Chief of Party – Ukraine Mental Health Activity

Job Summary

The Chief of Party will apply their expertise and experience to realize the projects’ vision and strategy by providing overall project leadership, management, operations, and implementation of the project. S/he will lead a diverse project team, implementing interventions in a complex operational environment to ensure that all activities and the partners achieve the activity’s proposed deliverables. The Chief of Party will serve as the primary liaison with key stakeholders, including managing relations with the relevant government departments and units, the donor and leading the relationship with the consortium members as well other actors and the various coordination platforms. S/he will lead a senior team of technical and operational experts to ensure the project’s implementation is sufficiently supported and able to achieve high quality, relevant, technical project deliverables. S/he will coordinate closely with the organization’s technical teams, as well as the country team in Ukraine.

The Chief of Party will provide sound leadership for the overall management of the project’s consortium partners, staff, and consultants, with technical and operational oversight, coordination, and support– ensuring a strong, successful, and productive collaboration across teams.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation.

Main Tasks And Responsibilities

Project Management

Develop and execute overall project strategy, work plan and budget to achieve project results.

Lead overall strategy, management, and operations for the project making key decisions, mitigating risks, and ensuring the integrity of the project’s timely implementation.

Lead and supervise the project’s senior team across all consortium members, including providing leadership and building capacity across core project staff.

Lead technical and operational planning and strategic communications for the project.

Provide technical direction for the development and adherence to the MEAL and CLA plans for the successive phases of the project to capture expected performance and results.

Lead regular reviews of deliverables, project practices, tools and achievements against programmatic targets and quality standards; integrate learning and adaptation for continuous performance improvement informed by an effective use of data.

Lead the effective implementation of and adherence to all International Medical Corps’ policies and donor’s requirements across the project’s interventions.

Ensure that contract, finance, and grants administration functions are in full compliance and are well supported with effective systems and procedures.

Senior Coordination and Representation

As the project’s primary focal point, manage key relationships with all levels of relevant stakeholders (country field missions, host-country governments, and donor), as well as required by the aims of the project.

Represent the project within International Medical Corps’ portfolio; facilitate and ensure internal cross-departmental support consistently meets the needs of the project and its team; cultivate and maintain positive working relationships with relevant International Medical Corps’ staff across relevant departments such as International Programs, Technical Unit, Grants and Contracts Managements, Global Communications, and more.

Consortium and Subawards Management

Lead efforts for overall consortium management, ensuring oversight and support aligns with partner-specific needs, donor compliance, and implementation plans.

Supervise the DCOP in the overall management of the subawards and quality control for partners’ deliverables.

Responsible for overall relationship management with partners’ HQ and project-specific team members; cultivate and maintain positive and effective working relationships, serving as primary focal point for all consortium partners

Human Resources Management

Ensure that the project team and is properly onboarded, roles and responsibilities are properly assigned, and the team is able to implement the agreed project deliverables.

Develop support strategies for staff, foster teambuilding, and introduce principles of self-care.

Provide supportive and constructive feedback and conduct regular performance appraisals.

Ensure project staff adhere to and are supported by any established dotted-line supervision with broader departments.

Security and Conduct

Provide leadership for the coordination of the project with the lead safety and security focal points; ensure that the project’s implementation strategies and risk mitigation approaches align with IMC’s safety and security plans.

Contribute to the positive image and overall credibility of the project and organization, notably through adherence to the Code of Conduct and Ethics, including compliance with anti-harassment, safeguarding and PSEA policies.

Ensure that team members are properly trained in security and conduct protocols and policies, put in place systems to support staff wellbeing, safety and security are in place, and measures to support accountability to beneficiaries are effectively integrated and prioritized throughout the project.

Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

Minimum Qualifications

Typically, a master’s degree in the Medical Field, Public Health, Psychology, Social Work, International Development, or related field.

Typically, 12+ years of relevant and progressive experience managing high-value, complex, multi-year, multi-partner projects implemented in international development and/or humanitarian settings, including at least 7 years in a senior-level position providing technical assistance and managerial oversight.

Demonstrated experience designing and managing projects with focus in the areas of health systems strengthening, emergency preparedness and response, capacity development at regional, national and local levels.

Proven experience cultivating and managing donor, host-country and muti-lateral agencies relations; experience with USAID preferred.

Experience providing technical direction, assistance, and oversight for project implementation, measuring performance against targets, as well as leading any necessary training and mentoring staff, partners, and key stakeholders.

Experience leading and/or supporting programs on the health systems strengthening initiatives with local stakeholders in related technical areas, including contributing to curriculum development and effective training methodologies for the health sector, or health governance projects.

Demonstrated experience managing teams, employing both in-person and remote management approaches to supervision of staff in various locations.

Strong leadership and management skills with proven ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary and multicultural project teams.

Proven strong consortium and partnership management skills.

Demonstrated strategic thinking, creativity, acute problem solving, and analytical skills.

Knowledge of foreign aid architecture, including humanitarian and development funding mechanisms.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.

Strong familiarity with USAID rules and regulations, including monitoring related compliance and mitigating risks.

Fluency in written and spoken English required, language skills in Ukrainian a plus.

Willingness and ability to travel to project sites in the assigned countries on occasion, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.