Chief of Party at ARK Group

ARK is now in search of a Chief of Party (CoP) to lead and manage a peacebuilding and climate change resilience programme in Nigeria. The nexus between climate and conflict is a key area of focus for ARK. We are delivering programmes with a similar focus in several other countries (see USAID Partners with Yemeni Communities to Ease Land and Water Conflicts | Yemen | Press Release | U.S. Agency for International Development).

You'll be responsible for ensuring the achievement of programme objectives, efficient management of financial resources, oversight of programme staff, and the performance of sub-recipient/partners. You'll also play a crucial role in coordinating and collaborating effectively with government bodies and other stakeholders to ensure project activities align with ongoing initiatives and adhere to both country-specific and global standards.

The CoP holds an integral position acting as the face of ARK and the programme, representing us to all stakeholders, including donors, the Nigerian government, community and non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

Program Implementation

• Managing programme resources and overseeing technical implementation of programme deliverables.
• Preparing and implementing work plans, ensuring delivery is on time, in scope and within budget.
• Leading in the quality assurance of programme activities and deliverables.
• Collaborating with the programme coordinators, MEAL team, and other relevant teams to ensure accurate measurement, monitoring, and evaluation of the programme impact as well as the iterative adaptation of delivery in response to learning.
• Collaborating with the Third-Party Monitoring team on monitoring activities, including field visits, and Data Quality Assessments (DQAs).

Partnership Management

• Cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with government bodies, other agencies, programme partners, and stakeholders.
• Supporting the grants team on the full subaward cycle from selection to close-out including:
  • Overseeing technical assessment and selection of subrecipients following requests for applications.
  • Determining appropriate performance reporting cadence and structure for all subrecipients.
  • Developing and implementing capacity development plans for subrecipients, including training and technical assistance on programme-related matters, ensuring they are aligned with programme objectives.
  • Providing guidance on subrecipient monitoring plans, ensuring timely and appropriate action for any deviations detected.
  • Performing on-site reviews of the subrecipients’ programme operations.
  • Overseeing enforcement action against potential noncompliant subrecipients.
  • Providing technical assistance on close-out of subawards, including timely close-out reporting and documentation of lessons learned

Capacity Building and Support

• Providing mentorship and training to implementation staff to enhance programme performance in delivering field activities.
• Building capacity of formal and informal local community leaders, organisations, and networks to meet programme objectives

Leadership

• Making implementation decisions and solving problems under tight deadlines while ensuring operational and programme integrity.
• Carrying out regular contextual analysis and action-oriented learning across all targeted areas to support adaptive management.

Requirements

Essential

• Extensive working experience in managing and implementing multimillion-pound complex international development projects, with a focus on climate resilience and peacebuilding in Nigeria, or related areas.
• Robust skills in collaborative leadership, communication, and interpersonal interactions, including demonstrated ability to develop and implement a common vision among diverse partners and lead a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team.
• Bachelors Degree in relevant field (e.g. Peacebuilding, International Development, Conflict Analysis)
• Extensive knowledge and experience in community-led resilience building and community-led conflict mitigation
• A deep understanding of the socio-political context in Nigeria
• Proven ability to create and maintain effective working internal and external relationships with stakeholders, NGO partners, and international donor agencies.
• Strong English oral and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor style according to different audiences
• Demonstrated experience in partnership management and overseeing small grants.

Benefits

Why join ARK?

• Impactful Work: Your expertise will directly impact the lives of those in need.
• Global Reach: Collaborate with international experts and local stakeholders.
• Innovation: Engage in pioneering solutions for sustainable change.
• Career Growth: Expand your horizons with varied projects and challenges.