Deputy Chief of Party for Strategic Partnerships and Operations for CASA (US-based, Washington DC, or Remote)

The USAID-funded Climate Adaptation Support Activity (CASA), implemented by Tetra Tech International Development (www.tetratech.com/intdev) is currently accepting expressions of interest for a Deputy Chief of Party for Strategic Partnerships and Operations (DCOP).

Background

USAID’s Climate Adaptation Support Activity (CASA) is a five-year activity that provides strategic support to USAID Missions and USAID/Washington to advance effective adaptation mainstreaming, programming, and scaling meaningful change.

USAID’s climate adaptation work aims to increase the resilience of human and natural systems to climate change impacts through improved use of information, planning, and action. USAID helps communities prepare for climate change and manage its impacts while protecting and advancing critical development priorities. USAID’s adaptation initiatives support climate information, research, planning and policy, technology, and best practices across key sectors, including agriculture, health, water, education, biodiversity, and natural resource management. USAID’s adaptation efforts also contribute to advancing global food and water security, reducing impacts of climate-related shocks and stresses, preventing the spread of vector-borne disease, and reducing conflict over resources.

CASA provides services including assessments, analytical work, thought leadership, inclusive capacity development, and convening, partnering, and coalition strengthening. CASA works with USAID, government, civil society, local community, and private sector partners. CASA provides technical services, products, and support in three main areas.

1. Actionable information. CASA works with governments, local communities, and other partners to develop and synthesize actionable information to support the design and implementation of impactful adaptation approaches, interventions, and systems shifts. Services include climate and climate-related risk, adaptive capacity, adaptation options, and similar analyses. CASA also develops adaptation guidance and decision-making tools.
2. Strategic, forward-looking adaptation and resilience approaches. CASA supports USAID and its partners to identify strategic and forward-looking adaptation and resilience approaches to support sustainable, scalable, and innovative adaptation. Services include synthesizing evidence, conducting research, developing thought leadership, and supporting monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
3. Capacity, convening, and partnership and coalition strengthening. Finally, CASA provides inclusive capacity, convening, and partnership and coalition strengthening to support impactful adaptation action. Services include technical assistance, learning exchange, mobilization of partnerships and coalitions, knowledge management, and communications.

More information about CASA can be found here.

Position Description

The DCOP will provide operational and administrative leadership to CASA. The DCOP will work with the Chief of Party (COP), Home Office Project Management Team (HO PMT), and CASA technical and operational staff to ensure compliant contract management, monitoring, and performance. The DCOP will lead management of subcontractors and other partners to implement CASA activities and achieve programmatic results including working with the COP to develop project-wide relationship-building and engagement strategies.

Responsibilities:

* Provides oversight of all aspects of day-to-day operations and assists in coordinating project implementation especially regarding efficient budgeting and financial management and staffing/consultant roster administration;

* Oversees/manages compliance with Tetra Tech systems in contract management, financial oversight, procurement, reporting, subcontract administration, and deliverable submission. Ensures compliance with USAID rules and regulations;

* Supports the COP in contractual and administrative management of project consortium partners and all other partners and vendors associated with project activities;

* Acts as USAID point-of-contact for the provision of contract management services including task scheduling, financial systems and reporting, personnel management, consultant agreements, and project Dashboard;

* Designs tools, systems, and approaches to streamline implementation and monitor activities. With the COP, leads the development, implementation, and oversight of project Dashboard for activity tracking;

* Supports COP and leadership team in the development and implementation of the Activity Rapid Response Protocol for management of tasks, buy-ins and associated activities and deliverables. Works with leadership team to review task requests and buy- ins, and to develop teams, SOWs, and budgets for discrete activities;

* In coordination with the COP, Director for Learning, Innovation and Research (DLIR), and the Adaptation Lead, manages workflows and tracks progress against activity timelines and submission schedules;

* Works with DLIR to ensure robust knowledge management (KM) systems and processes to capture for activity progress, completion, outputs, status, and accurate Dashboard;

* With COP, builds/maintains relationships with USAID Missions/OUs and develops the project-wide Stakeholder Engagement Strategy;

* Manages and implements technical tasks as appropriate and where needed; and

* Acts as COP as needed.

Qualifications:

* Bachelor’s degree in international relations, economics, climate science, environmental studies, natural resources management, or relevant field;

* At least 10 years of experience managing USAID projects including providing administrative and operational support and ensuring compliance with applicable rules and regulations;

* Experience soliciting, designing, and managing domestic and international subcontracts and consultant agreements;

* Strong report writing skills demonstrated through high-quality contributions to work plans and progress reports;

* Experience designing financial tools, systems and processes including experience managing USAID budgets with diverse funding streams;

* Professional proficiency in English is required;

* Ability to travel internationally; and

* U.S. citizenship or a valid U.S. work permit is mandatory.