Counterpart International is currently seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) to support the anticipated Iraq Civil Society Activity (ICSA) opportunity. The overall objective of ICSA is to increase citizen engagement in the public sphere, especially among women and youth, while supporting civil society organizations (CSOs) to connect to and empower citizens and one another, thereby enhancing CSO resilience, increasing its credibility and effectiveness. The expected result is a more active and inclusive civil society sector that effectively fosters change and contributes to a more equitable and democratic Iraq. This position is full time and will serve through the life of the project.  

In collaboration with the Chief of Party (COP), the DCOP will assist in overall program management, monitoring, reporting, developing and maintaining partnerships to meet activity objectives; providing technical expertise; and handling administrative and supervisory responsibilities as specified by the COP. This is a full-time position based in Baghdad, Iraq. This position will report to the Chief of Party.

Qualified Iraqi nationals are encouraged to apply.

• Coordinate with program, finance and administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place and perform optimally in support of the timely implementation of field activities.
• Ensure oversight of the civic participation grants component of the program; identifying local grant prospects, reviewing sub-grant applications, monitoring sub-grant recipient technical activities, and ensuring sustainability in grants design.
• Ensure that implementation is on time, within target, and budget; and that the M&E system is effective to assess impact. Work with the COP to establish a program management structure that favors integration among technical sectors.
• Participate in the development and review of annual work plans quarterly reports, annual reports, financial pipelines, and resource estimates.
• Ensure high-quality delivery of the program through innovation, active pursuit of lessons learned, adaptability to changing dynamics, and integration of related programming for increased impact.
• Coordinate weekly internal coordination meetings with senior staff and ensure proper dissemination of information to all staff as appropriate.
• Assume leadership and supervision of the program’s technical project staff, including the civil society technical lead, grants team, and others.
• In coordination with the project’s Director of Finance and Operations (DFO), ensure program implementation follows Counterpart’s policies/procedures, the laws of the Government of Iraq, and USAID rules and regulations, particularly with respect to financial and grants management.
• Maintain regular contact and interaction with project and USAID mission staff, as well as with civil society partners and all stakeholders to the program.
• Other duties as assigned.

• A Master’s degree in social sciences, community development, communications, business, international development, and/or other related fields.
• Minimum 8 years of experience closely engaging civil society organizations (CSOs) on issues of citizen empowerment, and democracy, with a view to enhancing their credibility and effectiveness.
• Previous experience supporting and/or managing complex donor-funded projects, including minimum 3 years of progressively responsible operational management experience backstopping USG-Funded programs.
• Demonstrated experience developing systems to identify potential partners, evaluation of partner capacity, managing grants with local partners, training development and other technical areas related to the activity objectives.
• Ability to work effectively and develop trusting relations with government officials at all levels, CSOs, USAID, project staff, and other beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including budget and financial management, and monitoring and evaluation. Experience implementing development projects focused on democratic reform, government accountability and civil society strengthening in Iraq or the Middle East;
• Experience supervising teams of diverse staff and demonstrated leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to give effective presentations and write high-quality technical reports.
• Knowledge of applicable Federal government regulations,
• Ability to produce high-quality deliverables throughout the project cycle from planning, management, and execution to troubleshooting.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate fully and effectively, both oral and written, in English is required, and in Arabic is strongly preferred.