Deputy Chief of Party, Community-based Basic Education Activity – Mali

Save the Children is seeking an experienced Deputy Chief of Party Operations for an anticipated USAID-funded Basic Education Activity in Mali. This 5-year cooperative agreement will improve early grade reading and math skills of young learners with a focus on improving the quality of instruction boosting community demand, and broadening safe, equitable formal and non-formal education services. The goal of the $25M-$50M Activity is to expand access to education pathways and improve reading and math outcomes, especially for girls and marginalized children in Mali.

The DCOP reports directly to the Chief of Party and ensures quality implementation of high impact interventions that meet stated goals and reporting requirements. They will assume the responsibilities of the COP in their absence. The DCOP coordinates with USAID, key stakeholders, consortium members and government representatives. The DCOP will ensure strong operational collaboration between consortium members and will apply SCI tools and procedures in close interaction with Country Office support services. The role is dedicated to guide standard logistics, procurement, sub-awards, staffing, planning and administration operations and to ensure their effectiveness, efficiency and compliance across all Activity levels and modalities. The DCOP will manage the implementation of key Activity interventions throughout target districts, oversees the work of Activity managers and local partners, and follows with the CO support services in order to have efficient operational support for the Activity team.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Contribute to ensuring that the Activity is delivered according to USAID’s contractual requirements (i.e. all interventions and deliverables are completed within agreed timescale and budget, reports are submitted as per agreed schedules and any other requirements or criteria are fulfilled).
• Design and regularly update detailed annual work plans and ensure these are used by the team appropriately to monitor progress towards completion and achievement of Activity objectives.
• Ensure that programmatic and financial reports for USAID, the Government of Mali and Save the Children are prepared as required, ensuring these are of the highest quality and submitted in a timely manner.
• Be fully aware of USAID’s and Save the Children’s grant compliance regulations and processes and contributes to their dissemination among the Activity’s team and local partners
• Assist with the preparation and revision of realistic budgets, authorizing and monitoring expenditure in line with the budget, donor guidelines and Save the Children’s grant management and financial regulations.
• Lead sub-award processes and related reporting and monitoring requirements.
• Lead required operational adjustments – which may vary by region – as the implementation context evolves, in a proactive and consultative manner.
• Ensure Save the Children’s security management protocols and related logistics policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Manage the Activity’s accountability and feedback mechanism, and lead related operational adjustments based on suggestions and information received.
• Lead recruitment and retention planning and implementation, ensuring a sound human resource base for the Activity; support partner HR processes and operations.
• Manage and motivate direct reports to achieve their work plan objectives, and to contribute to the achievement of the overall Activity goal.
• Maintain good working relationships with officials, government ministry counterparts, USAID implementing partners and the international and local NGO community.
• Work with Save the Children’s and consortium partners to identify operational support needs of the Activity and ensure this support is provided.
• Attend and actively participate in periodic Activity meetings and ensure a summary of progress and challenges are prepared and presented with follow-up actions as required.
• Ensure the Activity is fully embedded into Save the Children’s standard processes, procedures and ways of working to avoid it operating in silo and to help it maximize impact for beneficiaries.

Required Qualifications

Advanced degree (Master’s) in a relevant field and at least five years of relevant field-based operational management experience; or, a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and at least seven years of relevant field-based experience.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government representatives, private sector entities, local community organizations, donors and other stakeholders, particularly at national and sub-national level.
• In-depth knowledge of USAID approaches and regulations.
• In-depth knowledge of Mali recent context, and at least one experience managing operations in Mali from last 10 years.
• Demonstrated operational experience with programs working in conflict-affected areas, and ideally with education programming.
• Demonstrated experience with multiple aspects of operations management, including administration/ HR, logistics, procurement, security management and compliance.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently.
• Excellent written communication and presentation skills in French and English. Knowledge of local languages is an asset.
• Strong standard operating procedure development and training skills.

Qualified local candidates, especially women, people with disabilities and people from minorities are strongly
encouraged to apply.

Why you should join the Save the Children Team
Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term
and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave,
parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy
start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of
crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and
dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to
race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability,
marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

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helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from
engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and
proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training,
support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families.
Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.