Chief of Party I, USDA Food for Peace - Kenya

CHIEF OF PARTY I, USDA FOOD FOR PEACE - KENYA Posted by Sokify on behalf of CRS Please note: this position is contingent upon donor funding. POSITION OVERVIEW Sokify is pleased to feature this leadership opportunity with CRS, a mission-driven organization committed to emergency food assistance across Africa. As Chief of Party, you will direct the full scope of the USDA Food for Peace (Title II) emergency food assistance program in Kenya, serving vulnerable populations including food-insecure communities in arid and semi-arid lands. Your expertise in commodity management and large-scale U.S. Government-funded initiatives will be critical in delivering exceptional programming while establishing CRS as a premier agency in emergency food security. You will also champion proactive security management and risk mitigation strategies across all operations. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES You will oversee the complete lifecycle of the Food for Peace program in Kenya—from initial design through implementation and consolidation—maintaining strict alignment with emergency food security objectives and USDA regulatory standards. You will serve as the primary liaison to USDA/FAS, the U.S. Embassy, and essential stakeholders such as the National Drought Management Authority, government ministries, and humanitarian coordination networks. Your strategic priorities include building robust partnerships across public, private, and non-governmental sectors to maximize program impact while eliminating service overlap. You will ensure the program meets donor expectations for timeliness, quality outcomes, and budget management while developing clear strategies for phase-out and long-term sustainability. This includes designing and overseeing appropriate interventions such as general food distribution, targeted nutrition support, and recovery activities tailored to emergency needs. You will provide comprehensive technical and strategic leadership for all commodity management operations, including procurement planning, call-forward systems, port clearance procedures at Mombasa, inland transportation coordination, warehousing, and final-mile distribution. Working closely with operations leads, you will maintain adherence to CRS quality standards and MEAL policies throughout program execution. As a senior leader, you will recruit, develop, and manage high-performing programming and operations teams. Your people leadership approach will encompass team development, staff wellness support, personalized coaching and mentoring, individualized professional development planning, performance evaluation, and strategic staffing initiatives. You will actively identify and mitigate organizational risks by monitoring national and regional developments that could affect staff safety or program continuity. You will ensure all team members understand and comply with CRS safety and security protocols and oversee the regular updating of these critical plans. You will champion responsible stewardship of organizational and donor resources, ensuring full compliance with USDA/FAS grant requirements under 2 CFR 200. Your financial oversight responsibilities include tracking program expenditures, monitoring partner budgets and finance operations, approving program spending and budget modifications, and submitting required donor reports. You will develop communication strategies and materials that comply with USDA branding guidelines and marking requirements while ensuring consistent recognition of U.S. Government support across all program materials and beneficiary communications. You will nurture collaborative relationships with consortium partner organizations through coordinated workshops and joint planning efforts, ensuring seamless coordination of activities across all partner staff in accordance with CRS partnership principles. Finally, you will create an organizational culture that prioritizes continuous learning and improvement. This includes establishing a psychologically safe environment where teams can openly share ideas and challenges, quickly identifying performance gaps, designing targeted training solutions, and delivering high-quality technical assistance to CRS and partner staff. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree in development, international relations, public health, agriculture, business administration, or related field. Minimum 10 years of progressive professional experience in international humanitarian programs, emergency food security, or program management. Demonstrated experience managing USDA Food for Peace programs or equivalent large-scale U.S. Government-funded initiatives. Advanced proficiency in commodity management systems and supply chain operations. Proven track record in leading senior-level teams and managing complex organizational dynamics. Strong understanding of USDA compliance requirements and grant management. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to engage diverse stakeholder groups. Experience working in emergency or humanitarian contexts. Valid passport and willingness to work in Kenya. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Master's degree in international development, public administration, or related field. Prior experience in East Africa or arid/semi-arid land programming. Familiarity with MEAL frameworks and results-based management approaches. Experience with multi-organizational consortiums. Previous exposure to CRS or similar faith-based organizations.