The Deputy Chief of Party, PIATA is responsible for assisting the Chief of Party, PIATA to oversee, give orientation to, and facilitate the work of AGRA teams operating at national and continental levels in pursuance of AGRA's Strategy and the program's goals, objectives, and activities under USAID-PIATA Cooperative Agreement. S/he oversees technical coordination between program delivery at country and continental level with AGRA's technical and operational teams. S/he will also assist the Chief of Party in liaising with all AGRA staff and partners in order to promote and deliver maximum results from the USAID-PIATA partnership.
The ideal candidate will particularly support the technical and administrative oversight of USAID-funded programs with AGRA and serve as a day-to-day institutional liaison to USAID in Washington DC and all country and regional missions across Africa. S/he will support the delivery of the USAID-PIATA partnership through ongoing partner coordination, technical working groups, and country networks that draw on the best knowledge, expertise, and resources of all partners.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Steward AGRA's cross-functional engagement team for USAID partner management, including Program teams, Development Cooperation, M&E, Finance, and Communications to drive the strategic direction of the relationship, address issues as they arise, and maximize value in alignment with shared priorities.
Steward the collaborative development and ongoing adaptation of work plans and programs across the country, regional, and continental levels in alignment with strategy.
Analyze, finalize, and support AGRA proposals and grant memos.
Advise Country Directors on the establishment of a functional Country Network to ensure timely implementation of investment plans developed at the country level.
Collaborate with Country Directors to develop Road Maps outlining constraints, resources, and opportunities for increasing impact; organize country gatherings focusing on common constraints related to seed and fertilizer supply, including topics such as foundation seed supply, seed certification systems, fertilizer quality control, and seed harmonization.
Work closely with the Chief of Party in advancing PIATA, engaging deeply with partners on priority strategic initiatives to come together behind a shared vision for sustainably growing Africa's food systems, leveraging the best of partners' collective expertise, knowledge, and resources to catalyze transformative investments and change.
Advise the Chief of Party on the compilation of quarterly, half-year, and annual reports and other reports, as well as annual work plans as needed, in compliance with the requirements of USAID. Work closely with Country Directors on a regular system of monthly reports to PIATA stakeholders at the country level.
Promote and strengthen AGRA's integrated reporting system, data quality, and learning opportunities.
Collaborate with the Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Management Unit of AGRA to implement systems for tracking project effectiveness, outputs, and outcomes, including documenting the range, volume, prices, and impact of increased input flows into rural areas on agricultural productivity and incomes.
Represent AGRA at key regional fora and development partner meetings.
Focus on integrated program development and implementation across AGRA's business lines, processing of grants, consultancies, and event commitments, as well as ensuring ongoing monitoring and reporting in compliance with all requirements.
Work with all units and leadership on tracking, monitoring, and – where required – debottlenecking priority activities in work plans.
Organize and conduct regular country field visits to ensure the smooth implementation of program activities.
Key Qualifications and Experience Required:
Bachelor's or master's degree in political sciences, public policy, international relations, agriculture, or other relevant disciplines.
Certification in Project Management would be desirable.
Demonstrate extensive experience overseeing US Government Acquisition and Assistance awards, serving as a lead resource partner in global development alliances, while ensuring compliance with relevant rules and regulations and driving successful program implementation.
Exhibit in-depth, practiced knowledge of USAID rules and regulations to ensure compliance and effective program implementation.
Understanding of the USAID program cycle (design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and closure), and experience in all phases.
Supervisory experience of sub-awardees, including oversight of flow-down provision compliance, branding & marking compliance, and compliance with travel and other provisions, as well as oversight of exceptions to provisions.
Work experience in Africa and specifically in Agriculture field is highly desirable.
Demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of the program's technical area and a programmatic understanding of how to advance inclusive agricultural transformation in Africa across a range of different country contexts.
Strong analytical skills and experience in designing and conducting program monitoring and evaluation activities, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Ability to identify and pursue strategic initiatives that provide the greatest value and sustainable impact: balances long and short-term tradeoffs.
Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing engaging stakeholders and ensuring thorough reporting and documentation to foster strong relationships and facilitate successful program delivery.
Demonstrate the ability to advise senior leadership on critical periodic reports, and effectively prepare, present, and analyze information through transparent and accurate reporting processes to ensure compliance with USAID requirements and support informed decision-making within AGRA.
Demonstrate experience in planning, organizing, and implementing complex projects, including managing budgets, timelines, and resources.