Chief of Party – Women’s Peace Campaign project (217359-927

Chief of Party – Women’s Peace Campaign project (217359-927)
Closing date: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Kenya - Nairobi

This position is pending funding.

PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
The Women’s Peace Campaign Project is an upcoming USAID program designed is to improve local and national women’s organization’s capacity to address violence against women and to create a grassroots-based network that will serve to prevent and mitigate conflict, especially in the lead up to the 2012 election.

Mercy Corps Kenya has been responding to the violence in Kenya following disputed presidential elections in December 2007 through the Local Empowerment for Peace (LEAP) program in Rift Valley province. LEAP is working with communities especially affected by the violence to build the capacity local level Peace Committees and stimulate dialogue on the underlying causes of conflict. The project has a strong youth focus through cash-fork programming for at-risk beneficiaries and longer-term income generation activities for youth-led microenterprises. The sister program, LEAP Sport has supported more than 3,000 inter-ethnic sports teams with training in teamwork, cooperation, reconciliation, and non-violent conflict resolution.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Chief of Party (COP) / Technical Advisor – “Women’s Peace Campaign Project” is a senior level position with Mercy Corps Kenya. S/he will be responsible for providing program guidance, oversight, and management of an upcoming USAID-funded project to genuinely engage women, of all socio-economic groups and in all counties, in a national effort to establish peace in their homes and communities.  This project aims to change societal acceptance that women will continually face violence, whether in their homes or due to politically motivated ethnic strife.  Activities will include men, remembering that meaningful change will not occur without men as men are the primary perpetrators of violence against women. Therefore, project activities will purposefully engage men and women in order to affect change.

The COP of Women’s Peace Campaign Project will directly manage project staff and will work closely with them to ensure high quality and the timely implementation of activities. The level of oversight will require traveling to field sites, representation, and coordination with project partners and external stakeholders, such as local and international NGOs, CBOs, business groups, and local and central government authorities. The successful candidate will be expected to lead the development of creative new programming for women drawing on best practices from other countries and programs with a focus on building local capacities. Additionally, strong emphasis will be placed on the provision of mentoring leadership and advice to project staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Lead the overall design, management, and reporting to the donor on all components related to the project;
- To personally supervise all granting and procurement activities and to have strong knowledge of gender and conflict, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills.
- Management and mentorship of local program staff and other partners, gradually transferring skills and capacities;
- Representation and coordination with donor, local governance institutions, local partners, private sector, and other project stakeholders;
- Regular reporting to the Mercy Corps Country Director and donor on program progress, ensuring that required deliverables are met in a timely fashion;
- Engage and develop joint initiatives with government, community leaders, NGOs, private sector and other stakeholders, providing heightened exposure and maximizing impact of the project;
- Work with project staff on an ongoing basis to ensure smooth planning, preparation, implementation and joint monitoring and evaluation of program activities and achievements towards project goals.

Organizational Learning
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Overall supervision of the Women’s Peace Campaign Project team including expatriate and national staff; and local sub-grantees.

ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Mercy Corps Kenya Country Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: The National Program Coordinator, the Capacity Building/Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the Gender and Conflict Expert, and Operations/Finance Staff.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- MA/S or equivalent in social sciences, economic development, or international development;
- Minimum of 10 years experience in international development; previous Kenya experience essential;
- Technical expertise in gender and conflict;
- Strong knowledge of program implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
- Experience supervising all granting and procurement activities;
- 5 years of field management experience; COP or senior-level leadership highly preferred;
- Experience with USAID rules, regulations and requirements.
- History of working effectively and respectfully with host government, NGOs, contractors and other partners;
- Ability to effectively convey programmatic goals, enlist partnerships, and work with a range of program and external stakeholders;
- Kenyan Nationals Strongly Preferred.

SUCCESS FACTORS:
- Innovative, decisive and inclusive leadership approach
- Creative and insightful as regards programming for nation wide women’s peace programs and community based GBV awareness and prevention activities at community level
- Excellent communication and team-building techniques
- Proven experience managing and building capacity of diverse teams (expatriate and national)
- Cultural knowledge, sensitivity and respect
- Commitment to oversee project for its duration

LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Location is accompanied.

Mercy Corps is an AA/EOE.

How to apply
Apply online at our website:
http://hostedjobs.openhire.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjob&jobid=217359&company_id=15927&jobboardid=479