Ref.: 11-38 CP/NRS/SWCA
The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking a dynamic Chief of Party (COP) to lead an ambitious project to improve incomes and nutritional health of smallholder families in Bangladesh through innovations in potato, sweetpotato, and vegetable production, marketing, and consumption. This is a one-year USAID-funded agricultural project with strong potential for three additional years.
Working also with CIP’s partner, the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC), the COP will facilitate creative partnerships across public, civil society, and private sectors to strengthen the contribution of potato, sweetpotato, and vegetables to incomes and nutritional health through uptake of new varieties and other production technologies, seed system development, value chain innovation, and changes in consumption patterns.
The Center: CIP is a not-for-profit international agricultural research-for-development organization with a focus on potato, sweetpotato, and Andean roots and tubers. Its vision is of roots and tubers improving the lives of the poor. CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved well-being, and gender equity for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world. CIP works with partners to contribute high quality science, technology, and capacity strengthening for sustainable science-based solutions. CIP is headquartered in Lima, Peru, with staff and activities in over 30 locations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. CIP is a member of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, a network of 15 research centers mostly located in the developing world and supported by more than 50 donor members.
The position: The COP will be located in Dhaka, where she or he will supervise a small project team consisting of two crop sector leaders (potato/sweetpotato and vegetables), a finance manager, and an administrative assistant. The successful candidate will also be expected to travel frequently in the target region of southwest and south central Bangladesh, where three “project intervention hubs” will be located and staffed. The COP will report to CIP’s regional operations leader for South West and Central Asia and will be expected to liaise closely with USAID, key scientific staff of AVRDC, local project implementation partners and resource organizations, and CIP’s leaders of the two geographical programs on sweetpotato and potato in lowland Asia.
Duties and Accountabilities:
The COP will lead and manage the project and will have the following specific responsibilities:
- Refine the content and timelines for the first-year work plan through interactions and dialogue with partners and other stakeholders and define responsibilities and commitments for its implementation
- Ensure compliance with the agreed work plans through implementation of a monitoring system
- Provide overall supervision of and advice to the operations directly led by the two crop sector leaders and directly supervise and guide the project’s finance manager and administrative staff
- Facilitate the establishment of a cohesive, proactive project team and a strong, mutually respectful partnership of implementing organizations with clear accountability, transparency in its operations, and efficient targeting towards reaching food-insecure and poor households
- Ensure longer term viability of the partnership implementing the project through frequent interactions with senior managers of the participating organizations
- Act as the key liaison between the lead implementing organizations, CIP and AVRDC, and USAID
- Ensure the timely preparation and high quality of all reporting requirements to USAID.
Selection Criteria:
- Advanced degree in agriculture-related or social science field, PhD preferred.
- At least 10 years of project management experience, preferably within an international development context as a COP or DCOP for a USAID project or other multilateral international projects of similar complexity.
- Experience working in Bangladesh.
- Experience with agricultural marketing and/or food security issues an advantage.
- Knowledge of horticultural crops desirable.
- Knowledge of international agricultural research for development desirable.
- Ability to prioritize responsibilities for multisectoral network development/partnership building in rural development contexts.
- Demonstrated leadership, integrity, and versatility.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Fluency in English required; knowledge of Bengali a strong advantage.
Conditions: Employment contract will be for one year term with the possibility of renewal. Salary will be nationally competitive, paid in US dollars, and commensurate with experience. CIP prides itself on its collegial and supportive working environment, which allows space for personal and professional growth.
Applications: Applicants should apply by email, sending a letter of motivation, a full CV, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to: cip-recruitment@cgiar.org. The reference name of the position should be clearly marked in the subject line of the email message. Screening of applications will begin on 30 November, 2011 and will continue until the post is filled. All applications will be acknowledged, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Learn more about CGIAR and CIP by accessing web site at www.cipotato.org
CIP is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified women and professionals from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply
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