Chief of Party - Abt Associates

The International Development Division focuses on improving the lives and economic well-being of people in lower and middle-income countries. We command technical expertise in health, agriculture, climate change, food security and governance—as well as in international evaluation. Our multi-layered health portfolio includes policy, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management. In partnership with government clients and local experts, our high-quality programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are known for impact and innovation.

Opportunity

Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) project is USAID Ghana’s initiative in private sector health. The project cycle is 2015-2020. The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector to improve health outcomes in family planning, malaria, maternal and child health, and other health areas. SHOPS project supports the achievement of US government priorities, including ending preventable child and maternal deaths and FP2020. 

SHOPS Ghana is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) with proven experience in leading private sector health projects. S/he provides strategic direction for the SHOPS Ghana program, is a visible advocate of the project and private sector strategies, forms and leads high-performance teams, and is the client-facing leader of the project in the last year of implementation.  The ideal COP candidate would be a Ghanaian national and should have experience with project close-out for USAID programs and capacity to help with the strategic design and proposal for an anticipated follow-on project. 

The COP has overall responsibility and accountability to USAID/Ghana for ensuring that the SHOPS Ghana project team provides high-quality technical products and services, delivers required results, and uses resources efficiently. S/he mentors, provides oversight, and delegates day-to-day management and manages technical and functional area experts who lead project implementation. The COP reports to the SHOPS Ghana Portfolio Manager based in Rockville, Maryland to ensure proper coordination and communication for successful project implementation.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Oversee successful implementation of activities in the project’s final year  
• Lead communication and discussion with USAID/Ghana regarding final activity updates, reporting, budget, and deliverables
• Manage relations and serve as primary liaison with USAID/Ghana, Ministry of Health, and other donors and stakeholders
• Form and maintain a high-performance team culture
• Identify opportunities to showcase SHOPS Ghana’s lessons learned as a thought leader in private sector strategies for FP, MCH and malaria; lead dissemination of project strategies and results
• Lead planning and implementation of technical assistance (TA), including identifying and clarifying TA needs, sourcing, scheduling and coordinating appropriate technical expertise, providing oversight to the quality of work, timelines and costs
• Provide management and budgetary oversight on SHOPS Ghana project implementation to ensure all activities are completed within the agreed to timeframe and budget
• Ensure all processes and procedures for project implementation are compliant with USAID and Abt policies
• Create strategy and vision for SHOPS Ghana legacy in private sector health and public-private partnerships for an expected follow-on project

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Master’s Degree (minimum) in Public Health, Business Administration, Finance, or other related fields
• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in international development, including significant experience in working with the private health care sector
• Ghanaian national strongly preferred
• Skills in developing and communicating project vision, aligning key stakeholders around that vision, and assuring that the vision is translated into implementable strategies
• Experience in at least two of the following three areas:
  • Family planning,  child health, and malaria
  • Social behavior change communication or commercial marketing of essential commodities
  • Public-private partnerships models
• Demonstrated experience in team leadership and client management
• Experience with USAID strongly preferred
• Broad expertise in developing alliances and strategic partnerships in Ghana or west Africa
• Familiarity and/or experience with the local pharmaceutical sector in Ghana preferred

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.