Chief of Party, Coastal and Marine Conservation Activity

POSITION TITLE: Chief of Party, Coastal and Marine Conservation Activity

LOCATION: New Delhi, India

UNIT: Forestry & Natural Resource Management

REPORTS TO: Director, Forestry & Natural Resource Management

**GENERAL**:
Winrock is recruiting a Chief of Party (COP) for the upcoming USAID/India Coastal and Marine Conservation Activity. The five-year activity will work in concert with the Government of India to improve the health of coastal and marine ecosystems and the wellbeing of the communities that depend on them. Through this activity, USAID/India and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will strengthen the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) and their network; enhance the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of coastal areas and associated seascapes; and increase the resilience of coastal communities. This position will be based in New Delhi and is contingent upon award and funding.

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The COP will be responsible for the performance, execution, and management of the program. The COP will coordinate closely with USAID and the Winrock home office in developing, implementing, and revising the program strategy. The COP oversees the strategic and technical direction of the program and serves as the principal link between USAID, Winrock's home office, and program partners and stakeholders. S/he will foster and maintain effective relationships and coordination with government, academia, private sector, civil society, NGOs, and other donors and ensure compliance with the agreement including timely, high-quality results.

**ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Provide overall technical leadership and administrative oversight to achieve the results of the program.
- Serve as principal liaison to USAID/India, key government officials, and international and local organization.
- Ensure all project deliverables exceed expectations and are managed within budget.
- Oversee financial and administrative aspects of the project including managing the budget, ensuring compliance with established Winrock accounting principles and USAID regulations.
- Provide direct supervision, support, and direction to project staff.
- Ensure women and marginalized groups are represented within the project.
- Prepare annual work plans and progress reports and monitor the implementation of these plans. Prepare and submit quarterly reports on progress of activities and achievement of program results to USAID.
- Participate in regular field visits to the project areas to assure project progress towards activity objectives and goals.
- Coordinate and communicate regularly with Winrock's Home Office.
- Manage relationships with complementary USAID and other donor projects.

**QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND**:
**Education**:
A minimum of a master's degree (or foreign equivalent) in biodiversity, environmental management, marine landscape conservation, environmental economics, international development, governance, or relevant fields of study related to the sector of the project. PhD in a relevant discipline would be a distinct asset.

**Experience**:

- Minimum 15 years of professional experience in fields required for the successful implementation of this program, including biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, ecosystem services, climate change, community development, or related issues. Experience working on these topics in coastal areas of India strongly preferred.
- Proven exceptional leadership in the design, management, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of large scale, international donor supported programs of similar complexity.
- Track record in strategic planning, management, supervision, and budgeting.
- Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse public and private partners and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams.
- Demonstrated capabilities in institutional capacity building, high-level strategic visioning, and leadership, and working effectively with civil society, local, regional, and central-level government authorities and with USAID or other development partners is required.

**Skills**:

- Knowledge of the political, social, cultural, environmental, and development context of India.
- Ability to diplomatically supervise staff and coordinate programs with partners from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
- Must be comfortable in high-level representational role as well as interacting with beneficiaries.
- Strong communication skills (interpersonal, verbal, and written) to fulfill the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the initiative and to effectively coordinate with a wide range of regional stakeholders.
- Experience designing and implementing activities to reach women, youth, and marginalized communities.
- Fluency in written and oral English is required.
- Excellent computer skills (word-processing, spreadsheets, and databases) required.

Other: Professional experience in India is requir