Job Summary

The Chief of Party (COP) will be responsible for leading a high-quality, results-oriented activity to achieve the objectives and expected results. S/he will provide overall strategic and managerial leadership of the project in collaboration with all major stakeholders. S/he will be responsible for project operations, security, staff, partners, and compliance with the donor and Ukraine regulations, with the support from a US-based team. The COP will establish all project systems to ensure that all project requirements and deadlines are met, and targets are achieved. S/he will establish and maintain strong working relationships with the donor, relevant government entities, sub-grantees, private sector, education institutions as well as humanitarian and development actors.   

This role does not include any expatriate benefits. candidates must be eligible to work in country without sponsorship.   

The position is contingent upon receipt of donor funding.  

 ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Program Management 

• Manage the program, maintaining clearly defined delegation of responsibilities among the various team members.
• Lead annual planning and ensure timely, high-quality implementation of activities.
• Oversee and support monitoring and evaluation of program implementation, through implementation of a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan.
• Oversee the program budget, monitor spending, and ensure that all activities are reflected in annual budget allocations, in compliance with Winrock policy and donor guidelines.
• With support from field and home office staff, prepare and submit timely and accurate program, financial, and procurement reports to the donor and Winrock.
• Maintain close communication with the donor, reporting regularly for formal review sessions and providing ongoing updates of program progress. 
• Hire, supervise, and motivate project staff as well as manage their performance.

• Continuously identify and escalate risks, issues, and opportunities to the Home Office staff and proactively suggest possible solutions for timely resolution.   

• With Security Manager and DCOP, serve as a key member of the Incident Management Team.  

• Co-develop and oversee the implementation of the project security plan.  

• Act as Security Focal Point when needed. 

Technical Leadership and Capacity Building 

• Provide technical leadership to build partnerships and achieve stakeholders’ buy-in to jointly implement project activities.  

• Lead strategies to improve policy implementation and frameworks to better prevent violence and exploitation (sexual, labor, online, and other forms) improve services for survivors, and increase ability of public and private service institutions to protect and respond to human rights violations.  

• Design and lead interventions that sustainably build the capacity of key stakeholders in government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and service providers.  

• Lead on the integration of gender and inclusion considerations in all activity planning, implementation and monitoring. This includes equitable access to activities for men and women and age-specific approaches to reach children and youth, applying Winrock’s safeguarding policies.   

• Ensure ethical and equitable engagement with survivor leaders, providing space and capacity strengthening for them to be able to contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of activities, based on their interests. 

• Oversee subgrants to NGOs and collaborate with them in mutual partnerships.  

• Represent the program and Winrock to donors, local and national government entities, and business communities.  

• Work with colleagues to leverage and align program work with other efforts to maximize impact. 

Apply an adaptive management and learning approach to iteratively assess project results and impact. Adjust project approaches to replicate successful activities and correct activities that are not yielding desired results.  

• Oversee and contribute to annual deliverables and communication products that showcase the progress of activities and achievement of program results.  

• Provide strategic leadership for the overall security management of Winrock’s operations in Ukraine, including ICT security. In collaboration with the corporate ICT teams, ensure that ICT infrastructure is adapted to mitigate risks from cyberattacks, political instability, and potential data breaches, while maintaining a secure environment for staff, partners and participants . 

Coordination and Communication  

• Serve as the principal liaison with the donor, key government officials, and international and local organizations, representing Winrock International.  

• Coordinate and collaborate government counterparts, private sector firms, NGOs, research institutes, and other development projects, and other relevant parties as needed to leverage resources and maximize results.  

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND:  

Education: Academic degree in international development, gender studies, law, or related field. Master’s degree or higher preferred.  

Experience:      

• At least 5 years previous executive experience managing U.S. donor -funded programs.  

• Proven leadership qualities, excellent management skills and significant relevant experience in project management and staff supervision. 

• Demonstrated experience managing programs since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine or other similar context. 

• Substantial experience working on protection of vulnerable populations, gender equality, counter-trafficking or similar thematic areas. 

• Experience operationalizing adaptive management and monitoring and evaluation processes.  

• Experience in managing program administration and operations.  

• Financial management and budget management experience. 

• Demonstrated success in motivating and supervising teams of employees.  

• Demonstrated success in establishing and maintaining systems for program operations.  

• Experience in workplan development and implementation of strategic plans.  

• Good track record working with and/or partnering with a variety of individuals and organizations, including senior US and Ukraine government officials, private sector companies, and donor organizations. 

• Experience with IT security in high-risk, conflict-affected regions; demonstrated knowledge of securing ICT infrastructure and data in unstable environments, including familiarity with encryption technologies, threat intelligence, and risk management strategies tailored for NGOs operating in high-risk zones like Ukraine. 

Skills/Knowledge:        

• Knowledge of social, economic, and political context governing human rights issues in Ukraine. 

• Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, conflict, and ethical management skills.  

• Ability to build coalitions and networks with civil society, government, and private service providers that can provide synergies and sustainable solutions.  

• Sound knowledge of international donor regulations and procedures.  

• Demonstrated ability to provide financial management and oversight of large projects.   

• Demonstrated understanding of M&E frameworks and reporting systems. 

• Excellent management, communication, and organizational skills are required.  

• Excellent computer skills (word-processing, spreadsheets, and databases) are required.  

• Ability to make sound judgement decisions in regards to staff and project security 

• Fluency in English (both spoken and written) and Ukrainian. 

• Ability to maintain physical presence in Ukraine.