Position: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Jordan YGA

Department: Program

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Amman, Jordan

Q2 Impact Overview

The QED Group, LLC (dba Q2 Impact) is a global consulting firm with more than 25 years of experience providing data-driven and insightful solutions in close to 100 countries. We are passionate about transforming lives through knowledge-based solutions. Leveraging deep expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, we help our clients collect, analyze, visualize, and ultimately use data in more effective ways to sustainably address complex global challenges. Our work maximizes results using cutting-edge technologies and innovation, organizational development, and evidence-based decision-making.

POSITION SUMMARY AND PURPOSE

Q2 Impact is seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the USAID/Jordan funded Youth Grow Activity (YGA). The Youth Grow Activity (YGA) is an innovative project to empower youth in Jordan over the next five years (2023-2028). The YGA emphasizes the need for positive youth development (PYD), not only for youth themselves but for society at large. The YGA focuses on three core objectives: (1) preparing youth for economic opportunities through providing access to a high-quality online career counseling and entrepreneurship information; (2) strengthening youth leadership through targeted support of local youth-led organizations (YLO) and youth-serving organizations (YSO) and (3) strengthening Government of Jordan (GOJ) systems to guarantee effective youth participation, create youth inclusive and enabling environment through enhancing accessibility and quality of government systems and services to better cater for youth social and economic empowerment. The Deputy Chief of Party will be responsible for directly supporting the COP in his/her role and act on his/her behalf when needed. The DCOP will be responsible for administrative and technical oversight on all or parts of the activity interventions, including staff management and quality assurance. This position requires a proactive, collaborative, and strategic approach to manage complex project components effectively.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with the Chief of Party (COP) to provide strategic direction and oversight for the YGA main outcomes.

• The DCOP manages and coordinates the Youth Grow’s decentralized engagement activities including providing direct oversight of the planning, execution, and communication of activities in the field.

• Serve as the primary liaison with key related government bodies including the MoY, MOE, on governorate, district, and municipal level

• Continuously identify the MoY and MOE technical assistance field level needs and challenges including, but not limited to, suggesting appropriate technical assistance areas and solutions to address challenges.

• Build, manage and maintain effective working relationships with YGA relevant stakeholders including civil society organizations, private sector, and youth representatives.

• Support the objective area and M&E team leaders to effectively plan and implement capacity building activities with MoYs, Local Youth Centers, and other local-level government entities, placing an emphasis on engaging contextual and administrative support (and prioritization) of National Youth Strategy in general, and Youth Grow implementation and support activities in particular.

• Provide day to day oversight and support to technical component leads and coordinators and support to MEL lead on Youth Grow as well as oversees and manages the work to ensure program coherence and quality.

• Support the identification, selection and engagement of service providers and experts for activities and manage the development of STTA scope of works and review deliverables to ensure quality and timely implementation and ensure that the most reasonable, fair, expeditious, and appropriate procurement choices were made pursuant to the Contractor Procurement Guide.

• Coordinate with the Director of Finance and Operations to design grants, subcontracts, and consultant agreements impacting project activities.

• Oversee and manage effective communications between technical leads and M&E teams.

• Participate as the Team Leader or senior team member on assessments and evaluations, as required.

• Ensure that program implementation is in accordance with USAID regulations and procedures and the specifications determined in the YGA SOW.

• Manage and monitor YGA partners (Sub-awards) day to day implementation and deliverables, and support team development, training, and execution of activities and investigating and identifying new ways of achieving program efficiencies.

• Supervise the project’s team day-to-day field presence in the areas of operations (including the project’s facilities, equipment, and project vehicles), administration, logistics, procurement, budgeting, and financial accounting.

• Ensure continuous liquidity for the project and work closely with the COP and DFA to monitor budget performance and participate in budget re-alignment to ensure better utilization of resources.

• Maintain accountability for technical activity spending projections and budget management within the team.

• Coordinate with the Home Office on all compliance issues, seeking legal and policy guidance on sanctions and other applicable restrictions.?

• Employ strong CLA (Collaborating, Learning and Adapting) practices throughout the work, with an understanding of the USAID Program Cycle;

• Responsible for consolidating and timely submission of Annual Work plans and all activity reports including weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports to USAID and other related government entities.

• Engage fully as a member of the Q2 Impact staff team, including participating in staff meetings and other Q2 Impact events, and providing administrative support to other team members as needed.

• The DCOP assumes the COP’s roles and responsibilities in the COP’s absence.

• Undertake other duties as assigned by the COP.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• The DCOP candidate must have an MA degree from an accredited university in education policy, planning, decentralization, youth development, or related youth field. However, a PhD or EdD degree is preferred.

• The candidate should have a minimum of ten years of experience with a master’s degree or eight years with a Doctorate (PhD or EdD) degree.

• The DCOP should possess significant expertise in relevant technical areas, such as youth policy, youth development and strengthening, or youth empowerment,

• The DCOP candidate should possess comprehensive knowledge of Jordan’s Youth context and its structure, with a strong emphasis on technical familiarity in youth entrepreneurship.

• A minimum of five years of hands-on experience in workforce development, youth development or other related sector within Jordan is required, with a preference for candidates familiar with the sector-wide approach in Jordan.

• Previous experience with USAID activities is preferred.

• Additionally, the candidate must demonstrate a thorough understanding of Jordan’s Government structure, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of various government levels, including central, and municipal.

• The DCOP candidate should exhibit proficiency in program management, capacity development, donor coordination, and experience working on programs or projects with a similar scope or scale as the Youth Grow initiative. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in program design, policy dialogue, community mobilization, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methodologies.

• Demonstrated experience in cooperating with partners in implementing multi-dimensional and complex interventions in the field, including the ability to deftly and diplomatically manage sometimes difficult implementation issues while sustaining good interpersonal relationships with counterparts.

• Experience managing diverse teams, with increasing responsibility roles

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

• This position reports to the Chief of Party

SUPERVOSRY REQUIREMENTS

• YGA Technical team and Communication team

WORK LOCATION AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

The DCOP role is based in Amman, Jordan and expected to spend a substantial amount of time in the field engaging with relevant stakeholders (e.g., governors, community leaders), Youth personnel and administrative counterparts in governorates and districts.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental aspects of YGA's mission. We believe that by fostering a team comprised of individuals from various backgrounds, beliefs, and ways of thinking, we can effectively harness the collective strength needed to address the world's most complex challenges. Our commitment is to cultivate a culture characterized by trust and mutual respect, where each team member is encouraged to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. We strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential, both as individuals and as part of a collaborative team, enabling us to deliver exceptional work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Q2 Impact is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. This commitment extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and social and recreational activities. We believe in creating an inclusive environment that respects and values the diversity of all individuals, fostering a workplace where everyone can contribute to our shared success.

SAFEGARDING & ETHICS

Ethical conduct is foundational to our organization's mission and operations. We adhere to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and accountability in all aspects of our work. We are committed to conducting business ethically and treating all stakeholders with fairness, respect, and dignity. Our employees are expected to uphold ethical principles in their interactions with colleagues, clients, partners, and the communities we serve. We prioritize transparency, confidentiality, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

WORKING CONDITIONS & REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

The incumbent in this position will work in a professional office environment and will utilize the following equipment when working:

• Computer (laptop or desktop)

• Printer/Photocopier/Scanner/Fax

• Telephone

The physical demands and work environment that have been described is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NOTE

Please note that applications submitted by other means; or without either a resume/CV and/or biodata may not be considered. Only finalists will be contacted.