Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)

Position Description

• The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will work closely with and report to the Chief of Party (COP) to provide technical and managerial oversight for the Activity, including the development and implementation of the Project’s vision and strategy, annual work plans, and performance reporting. 
• S/he will also represent the Activity before a wide range of audiences at the Federal and State levels.  The DCOP will ensure all Project activities adhere to USAID technical guidance and align with global best practices.  The DCOP will also directly oversee the Agribusiness Specialist, responsible for the day to day operations of the Regional Agribusiness Officer and 6 State-based Agribusiness Coordinators, as well as all activities taking place outside Abuja. 
• The DCOP will also supervise the Director of Finance and Operations and be responsible for all Project sponsored events, working closely with the Project’s security, travel, procurement, human resources, and finance units.  
• As DCOP, this position will oversee the development of any subcontracts, long and short-term SOWs, MOUs, and in-country activities of domestic and international consultants.  The DCOP will also assist the COP in various technical, governmental, and USAID matters as requested.

Program Description

• The five-year USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity, implemented by CNFA as part of the United States Government’s Feed the Future Initiative, strengthens the business enabling environment to promote private sector investment in agriculture. To achieve this goal, the activity focuses on three interrelated components: improving the ease of doing business in the agricultural sector; broadening access to finance by mitigating the credit risks of agribusinesses; and promoting investment opportunities for agribusinesses to expand and scale up operations. In line with the U.S. and Nigerian Government’s commitment to growing the non-oil based economy, these efforts will increase the quality, quantity, market access, and diversification of Nigeria’s agribusiness sector.
• Beginning in December 2018 and closing in 2023, this $15.6 million project aims to integrate thousands of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and producer organizations as high-performing commercial actors in the value chains for rice, maize, soy, aquaculture, and cowpeas. As a result of streamlined regulations, more effective policies, improved production and processing practices, and significantly increased finance and investment flows, the project will increase the competitiveness and returns of both large and small sale agricultural enterprises. Employing a value chain approach, the Agribusiness Investment Activity aims to facilitate $100 million in new lending and $100 million in new investment across the 5 crops in the following 7 designated States: Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, and Cross River.  The USAID/Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity is a 5-year year, $15 million-dollar project implemented by CNFA as part of the United States Government’s Feed the Future Initiative.  The project’s goal is to strengthen the business enabling environment to promote private sector investment in agriculture. Activities will encompass three broad but interrelated components. First, the Agribusiness Investment Activity will improve the ease of doing business in the agricultural sector; second, the Activity will expand access to finance by mitigating the credit risks of agribusinesses; and third, the Activity will promote investment opportunities for agribusinesses to strengthen their readiness to expand and scale up their operations. Taken together, these efforts will increase the volume, added value, and diversification of agribusiness investments.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Working closely with the Chief of Party to provide technical and managerial oversight for the Activity, including the development and implementation of the Project’s vision and strategy, technical direction, annual work plans, and performance reporting;
• Working closely with other senior managers to ensure that Project activities are of the highest ethical standard, adhere to USAID technical guidance, align with best practices, and directly contribute to the attainments of the Project’s contractual deliverables;
• Managing implementation and coordination of all activities taking place outside Abuja, including serving as the supervisor of the Agribusiness Specialist and his/her team;
• Supporting the COP and other senior managers in the development of papers, studies, and required reports and presentations, including but not limited to weekly updates, quarterly reports, annual work plans, annual reports, Project PowerPoints, and MEL-related documentation;
• Maintaining rigorous focus on the performance of the Project’s Finance and Operations team, through the Director of Finance and Operations, including the finance, human resources, security, IT, procurement, and travel divisions;  
• Managing the implementation and coordination of all events, technical forums, conferences, roundtables;
• Effectively backstopping and supporting long- and short-term project specialists;
• Ensuring that the Activity remains focused on achieving results;
• Representing the Activity and CNFA in meetings with private and public sector stakeholders as requested by the COP;
• Other duties as assigned on an ad hoc basis by the COP.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree, or higher, in Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, Agriculture, or a related field
• Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant, progressively responsible management experience;
• Demonstrated experience and a proven track record of implementing and/or managing activities focused on agricultural development
• A combination of technical familiarity and management skills that span the subject areas covered by the Activity; and in-depth experience in at least one of the major areas of project involvement (agricultural finance regulations, agricultural finance services, capacity building for agribusinesses)
• An in depth understanding of the public sector organizational and functional structure at the Federal and State levels
• A current professional network in the most relevant ministries and offices of Government at the Federal and State levels is an advantage
• Demonstrated experience effectively backstopping and supporting long- and short-term consultants;
• Demonstrated experience ensuring efficiency across a wide variety of project activities involving economic growth, private sector development, women and youth empowerment, upskilling, business linkages, and job creation; and
• Demonstrated experience maintaining rigorous focus on project indicators, results, and more generally supporting the M&E and communications functions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required, knowledge of local languages is an advantage