Chief of Party, USAID/Bangladesh Youth Program

About IREX:

IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $100 million, work in more than 100 countries worldwide with offices in 13 countries, and a global staff of 400.

Summary of Position:

IREX seeks qualified Chief of Party candidates for an anticipated USAID-funded youth development program in Bangladesh. The Chief of Party will oversee all aspects of program implementation, providing vision to the program and ensuring that objectives are met on time and within budget.

This position is contingent on funding.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic and technical leadership to the program and the team; bring dynamic and creative leadership to bring innovation to rigorous program implementation and meeting donor deliverables
• Serve as the principal liaison with USAID, as well as with key government officials at the county and national level, other donors and implementers, private sector, and civil society partners
• Engage with program beneficiaries, youth leaders, youth cooperatives, youth networks, and other stakeholders; ensure that all stakeholder relationships are managed effectively
• Develop annual workplans in collaboration with staff and stakeholders, and oversee workplan implementation
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with local, regional, and international organizations
• Ensure program activities are implemented on schedule and within budget
• Supervise, manage, and mentor program staff, including accountability for hiring a diverse and qualified staff and building a strong team
• Oversee program budgeting, financial management, and ensure contractual compliance; ensure effective cooperation with IREX HQ
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of program activities; promote a culture of learning and adaptation across the program
• Oversee program communications
• Ensure that IREX’s safety and security policies and procedures are applied to all program and staff operations
• Represent IREX publicly and support its organizational development
• Other duties, as assigned

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as education, international development, non-profit management with at least ten (10) years of relevant experience (or bachelor’s degree with 12 years of experience) in leading programs focused on youth leadership and engagement, youth economic empowerment/workforce development, youth civic education, or civil society strengthening
• Successful track record of supervising, designing, managing, and implementing complex donor-funded technical assistance projects (with strong preference for past USAID-funded project management experience)
• A successful track record of working substantially with local organizations, positioning them as authentic development partners and to lead major interventions
• A minimum of four (4) years of experience in South Asia, preferably in Bangladesh
• Strong understanding of the Bangladeshi context preferred
• Ability to establish strong working relationships with senior government officials; youth-led groups, community officials, media, civil society, and private sector leaders; international donors; and other stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to track and manage budgets and plan both strategically and creatively to meet program objectives
• A commitment to, and vision for how youth leadership and engagement outcomes can be improved
• Proven leadership qualities and excellent management skills
• Strong representational and organizational skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English; language skills in Bengali highly preferred