The University of Arizona (UAz) seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for the USAID Niger Resilience and Agribusiness Master's Program (N-RAMP)

Oct. 23, 2023

The University of Arizona (UAz) seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for the USAID Niger Resilience and Agribusiness Master's Program (N-RAMP) which is a 5-year (10/18/23-10/17/28) $6.9m project awarded to UAz. The Chief of Party will provide technical and management oversight of the activity and will be based in Niamey, Niger.  The COP will be dedicated to this activity full-time, have overall responsibility for the activity, and serve as the principal institutional liaison to USAID/Niger. The COP will report to the UAz Home Office Technical Director who will provide technical direction and strategic oversight of the activity in collaboration with the UAz Home Office Management Team, which includes a full-time project manager. The COP will manage a small team of staff based in Niamey and will lead coordination with in-country and regional partners. 

 The purpose of NRAMP is to strengthen the human and institutional capacity of Nigerien public universities to design and deliver academic coursework leading to a Master’s Degree in Resilience and Agribusiness. The project goal is to develop high quality training and education in agribusiness by Nigerien public universities that is tailored to the opportunities and challenges in Niger’s complex risk environment and responsive to the needs of both students, particularly women and youth and Niger’s agribusiness sector. Core partners includes key Nigerien universities, Bangna Global, the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR), and Tango International (Tango). The University of Arizona is a leading public research land grant university in the American Southwest, recognized nationally as a top tier academic institution for its research output, totaling more than $750 million annually. 

Responsibilities:

  • Lead technical assistance that supports Nigerien Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and other partners;
  • Drive overall strategy and supervise teams including providing project management, operations, and financial leadership to attain the activity goals;
  • Lead the strategic planning of the activity, such as annual work planning, oversee implementation of workplan activities and delivery of annual targets;
  • Serve as the primary liaison between USAID, government counterparts, project stakeholders, implementing partners, private sector entities, and UAz home office;
  • Identify issues and risk associated with activity implementation in a timely manner and guide appropriate adjustments;
  • Administer the project’s financial oversight and procedures, ensuring compliance with local labor laws, USAID regulations, and UAz policies and procedures;
  • Facilitate close collaboration and teamwork, including mentorship and development of local technical and administrative staff;
  • Monitor project financial performance against work plan and life-of-project budgets.

Qualifications:

Unless noted preferred, all qualifications are contractually required and must be demonstrated for a candidate to be approved in this position. 

  • Ten years of experience in a leadership position involving the administration of multi-faceted, international donor-supported programs with skills in strategic planning, management, and supervision;
  • Experience working in or with higher education institutions and the private sector in Niger or in the region; 
  • Demonstrated ability to provide oversight of local capacity development efforts, including working with local partners, including HEIs and the private sector, to ensure adherence to all sub-award requirements; 
  • Proven ability to communicate a common vision among diverse partners and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams. Experience working with host government counterparts is strongly preferred; 
  • Evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written, to fulfill the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the agreement is desired;
  • Fluency in written and spoken English and French; 
  • Experience managing programs in the Sahel or West Africa region; 
  • An advanced degree (Masters level or above) in higher education, educational administration, education, organizational development, management, development studies, international affairs/relations, business, or a related field of study. 

Application Instructions:

Please send an email with your CV and cover letter attached and “Chief of Party - NRAMP” in the subject line to airid.recruiting@gmail.com. No telephone inquiries, please. UAz will contact finalists.

At the University of Arizona, we value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. As an Hispanic-serving institution, we translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, and constituencies. Because we seek a workforce with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. As an Employer of National Service, we also welcome alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service programs and others who will help us advance our Inclusive Excellence initiative aimed at creating a university that values student, staff and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.

Target Audience
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