Chief of Party (15.01) - OCT Consulting, LLC

Chief of Party

 OCT Consulting LLC (OCT) is a management and strategy consulting company that provides support to federal government clients. We provide consulting services in the areas of Strategy, Process Improvement, Change Management, Program and Project Management, Acquisition/Procurement, and Information Technology.

OCT is seeking an experienced Chief of Party (CoP) for an anticipated USAID-funded project pertaining to knowledge, data, learning, and training with the USAID Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS). The project is designed to expand the USAID REFS’ and Feed the Future’s capacity and quality of data management and analysis, organizational learning, and training to promote evidence-based decision-making and programming.

This position is contingent upon project award and funding.

Responsibilities and Duties

 The CoP will be responsible for technical leadership, management and administrative oversight, and overall coordination and successful implementation for the entire project. The CoP will lead and manage OCT’s efforts to achieve the project results. This person will provide vision and overall leadership of  project operations; drive the achievement of project results by ensuring the provision of timely, relevant, high-quality services; facilitate the intended mutually supportive relationship between OCT and the client; serve as the primary point of contact with the client on day-to-day program implementation and management issues; supervise the work of all staff and partners assigned to tasks under the program; ensure timely, accurate and user-friendly reporting on the progress and status of all services provided under the program; and ensure compliance and integrity of operations.

Technical Leadership

●      Provide strategic direction for the project. Develop and update the project strategic approaches, ensuring that programmatic directions are technically sound, evidence-based, and consistent with USAID priorities.

●      Ensure that project performance objectives and mandated deliverables, such as technical activities, annual work plans and programmatic/financial/technical reports are completed in a timely fashion and meet the highest quality standards.

●      Ensure leadership and management reinforce the commitment to learning and knowledge sharing among the team and to building and strengthening capacity of clients and partners.

●      Bring to bear an adaptive management approach to contract management that prioritizes collaboration, learning, and a culture of open communication to improve results.

Program and Operations Management

●      Provide leadership and direction to monitoring and evaluation strategies, frameworks, plans and indicators, and the project learning agenda to capture project performance and results and promote continuous project learning that enables adaptive management.

●      Lead periodic implementation review processes to monitor progress and to identify specific actions or adjustments that may be needed to achieve expected results; determine causes and effects of deviations from work plan; anticipate potential future problems in time to ensure that preventive measures can be taken; use feedback received during project monitoring and evaluation activities to propose and implement actions to remedy deviations from the work plan, technical or operational innovations, or substantive updates to  the work plan; reassess objectives, strategy, and/or plans; if appropriate, recommend changes in project objectives and/or contract scope of work.

●      Develop, monitor and revise budget pipeline and conduct monthly reviews to ensure accountability of all project activities, as well as the accurate and timely reporting of finance deliverables and projections.

●      Manage funds and approve expenditure in accordance with OCT and USAID procedures, cost principles, and regulations.

●      Develop input for and guide responses to audit questions and client feedback.

 Personnel Management

●      Motivate staff to perform effectively toward project objectives, through communication, team building incentives, and responsiveness.

●      Create a positive working environment for all staff and ensure growth and professional development opportunities.

●      Define staffing (including consultants) needs and scopes of work according to client needs.

●      Make final staffing selections to propose to the client.

●      Manage and evaluate work done by team members.

●      Conduct annual performance reviews and recommend/internally negotiate salary adjustments.

 Manage Partners and Sub Awardees

●      Manage and coordinate activities of subcontractors and partners to create synergy and ensure that project responsibilities are carried out in accordance with USAID and federal government regulations.

●      Ensure capacity strengthening of staff and partners is an intrinsic part of project activities.

Compliance

●      Implement and monitor project policies and procedures that improve efficiency and quality.

●      Partner successfully with OCT internal staff, subcontractors, and other stakeholders to share project progress, learning and challenges, maximize interface of activities across countries and projects and to receive timely support to address needs.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

●      A master’s degree or higher in social sciences, international relations or affairs, public administration, organizational development, or a related advanced degree.

●      At least 15 years of progressively increasing responsibility in managing large-scale and complex comprehensive contracts or awards.

●      Fifteen years (15) of experience interacting with research institutions, international development organizations, donors, country governments, or other development stakeholders.

●      At least five years of experience serving as a Chief of Party, Country Director, or Team Leader for similar projects involving research, data analysis, training, monitoring & evaluation, or collaboration, learning and adapting for USAID, Department of State, or similar government agencies with an international focus.

●      Demonstrated management skills working with complex programs involving short deadlines, multiple tasks, high perform expectations, and coordination with multiple partners.

●      Thorough understanding of and ability to analyze project financial documents, projections, expenditures, and accruals.

●      Excellent client and partner relationship management experience with demonstrated diplomatic, interpersonal, and communication (written and verbal) skills in English.

●      Demonstrated capabilities in institutional capacity building, and high-level strategic visioning and leadership.

●      Demonstrated supervision experience of senior staff and technical experts.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

●      Technical expertise in one or more areas: performance management metrics, including innovations in data collection and analysis; organizational development and organizational learning; USAID’s Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) framework; or capacity strengthening or training

●      Technical knowledge or experience working on international resilience, agriculture, food security, environment, or climate change issues

●      Strong understanding of USAID organizational structure, processes, and culture

Ability to Commute/Relocate

The position is primarily off-site (remote) but may require several days per week at the federal client site in Washington, DC or the DC metro area, as needed. The position may also require the candidate to travel occasionally to conferences and events both around the United States and internationally.

Benefits

Benefits

The position includes competitive compensation and a full suite of benefits:

●      Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

●      Retirement savings 401K plan provided by an industry-leading provider with 3% employer matching contributions.

●      Paid Time Off

●      Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term disability benefits

●      Training Benefits

 Job Type: Full-time

 Pay: $160,000.00 - $195,000.00 per year, commensurate with experience and education.

About OCT

OCT Consulting LLC is a certified SBA 8(a), minority-owned, small, disadvantaged business providing professional services and information technology solutions to the Federal government and commercial clients. Founded in 2013, we bring the advantage of agility in operations along with a management team with a track record of leading successful engagements at major Federal government agencies.

 OCT is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. OCT is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.