Overview

Deputy Chief of Party, USAID/Malawi, Youth Prosperity Through Agriculture Pathways

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

This Proposal Opportunity:

Palladium is seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for an anticipated USAID-funded agriculture higher education strengthening program expected to begin in 2024. The USAID/Malawi Youth Prosperity Through Agriculture Pathways Activity aims to increase Malawian youth’s contribution to the country’s economic growth. The activity will increase access to higher education with a specific focus on agriculture training, improve the quality, governance, and relevance of agriculture training institutions’ systems, and increase economic growth opportunities for graduates.

Under the supervision of the Chief of Party (COP), the DCOP leads technical aspects of the project in compliance with USAID and Palladium rules and regulations to achieve project objectives. They will also regularly engage with and maintain good relationships with educational institutions, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labor and private sector partners. The DCOP will provide support to the COP in liaising, programmatic, strategic development, and quality control duties. They shall have depth and breadth of technical expertise and experience, a solid professional reputation, interpersonal skills, and professional relationships to fulfill the requirements of the activity.

*This is a proposal position and is contingent upon award from USAID.*   

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

  • The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) shall provide support to the COP with strategic leadership and oversight to the activity
  • Serve as a member of the senior leadership team of the program and support the Chief of Party in oversight of project staff and activities
  • Co-lead and oversee programmatic functions, i.e., development of work plans, budgets, quarterly/annual reports, and ensure effective implementation of program strategy
  • Maintain effective and open communication throughout the project with Chief of Party, USAID, Project Director, Objective Leads, project operations teams, and other relevant stakeholders
  • Work with the Chief of Party and other project staff to continuously refine implementation processes by integrating lessons learned and best practices
  • Serve in an acting capacity in the absence of the COP

Key Competencies Required:

  • Extensive experience in higher education, workforce development, agriculture, private sector engagement, or other field related to higher education skills development and employment linkages programs
  • Significant experience providing overall management of administrative operations including logistics, procurement, budgeting, finances, human resources, and information technology
  • Demonstrated experience overseeing sound and effective systems for project administration and operations, including grants, subcontracts, procurement, and compliance
  • Demonstrated experience in senior management positions for USAID programs of similar or greater scope and complexity
  • Experience in systems strengthening and partnership building, particularly with education institutions and the private sector
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience with USAID or other donor planning and reporting systems, operations, programming, and structure
  • Experience managing and leading technical and administrative teams for complex development projects
  • Experience working in Malawi
  • Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities often within a required timeframe
  • Effective written and oral communication skills
  • Professional and diplomatic demeanor and conduct, especially during interactions with the client and its constituents
  • Ability to anticipate, respond and adapt quickly to changing requirements and competing demands.
  • Ability to take initiative and/or respond independently to situations
  • Fluent written and spoken English required

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodation to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.