Chief of Party - USDA Food for Progress Cambodia

USDA Food for Progress Cambodia

Chief of Party Position Description

IESC is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that catalyzes private sector growth and creates economic opportunity for people and communities throughout the economically developing world. Since 1964, we have delivered lasting solutions across 139 countries. We share proven business skills and experience with entrepreneurs, jobseekers, businesses, farmers, cooperatives, and governments. We also offer resources —human, technological, and financial— that sustainably build capacity and empower communities. Our long legacy of strengthening developing economies is matched by our vision for the next generation: a world with economic opportunity for all, where people and communities thrive. Our major funders today are the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), among others.

IESC is seeking a chief of party for a USDA/FAS funded Food for Progress trade enabling environment project in Cambodia. The chief of party will oversee all in-country project management, technical, and administrative activities. The multi-million would run for up to five years. The project goal is to contribute to the government of Cambodia’s goals of improving the trade enabling environment and improve implementation and development of food safety regulations and capacity strengthening in sanitary phytosanitary (SPS) policies, practices, and communications. More information and criteria pending notice of funding opportunity to be released by USDA.

The chief of party will serve as the project’s key liaison with the Cambodian government stakeholders, USDA’s regional representative office, and private sector stakeholders. The chief of party is based at the project office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. S/he will report to the IESC associate vice president for trade and enterprise based in IESC’s home office in Washington, DC. In addition to the specific tasks stated below, the chief of party serves as the primary interlocutor between IESC headquarters, local partners, and host-country organizations.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Provide overall leadership, management, and technical oversight for all project activities and deliverables.

Serve as the primary liaison to USDA/FAS, the Government of Cambodia counterparts, international and national stakeholders (including other donors), implementing partners, and private sector stakeholders.

Act as spokesperson for the project and present its work regionally and globally.

Supervise and oversee all technical, operational, and financial aspects of the project.

Oversee activities to ensure overall technical quality control and an integrated vision across all components of the project.

Supervise local technical specialists, managerial, and administrative team to successfully define, own, and achieve results.

Develop and oversee work planning, performance management, and strategic communications.

Ensure high-quality monitoring and evaluation of project impact and timely submission of donor reports and deliverables.

Travel to the project sites as required.

Qualifications

Graduate degree in trade-focused food safety, public agricultural policy, international agriculture, or related field, specialization in trade policy and regulation adherence highly preferred. Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of experience acceptable.

Minimum eight years of relevant professional experience in international development, with a focus on food safety, food trade, sanitary phytosanitary (SPS), and trade enabling environments. Experience with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trade agreement rules, practices, and protocols preferred.

Demonstrated long-term project leadership, integrity, and proven organizational skills managing donor-related funding as well as project technical and administrative staff required.

English fluency required.

Experience working with government counterparts; specifically, food safety related institutions such as Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Commerce required.

Experience working in the Southeast Asia region, specifically, Cambodia preferred.

Ability to facilitate policy discussions around reform and alignment with international practices and guidelines in accordance with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), and World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH), preferred.

Strong knowledge of WTO SPS Agreement and technical barriers to trade related to plant, animal, and food safety preferred.

Prior work experience or collaboration with private sector companies and businesses, and experience in the agriculture sector preferred.