performance measurement and management within judicial system;
Experience with developing approaches and strategies to support financing justice initiatives;
Experience in implementing anti-corruption tools and strategies and strengthening accountability and integrity frameworks;
Experience in engaging and working with non-majority communities to promote inclusion and equitable access to justice and the legal system; and/or,
Experience in designing and implementing approaches interventions to address gaps or barriers to gender equality and women’s empowerment, including regarding improving justice outcomes for survivors/victims of sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence.