Chief of Party, Evidence on Nutrition and Food Assistance in Humanitarian Contexts

Join AIR as a Chief of Party with our International Development Division (IDD) and make a difference, improving the quality of life for individuals and communities in low and middle income countries. AIR’s IDD work spans the globe with projects in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Central and Latin America, and the Middle East.

Our IDD team is committed and engaged because we drive positive change in the following areas:

• Agriculture, food, and nutrition
• Early childhood development and education
• Refugees and migration
• Social protection
• Water, sanitation, and infrastructure
• Women's empowerment
• Workforce development

Use your experience, knowledge, and education to help us deliver on our mission: to contribute to a better, more equitable world.

AIR is currently seeking a Chief of Party/Project Director for the anticipated USAID-funded Optimizing Food Assistance Programs, Processes, and Products for Nutrition (O3P) activity. The activity will re-emphasize programming aspects of food assistance-driven nutrition programs while focusing on product optimization and process improvement. The activity closely aligns with AIR’s mission to generate and use evidence to contribute to a better/more equitable world and AIR’s areas of expertise in designing and implementing impact evaluations and evidence syntheses in international development. The project involves a strong emphasis on research, evidence synthesis, and knowledge translation to contribute to evidence-based policy. The position is contingent upon award. Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR:

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.

AIR’s commitment to diversity goes beyond legal compliance to its full integration in our strategy, operations, and work environment. At AIR, we define diversity broadly, considering everyone’s unique life and community experiences. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives, abilities/disabilities, racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds, styles, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, education backgrounds, and life stories drives innovation and employee engagement. Learn more about AIR's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and hear from our staff by clicking here .

The responsibilities for the position include:

• The ideal candidate will be a seasoned manager with experience in generating and using evidence related to nutrition and food assistance and in-depth knowledge of the existing global evidence on nutrition.  The candidate should exercise strict control over the activity budget and financial management. S/he will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the activity and for submitting high-quality contract deliverables within agreed upon timelines.   
• The COP will serve as the chief contact with USAID, as well as with key government officials, other donors and implementers, private sector and civil society partners, program beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. 
• The COP will also be responsible for providing technical and managerial leadership for the activity, deploying innovative solutions aimed at meeting USAID deliverables. 
• S/he will have full oversight and responsibility for the timeliness, effectiveness, and efficiency of program activity implementation. 

Education, Knowledge, and Experience: 

• PhD or Master’s degree in a relevant field such as nutrition, food security, or international development. 
• Minimum of 12 years of senior-level experience managing and implementing multi-faceted international development projects, with a preference for projects related to nutrition and food security. 
• Proven success in managing teams and ensuring the quality of programs, with a track record of managing complex USAID monitoring, evaluation and learning, research or technical assistance activities.  
• Strong knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
• Proven track record of maintaining strong oversight of finance and administration. 
• Ability to successfully manage and develop staff in a multi-cultural setting as demonstrated by past experience.
• Prior USAID Chief of Party (COP) experience preferred but not required.

 Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively liaise with a variety of stakeholders, including international and local partners, donors, and communities. 
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity. 
• Proven leadership qualities and excellent management skills. 
• Excellent teamwork skills with evidence of ability to productively interact with a wide range and levels of organizations (government, private sector, NGOs, implementing partners and other donors). 
• Demonstrated ability to track and manage budgets . 
• Ability to plan both strategically and creatively to meet project objectives in compliance with USAID rules and regulations. 
• Fluent English; knowledge of other languages is an asset but not required.  

Disclosures:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.

AIR’s Total Rewards Program , is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers an anticipated annual salary of $160,000 to $195,000. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

AIR maintains a drug-free work environment .  

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer:

AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to [email protected] .

If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov . You can also report it to your state attorney general . Find out more about how to avoid scams at ftc.gov/scams .

#LI-MP1 #LI-Remote