Chief of Party (MNCH) at ABT Associates

Abt Associates seeks a Chief of Party for an upcoming USAID-funded health program in Nigeria. The program will focus on family planning, reproductive health, and maternal, new born, and child health across northern Nigeria. 

The Chief of Party (COP) provides leadership, management, and strategic direction for the entire project.  This position is responsible for guiding senior technical staff and for ensuring the responsiveness and quality of work along with efficient use of resources and achievement of results.  The COP has the final authority within the project team for decisions related to technical, management, and resource allocation and personnel issues. The COP will be accountable for the successful implementation of all aspects of the project. In carrying out these responsibilities the COP works in partnership with USAID and national and local government agencies and officials, local national and community level organizations and other partners, and project staff. 

Key responsibilities 

• Provides strategic direction and technical leadership to produce project results and deliverables, and overall management of the operational, financial, and administrative aspects of the project;
• Functions as the primary liaison between USAID, Ministries of Health, local national organizations and other partners and stakeholders;
• Creates management systems in line with Abt standard operating procedures consistent with the needs of the project;
• Designs and oversees an annual project cycle in accordance with the USAID annual planning cycle;
• Works with staff and partners to translate project goals and objectives into implementable strategies and plans;
• Directs and oversees planning and budgeting processes. Prepares quarterly and annual project activity reports as specified in the contract;
• Monitors the progress and pace of project implementation, assuring that the full potential of the program is realized through the promotion of high quality work and internal control;
• Supervises the work and assess the performance of all long term and short term advisors, consultants and staff;
• Clarifies roles, delegates responsibilities to senior staff, and clearly communicates expectations for staff contribution to project activities;
• Manages and supervises project staff and partners in the identification of all the project’s technical assistance needs, development of suitable scopes of work, recruitment of consultants, and execution of technical assistance contracts;
• Maintains productive working relationships with USAID clients, project partners and key counterparts, and reports to the Portfolio Manager in Abt Associates’ home office. 

Qualifications

• Master’s degree with at least 15 years of senior-level international project management experience in designing, implementing and managing large, complex health systems strengthening programs in developing countries, particularly as related to family planning, reproductive health, or maternal, new born, and child health.
• Prior experience successfully implementing donor-funded programs with wide geographic reach.
• Significant experience in Nigeria, including thorough knowledge of specific health priorities, is required.
• Deep knowledge of geo-political, ethnic, cultural, and other factors affecting programming in Nigeria, specifically in the north.
• Expertise in family planning, reproductive health, or maternal, new born, and child health programming or other relevant technical area required.
• Ability to liaise effectively with and develop consensus among key stakeholders, including USAID, national and local officials, public, private and civil society partners to assure effective collaboration among stakeholders.
• Experience developing project vision, aligning key stakeholders around that vision, and assuring that the vision is translated into implementable strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary, multicultural teams, manage complex programs, and ensure that project staff adhere to the highest standards of quality, relevance, and timeliness.
• USAID experience required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluency in Hausa highly preferred.
• Fluency in English required.
• Willingness to travel extensively, and potentially live, in northern Nigeria.