Deputy Chief of Party, USAID/Colombia Destination Nature Activity

Deputy Chief of Party, USAID/Colombia Destination Nature Activity
About Palladium:
Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.
Palladium Americas:
Our Americas’ business team has brilliant and passionate colleagues working in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America as well as the Caribbean, fulfilling projects and assignments for clients from institutions, corporations, governments, and foundations based in the Americas. We have offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.
This Opportunity:
Palladium is seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the upcoming Colombia Destination Nature Activity (DNA) activity funded by USAID. The purpose of the anticipated project is to build sustainable business models for Colombia’s nature tourism that support community development, conserve the country’s rich biodiversity, and reduce drivers of land use changes. It will do so by 1) Developing the market for sustainable nature tourism in targeted destinations through strengthened supply chains, increased demand, and improved public goods and infrastructure; and 2) Improving evidence-based governance and coordination, including increased use of data, strengthened planning and management capacity, and increased stakeholder coordination.
The Deputy Chief of Party will work closely with, and report to, the Chief of Party (COP) and must be prepared to act on behalf of the COP as the principal point of contact for operations and technical matters. The DCOP will coordinate award management and implementation tasks, will be the primary liaison with USAID/Colombia, other implementing partners, other donors, and any other key stakeholders when the COP is not available, and must adjust programs and operations to achieve or exceed expected outcomes. The DCOP will have demonstrated ability to work in complex environments and manage diverse teams to deliver impact.

Duration: 5 years (2022-2027)
Location: This position will be based in Colombia with the need to travel to project areas throughout the year.
You and Your Career:
If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in Natural Resource Management, Climate Change, Climate Resilience, or a similar field, we are interested in hearing from you. We are a learning organization and provide growth opportunities from the start. We pride ourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart a fulfilling career!
Reporting and Supervision:
The DCOP will directly report to the COP. S/He must be prepared to represent the COP as needed in technical and operational matters and will serve as the principal liaison for USAID/Colombia, other implementing partners, other donors, and any other key stakeholders when the COP is not available.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
The candidate’s responsibilities will likely include:
Collaborating closely with the COP in order to steer the technical direction and strategy of the program during implementation and ensure an unified vision across components, partners, and crosscutting teams (Gender, Communications, ME&L)
Providing technical leadership and management across all program components
Working with the COP and other personnel staff to continuously refine implementation processes by integrating lessons learned and best practices throughout the program
Supporting COP in maintaining effective and open communication throughout the project with USAID/Colombia, relevant Government of Colombia agencies, project partners and implementers, Home Office Project Director, project operations teams, and other relevant stakeholders
Ensure compliance with USAID regulations and Palladium procedures, including procurement, finance and administration, human resources, and sustainability
Liaise with the Palladium DC and Colombia offices
Representing DNA to public and private counterparts
Undertaking other duties as assigned by the COP; serve as Acting COP as needed

Key Competencies Required:
Prior experience in senior management of international development programs of similar or greater scope and complexity, ideally in sustainable tourism
Preferably with experience as DCOP for complex and large development assistance projects (+USD $20 M)
Master’s degree in relevant field (such as sustainable tourism)
Prior experience in Latin American region required (experience in Colombia or similar economy highly preferred)
Prior experience in one or more of the following areas of expertise: tourism development, market systems development, capacity building, value chain development, and sustainable economic growth in conflict-affected areas
Experience working for large donor organizations, USAID is highly preferred
Knowledge of USAID policies, procedures and reporting requirements preferred
Demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking and planning, management, and presentation skills required.
Demonstrated financial management skills, including budgeting and budget supervision.
Strong interpersonal and executive management skills required.
Ability to perform at a high level and apply diplomacy, interpersonal, and liaison skills with a wide range of stakeholders (i.e., national, provincial, private sector, and NGOs).
Written and oral proficiency in Spanish required, proficiency in English preferred
Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:
At least ten (10) years of international development work experience in relevant field, including operations of similar programs and experience working directly with host country governments (national and subnational) and civil society organizations.
At least 5 years of supervisory work experience, including: (1) direct supervision of professional and support staff; (2) quality evaluation of staff performance and deliverables; and (3) project management under contract(s).
Experience working in the Colombia/ South America preferred
Fluency in English highly preferred

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

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