Company Profile

<p>Since 1963 and in 148 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that designs and delivers technical and management solutions in agriculture, economic growth, and resilience to promote economic prosperity and social inclusion.</p> <p>ACDI/VOCA Headquarters has been named a Top Workplace in 2024 by the Washington Post! In just our first-year vying for the award, ACDI/VOCA ranked 7th out of the 100 companies named to the list in the mid-size category.&nbsp;</p>

Job Description

Overview

The Deputy Chief of Party will support the development of strategic plans, strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools, annual and quarterly work plans, and other deliverables in line with USAID guidelines to achieve objectives. In the absence of the COP, the Deputy Chief of Party will also represent ACDI/VOCA with partners and key stakeholders, maintain positive relationships with USAID, local authorities, and the country office team. This position will provide leadership in defining and driving a strategic vision that guides partnerships, activities, learning and communications. This includes leading adaptations to project strategies that respond to evolving market and food system trends and opportunities, ensuring that teams are collecting the right evidence to assess progress towards the strategic vision, and incentivizing teams to identify new and innovative partnerships, business models and technologies. The position will also ensure approaches that promote gender equality, youth engagement, and social inclusion integration into programming. The DCOP will be responsible for strengthening the project team’s culture and collaboration and managing effectively across program and operational functions of the project.  The position will also identify and effectively manage all key risks related to the program, including compliance with donor transparency and due diligence requirements.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build a strong team mentality among MSR team members and encourage consensus and evidence-based decision-making by demonstrating inclusiveness, accountability, facilitation, flexibility, shared ground rules, and commitment to implementation skills.
• Lead technical implementation, including oversight and management of the four Objective Leads, as well as regional field offices and staff. 
• Develop and cultivate a shared vision of what the team is trying to achieve in the market system, built on a solid understanding of evolving market and food system trends.
• Support the development of strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and report deliverables in line with USAID guidelines. 
• Regularly identify and apply learning, refining approaches as needed to close gender gaps and promote social inclusion across project activities and within the market system.  
• Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation.  
• Identify and effectively manage all key risks related to the program, including compliance with donor transparency and due diligence requirements. 
• Manage an effective performance monitoring and reporting system that captures both project results and impacts and assesses progress towards a common vision for systems change. 
• Represent ACDI/VOCA with partners and key stakeholders, maintain positive relationships with USAID, local authorities, and the country office team. 
• Serve as principal point of contact in Ghana for procedural and substantive matters in the absence of the COP.

Required Skills or Experience

• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, or Business Administration from an accredited college or university.  
• Minimum of 10 years of experience, preferably, but not limited to northern Ghana, in relevant, progressively responsible management positions with a proven track record of implementing and/or managing Agricultural, agribusiness development, and/or market systems development programs/projects.  
• Possess a combination of technical familiarity and management skills that spans the subject areas covered by the MSR Activity interventions.
• At least 8 years of demonstrated understanding of market systems development frameworks, management approaches and intervention strategies.
• Proven ability to lead strong performing teams towards a common strategic vision
• Proven ability to work with and motivate private- and public-sector actors. 
• Analytical skills, including ability to gather and analyze a variety of information pertaining to issues and to develop appropriate recommendations for action. 
• Experience effectively supporting the integration of gender equality, youth engagement, and social inclusion in development projects, particularly with a focus on agriculture and market systems  
• English Level IV.