Chief of Party, USAID/Burma Strengthening Malaria Control for High-Risk Communities (SMCHC)

Summary

Save the Children is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for the anticipated five-year USAID/Burma Strengthening Malaria Control for High-Risk Communities (SMCHC) Activity. The goal of the SMCHC Activity will be to expand and strengthen malaria services in high burden communities in Burma and Thailand. SMCHC will strengthen and work through local organizations including community-based organizations (CBOs) in areas where people are at risk of malaria due to increasing malaria incidence. SMCHC contributes to the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative’s (PMI’s) strategic objectives of reducing malaria deaths and cases in high-burden countries and eliminating malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). The Activity will also work to achieve the Agency’s goals to increase localization by delivering services through local partners and building their capacity for increased impact, ownership, and sustainability of malaria control and prevention services reaching high-risk populations and communities.

The COP will be responsible for overall and day-to-day management of award activities, involving multiple tasks across multiple locations. They will demonstrate high-level strategic vision for advancing desired project outcomes as well as have excellent management skills and leadership of complex projects. They will provide effective technical and project management guidance and coordination to the overall project team and will be responsible for the quality of all work products. They will organize, direct and coordinate the planning and production of all award support activities, effectively leveraging partners’ expertise. In addition, they will be responsible for staffing, project planning, project financials, and staff direction and oversight and manage and maintain the project’s relationship with USAID.

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding. It will be based in Yangon, Myanmar, or Bangkok, Thailand, for the five-year period of performance.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Lead development of operational and strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and overall management of the program in line with USAID guidelines to achieve project objectives.
• Ensure that high-quality technical leadership and oversight for strengthening quality malaria diagnostic and treatment and prevention services in high transmission areas of Burma.
• Overall technical and administrative leadership of the project to ensure the quality of project interventions.
• Lead the team to provide proper coordination and guidance among key stakeholders, country-wide initiatives, community partners, NGOs, and other key stakeholders.
• Supervise and mentor senior technical and project management staff while cultivating an environment that is conducive to learning and professional growth.
• Support the development of strong M&E mechanisms, program monitoring tools, and efficient systems to ensure high quality implementation and reporting.
• Support a rigorous approach to learning and adaptation driven by data that, in consultation with USAID, leads to refinements and adjustments to the activity’s technical approaches and annual work plans and allows for timely and accurate decision-making.
• Establish compliance with USG regulations, procedures, and Save the Children guidelines.
• Represent Save the Children with partners and key stakeholders and develop and maintain positive relationships with USAID, key technical counterparts, and the Country Office team.
• Establish and ensure close coordination with other PMI-funded partners including those in Thailand; other USG partners and other development partners at the township, state/region levels.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the program team strives to achieve excellence.
• Incorporate Save the Children’s vision and values and full adherence to Code of Conduct principles.
• Closely monitor duty of care in the project areas and report to the Country Director on significant changes in the security context.
• Ensure any additional tasks entrusted by supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, internist medicine, hospital management, development, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience working in public health, quality improvement, strategic information, education and/or international development; minimum of five years of experience managing development programs in health or other fields. Experience in malaria control and prevention preferred.
• At least five years of experience in public health, quality improvement, or strategic information programs with strong leadership skills and experience in managing large teams across multiple partner organizations, as well as working in politically sensitive contexts. Experience in Burma, Thailand, and/or the region preferred.
• Prior experience as a COP, Deputy COP, and/or Project Director is preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of USAID approaches, regulations, compliance, and reporting requirements.
• Problem solving, consensus building and coordination skills with diverse interests and institutions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build teams.
• Fluency in English required. Proficiency in Burmese strongly preferred.

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.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and 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.

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.