Position: Deputy Chief of Party – Programs, USAID Integrated Nutrition (Kathmandu, Nepal)

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome long standing cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential. We are seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (COP) – Programs to lead technical oversight of the anticipated USAID Integrated Nutrition project in Nepal. The DCOP-Programs will be responsible for providing technical leadership for project activities and ensuring effectiveness and quality of program implementation. This position is expected to be based in Kathmandu, with frequent travel within Nepal. This anticipated five-year position is contingent on Helen Keller being awarded funding.

Background
USAID Integrated Nutrition’s primary goal is to improve the nutrition status of women, adolescents, and children in Nepal’s underserved and marginalized communities. The activity will tackle direct and underlying determinants of malnutrition in Nepal while strengthening the national and local enabling environment to implement multisectoral nutrition programs through four synergistic intermediate results. Achievement of the purpose will be measured by improvements in indicators of nutrition status among women of reproductive age, adolescents, and children.

Functional Relationships:
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally, are essential to make this structure thrive.
Reporting to the Chief of Party, this key personnel position will be part of the Project Leadership Team (PLT) and will supervise a team of professional level staff. They will co-manage with other subject matter experts who will provide guidance to their team and will collaborate with co-managers to ensure their guidance is integrated into the work to maximize performance.
Helen Keller’s programs require close relations with governments, partner NGOs, local community organizations and donors, including UN agencies. This position will contribute to nurturing and overseeing some of these cooperative relationships and will represent Helen Keller to donors and the international community, as needed.

Specific Responsibilities
Overall Management and Leadership

1. As a member of the program leadership team:
   – Participate in strategic planning and direction setting for this multi-sectoral project, lending your unique perspective and expertise to the process;
   – Provide regular updates on the portfolio and learning. Make recommendations based on analysis of progress to date and challenges encountered; and
   – Participate in an intentional approach to making decisions and adjustments in response to new information and changes in context.
   – Support a culture of innovation and fostering local leadership across the project.
2. Provide strategic and technical leadership and direction, defining, and implementing activities to achieve the greatest impact toward the project’s as well as Multi-sectoral Plan III objectives
3. Lead and manage a competent and multidisciplinary program team and provide effective leadership to the project consortium based on shifting needs and opportunities.
4. Coordinate the development, implementation and reporting on detailed management plans that may include implementation plans, deliverable tracking.
5. Build capacity of government counterparts and local partners to implement evidence-based nutrition interventions including mentoring and technical assistance.

Program Design and Implementation

• Lead the implementation of project strategies and through annual co-creation processes and work planning to achieve measurable improvements in project outcomes.
• Ensure program activities are evidence-based, adapted to local context, and reflect state-of-theart knowledge and best practices for nutrition programming.
• Provide technical assistance to relevant government entities from a health system strengthening lens and develop nutrition policies and strategies in collaboration with senior technical staff.
• Monitor program implementation and ensure that program operations are on track and address issues and challenges to timely program operations.
• Ensure project implementation at scale alongside integration of key equity and inclusive development principles.
• Collaborate with relevant USAID-funded and other development partner’s programs to maximize program impact, leverage resources, and reduce duplication of activities.
• Work closely with government counterparts and other relevant ministries to ensure alignment of the project’s activities and strategies with the government’s health and nutrition systems, plans, policies, and budgets.
• Represent the project in the local and global nutrition platforms through participation in and/or organization of conferences, workshops, and seminars.

Human Resources Management

• Build a highly effective team to achieve the goals established by the project: delegate authority, consult with and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Manage the overall performance of the program team by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• Lead and mentor technical and program leads to ensure coherent approach across all components of the project.
• Provide regular communication and interaction opportunities for continuous learning in achievement of programmatic outcomes.
• Promote cross-collaboration among a multidisciplinary team and guide program managers through coaching and mentorship approaches.
• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of the project.

Required Qualifications/Competencies

• Education: A postgraduate degree (master’s or doctoral level) in public health, nutrition, health sciences, or a related field; and
• Experience: Over 8 years of global professional experience leading multi-sectoral nutrition or primary health care or maternal child health/reproductive health programs of similar size and complexity, preferably with direct experience in Nepal or Asia and demonstrated knowledge and background in supporting local leadership, or equivalent combination of education and experience. At least 6 years of experience must include managing diverse teams to successfully implement development/health programs.
• Superior leadership, adaptive management, and communication skills to lead a multi-faceted development project. This includes professional experience working with US Government agencies, host country governments, NGO, CSOs and private sector stakeholders and fostering effective partnerships to achieve sustainable results.
• Demonstrated success across the whole range of project management. Strategic program planning; work planning and budgeting; financial, administrative, contractual management and oversight; knowledge of and experience with donor requirements, policies, and regulations; relationship management with multiple clients; oversight of program monitoring and evaluation; and documentation of results for development programs.
• Demonstrated track record of:
  – Managing large multisectoral nutrition projects and large interdisciplinary teams.
  – Proven adaptive management skills using data.
  – Adapting global best practices in health systems strengthening to a localized context.
  – Successfully engaging the private sector. 
• The ability to work effectively with a broad range of diverse groups as evidenced by excellent listening and communication skills, balanced and reasoned approaches to problems, ability to inspire trust and confidence, and flexibility and openness to differing points of view.
• An ability to work in challenging and changing environments, and to see through challenges to find solutions; an ability to maintain balance when under stress.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working effectively in teams and cross-cultural settings.
• Substantial experience in managing monitoring evaluation and learning activities of large-scale project.
• Excellent time management, personal organization, capacity building, team building, management, and coordination skills. An ability to delegate responsibilities effectively and coach and mentor staff.
• Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, person with disabilities, class, or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.
• Personal commitment to Helen Keller’s mission and goals and the values embodied by our namesake and co-founder: courage, integrity, rigor, and compassion.
• Possesses excellent English language skills, both in written and spoken forms, complemented by strong communication abilities.
• Previous experience working in Asia including Nepal is desirable.

To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected].
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is fully valued. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, caste, age, disability, or any other status that has no bearing on the ability of an individual to perform the functions of the job.