Deputy Chief of Party, Programs, OTI Colombia Transforma 3 Program

at  Tetra Tech

Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The USAID/OTI Colombia Transforma 3 Program seeks to demonstrate the transformative power of the Peace Accord implementation in Colombia. To achieve this goal, the program works to strengthen leadership and collaboration between the Government of Colombia (GOC) and key territorial actors to accelerate implementation of the Peace Accord. The program works directly with the GOC at national, departmental, and local levels, with local organizations, and directly with communities to pursue robust and collaborative Peace Accord implementation. This collaborative approach helps to demonstrate that an integrated, comprehensive approach to the conflict also provides solutions to some of the country’s biggest problems, including rural insecurity, land formalization, and illicit economies. Implicit in this approach is support to the GOC in understanding the unique post-accord drivers of instability and support for piloting innovative solutions. The program operates primarily through an extensive portfolio of small, primarily in-kind grants, seizing on local windows of opportunity in pursuit of both individual regional objectives and broader program goals. The program operates from a main office in Bogotá, with significant field office presence across multiple Colombian departments.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Deputy Chief of Party-Programs (DCOP-Programs) will support the Chief of Party (COP) in all programmatic workstreams including but not limited to providing technical oversight on activities, managing implementation and flow of activities, coordinating with the Regional Program Advisor (RPA) on strategic approaches, and supporting and coordinating deliverables with the COP and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Director. This position will coordinate closely with the COP, Deputy Chief of Party-Operations (DCOP-Operations), and USAID/OTI to ensure that regional programmatic priorities and objectives are allocated sufficient resources for successful implementation. The DCOP-Programs will work closely with the COP and RPA, in managing Program strategy. The DCOP-Programs will also coordinate on compliance with U.S. and host country government regulations and MSI policies and procedures. Along with the COP and the DCOP-Operations, the DCOP-Programs will effectively represent MSI to USAID/OTI’s Country Representative (CR) and Deputy Country Representative (DCR), GOC counterparts, and other stakeholders. The DCOP-Programs will also support the COP and other program staff in activity development and implementation, while staying apprised of the evolution of the local political, legal, and security situation and focused on continuous adaptation of the program and its approaches. This position will report to the COP and coordinate closely with the COP and RPA on strategic management of the program.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma with a minimum 12 years of relevant experience, including working with a Contractor or International NGO in developing countries, required.
• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum eight years of relevant work experience preferred.
• Experience working with USAID Programs required.
• Experience with peacebuilding, community resilience, and governance programs required.
• Experience with context analysis and responsive activity design, development, and implementation required.
• Experience serving in a management and supervisory role on complex, high-speed and challenging field operations in one or more developing countries required.
• Experience hiring and supervising of host country local personnel and ensuring, when the need arises, that necessary training required is secured to meet program needs required.
• Experience working in Colombia and in other Latin American countries undergoing transition preferred.
• Experience working with national GOC entities in support of high-level initiatives preferred.
• Experience working on USAID/OTI programs, and knowledge of OTI programming principles preferred.
• Familiarity with programs in the country preferred.
• Fluency in written and oral Spanish and written and oral working proficiency in English required.
  MSI is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We strive to develop and maintain a culture that honors the perspectives and identities of our employees, our communities and those impacted by our work.
  We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants’ and employees’ religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
  MSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities/Veterans Employer.
  Reasonable Accommodations:
  MSI is dedicated to hiring an inclusive workforce. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, please visit Tetra Tech’s Disability Assistance Page. Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates.
  Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

• Make key decisions and solve problems in short time frames in coordination with the COP, while ensuring operational and programmatic integrity and overall program direction is provided by USAID/OTI through the Task Order Contracting Officer’s Representative (TOCOR) and CR.
• Coordinate closely with DCOP-Operations to ensure compliance and facilitate successful program implementation.
• Oversee regional portfolios, providing strategic guidance to enhance project outcomes and ensuring timely communication with the management committee for coordinating administrative, logistics, procurement, security, and financial resources for successful implementation.
• Collaborate closely with the COP on technical issues to devise optimal solutions and propose necessary adjustments to interventions and overall program management.
• Investigate and identify new ways of achieving program efficiencies and creating impact.
• Supervise the Infrastructure team to facilitate strategy development and analysis aligned with the Program objectives.
• Maintain relationships with management committee, grantees, and partners as it relates to activity development.
• Operate within USAID regulations and procedures and the specifications determined in the Task Order SOW during program implementation, in close coordination with the DCOP-Operations.
• Coordinate with the grants management team, assist in strategy development and analysis, and maintain relationships with other program teams, grantees, and partners regarding activity development.
• Coordinate with MSI Headquarters on compliance issues where applicable.
• Coordinate with DCOP-Operations to facilitate activity development and ensure that program staff (e.g., Program Development Officers, Field Specialists, and Infrastructure Manager) stay closely informed and aligned with operations staff.
• Coordinate with DCOP-Operations and COP to ensure that operational approaches adapt to the evolving local political, regulatory, and security context.
• Travel regularly to T3 offices in Bajo Cauca, Nariño, and Norte de Santander to provide ongoing support, training, and mentorship to field-based staff.
• Conduct regular meetings with Program Development Officers, program teams, and infrastructure area to offer performance feedback and evaluate team motivation.
• Supervise Program Development Officers and Infrastructure Manager.
• Act as the COP, as assigned when the COP is absent from the program.
• Take on other duties as assigned by the COP.