[Hiring] Chief of Party @ForAfrika

Role Description

Provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and management of the USDA McGovern-Dole funded school feeding program in Angola. Ensure program quality, compliance with USDA regulations, effective stakeholder coordination, and achievement of program objectives related to literacy, school attendance, nutrition, and WASH outcomes.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• LMA (Leadership, Management & Accountability)
  • Provide strong leadership, management, and accountability (LMA) across the programme, ensuring clarity of roles, decision-making authority, and performance expectations at all levels.
  • Lead and champion structured training and capacity-building initiatives for senior management, technical leads, and field teams, with a specific focus on:
    • People management and supervision
    • Performance management and accountability
    • Ethical leadership, safeguarding, and duty of care
    • Adaptive leadership in complex, donor-regulated environments
  • Build the leadership capacity of the DCOP, Operations Manager, and technical specialists, enabling effective delegation, decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Embed LMA principles into daily programme operations, team meetings, supervision practices, and performance reviews.
  • Ensure managers are equipped to translate strategy into execution through clear planning, prioritisation, monitoring, and follow-through.
  • Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement, aligned with ForAfrika values and USDA compliance requirements.
  • Identify capacity gaps and develop practical, context-appropriate training plans, including coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning, and formal training sessions.
  • Ensure safeguarding policies, code of conduct, and compliance requirements are actively understood, reinforced, and modelled by leadership.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, and leadership transition planning to ensure continuity and sustainability of programme management.
• Strategic Leadership & Program Management
  • Provide overall strategic vision and technical leadership for the McGovern-Dole program across all components (food distribution, literacy, WASH, nutrition, school meals).
  • Ensure program implementation aligns with approved workplan, budget, and USDA requirements.
  • Lead annual workplan development and budget revisions in coordination with ForAfrika HQ and USDA.
  • Oversee program quality, monitoring systems, and achievement of performance indicators.
  • Lead quarterly and annual reporting to USDA, ensuring compliance with reporting timelines and quality standards.
  • Manage program risks and implement adaptive management strategies.
• USDA Relations & Compliance
  • Serve as primary point of contact with USDA Washington and relevant field offices.
  • Ensure full compliance with USDA regulations, 2 CFR 200, and McGovern-Dole program guidelines.
  • Manage all USDA commodity logistics, including coordination with USDA Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) and McGovern-Dole Transportation Allocation Request (TAR) processes.
  • Lead annual USDA site visits and facilitate program reviews.
  • Ensure adherence to branding and marking requirements per USDA guidelines.
• Government & Stakeholder Coordination
  • Build and maintain strategic relationships with Government of Angola (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Action, provincial and municipal authorities).
  • Lead coordination with UN agencies (WFP, UNICEF), donors, and implementing partners.
  • Represent ForAfrika in relevant coordination forums and technical working groups.
  • Facilitate government ownership and transition planning for program sustainability.
  • Coordinate with local civil society organizations and community structures.
• Partnership & Sub-recipient Management
  • Oversee sub-recipient selection, contracting, and performance management (literacy partners, WASH contractors, commodity transporters).
  • Ensure sub-recipient compliance with USDA and ForAfrika requirements.
  • Build local partner capacity for quality program delivery.
• Financial & Resource Management
  • Oversee program budget execution, burn rates, and pipeline management.
  • Ensure financial compliance with USDA Cost Principles and internal ForAfrika controls.
  • Approve major expenditures and budget re-allocations.
  • Support audit preparations and respond to audit findings.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in International development, Public Health, Education, Food Security, or a related field required.
• A Bachelor’s degree with substantial and directly relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.
• Minimum ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in international development programme management. Experience must include strategic leadership, compliance, and results delivery.
• At least five (5) years of senior leadership experience on USDA-funded programmes. This includes McGovern-Dole, Food for Peace, and/or Food for Progress.
• Demonstrated experience serving as Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party on multi-year programmes valued at USD 5 million or more.
• Proven experience managing multi-sectoral programmes. This includes education, school feeding, nutrition, WASH, and food security.
• Demonstrated experience engaging government counterparts and senior stakeholders. This includes line ministries, donors, UN agencies, and implementing partners.
• Proven experience managing complex sub-recipient and partner portfolios. This includes contracting, compliance, performance monitoring, and capacity strengthening.
• Prior professional experience in sub-Saharan Africa required.
• Experience with USDA monitoring tools, including FANTA indicators and school feeding metrics.
• Knowledge of Angola’s education sector and government structures.
• Experience transitioning programmes to government ownership.
• Deep commitment to ForAfrika's values, with high personal and professional integrity.

Additional Preferred Qualifications and Competencies

• Deep understanding of USDA regulations and compliance requirements. This includes 2 CFR 200, McGovern-Dole programme guidelines, and branding and marking requirements.
• Proven experience managing USDA commodity logistics. This includes coordination with the Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) and Transportation Allocation Request (TAR) processes.
• Strong technical knowledge of school feeding programmes, education interventions, and nutrition.
• Proven skills in programme design, monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL), and adaptive management.
• Strong proposal development and donor reporting skills. Deliverables must meet USDA quality standards and timelines.
• Strategic thinking and visionary leadership.

Commitment to Safeguarding

ForAfrika is committed to safeguarding the rights, dignity, and well-being of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. All staff and representatives are required to uphold this commitment by adhering to our safeguarding policies and code of conduct, and by maintaining a culture of care and accountability.