Afghanistan WIT - Chief of Party - Women in Transition

Creative Associates International (Creative) is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm that specializes in international development in the areas of education, democratic transitions and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm has field presence in 20 countries worldwide with a strong and diverse portfolio that includes global contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other clients including the U.S. Department of State. Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and missions worldwide and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. Position Summary The overarching goal of Afghanistan Women in Transition (WIT) program is to enable educated Afghan women to enter into decision making positions in Afghanistan’s public, private and civil society sectors. WIT is a nationwide five-year program that will work to achieve its objectives through four components: 1) women in economy; 2) women’s rights groups and coalitions; 3) women in government; 4) women’s leadership development. Component 1 will offer professional business development services and market-driven technical and vocational training. Component 2 will support activist women’s groups by providing them with capacity building in the areas of strategic communications, multi-media messaging, outreach and public awareness, coalition building, organizational development, managerial and financial management and fundraising. Component 3 will provide women who desire a career in the civil service with six-month internships at government institutions nationwide. Component 4 will provide 3-6 month courses focusing on topics such as: critical thinking, problem solving, strategic planning, strategic communications, briefing and presentation skills, business writing, group facilitation, negotiation and conflict management, team building, decision making, supervision, performance managing, etc. Based in Kabul, the COP will be the technical and administrative supervisor of all project activities and will be the senior in-country project representative with overall responsibility for supervising project staff, and managing relations with partners and sub-contractors (both international and local). The COP will coordinate program activities among a diverse group of stakeholders and beneficiaries, including Ministry of Women Affairs, Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA), relevant civil-military personnel, including USAID representatives from RCs, PRTs and DSTs, private-sector business and professional associations with interests in workforce development, civil society organizations and women’s advocacy groups. The COP will ensure timely project implementation, monitor project activities, and manage project staff and subsidiaries. The COP has ultimate responsibility for financial accountability and reporting to USAID and the Creative home office. He/she will work closely with the designated WIT Contracts Officer and COTR. Required Skills & Qualifications Minimum of a Master’s degree in international affairs or a related field; Minimum of 10 years’ experience in implementing and managing international development programs (previous chief of party experience preferred); Familiarity with USAID policies and procedures; Experience in managing complex projects of similar scale, particularly in transitional, post-conflict and/or Islamic countries; Technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: women’s empowerment, economic growth, livelihoods, workforce development, technical and vocational training, civil society strengthening, and/or leadership development; Experience in promoting and advancing women’s rights in developing countries; Experience in building and effectively supervising a substantially diverse team of employees spread across an expansive region; Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, proactiveness, creative problem solving and ethical management; Demonstrated exemplary diplomatic communication and interpersonal skills; Organizational acumen and cultural sensitivity; Excellent oral and written English. Application Instructions To apply for this position, please complete and submit our simple on-line form, where you can upload your résumé and other documents. Only if you are unable to submit online, may you send your résumé and cover letter by e-mail to RMS@CreativeDC.com with "Afghanistan WIT - Chief of Party - Women in Transition CODE:PRP49310" on the subject line. Please note only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls please. Creative is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE/AA).