Chief of Party, Johannesburg, South Africa

Position: Chief of Party

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Freedom House promotes the spread of freedom and democracy around the world through research, advocacy, and programs that support frontline activists. We are a leader in identifying threats to freedom through our highly regarded analytic reports, including Freedom in the World, Freedom of the Press, Freedom on the Net, and Nations in Transit.

Position Summary

The Chief of Party oversees a five-year project on regional human rights in Southern Africa. This Human Rights Support Mechanism project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will improve the recognition, awareness and enforcement of human rights in the region, with special focus on select rights and a crosscutting emphasis on protecting the region’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

The Chief of Party will be responsible for leading all areas of program management including strategic design and implementation, financial management, staff supervision, office management, communications, donor relations, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and partner management. This position will have an expected duration of two years and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The position reports to the Director for Africa programs.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management (40%)

• Build and manage successful working relationships with HRSM consortium partners, local and international partners throughout southern Africa, and USAID;
• Manage a 7–10-person team of Johannesburg-based staff to successfully execute the program; and
• Oversee the financial management and operations of the multi-million-dollar program budget, including quality, cost, timeliness of performance of all work performed under the program, and compliance with donor regulations.

Program Design and Implementation (40%)

• Lead the continued development and execution of this human rights program in collaboration with Freedom House staff, HRSM consortium partners, local and international partners throughout southern Africa, and USAID
• Develop and implement strategic program activities that support civil society and human rights in Southern Africa;
• Manage the monitoring and evaluation processes;
• Report fully and regularly in written format the impact of the program to ensure completion of program objectives;
• Continually adapt to the changing political realities by altering the program activities and outcomes as needed; and
• Support staff to implement activities.

Other (20%)

• Serve as the spokesperson for the program and execute a communications strategy as it relates to program activities and other Freedom House advocacy initiatives;
• Network and liaise with consultants, government representatives, human rights defenders, civil society organizations, international and regional bodies, and private funders;
• Travel within Southern Africa and occasional travel to the U.S. required; and
• Other related duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications

• Applicant must have or be able to obtain authorization to work in South Africa
• 12-15 years of experience managing or implementing projects in the area of human rights, rule of law, institutional capacity development, organizational change management or similar, with relevant work experience in Southern Africa strongly preferred;
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in Public Policy, Public Administration, International Development, Political Science, Law, or similar preferred;
• Experience working as a country director or equivalent leadership position;
• Demonstrated, nuanced understanding of the human rights challenges in Southern Africa through publication, programmatic, or case work in the field of human rights;
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize communities and encourage the inclusion of marginalized groups;
• Proven ability to manage a USAID project, personnel (remote and in office), and human rights-related programs;
• Experience in challenging environments and flexibility to apply lessons learned from other contexts;
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with local partners, media, government officials, bilateral donors, as well as in-country and foreign experts;
• Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, and other donor approaches to civil society development;
• Demonstrated financial management experience including preparing and managing budgets, contracts, and negotiations, and subgrant management;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage a diverse team of employees, including expatriate and local staff;
• Strong ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing; and
• Ability to productively use software such as MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint; and Microsoft Excel.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting with a low level of noise. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Disclaimer: This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in the job description and that other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job. Freedom House may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.