Chief of Party

About Search:

Search for Common Ground (Search) is a non-governmental organization working to transform the way societies deal with conflicts. We have over 40 years of experience in peacebuilding and are based in 53 local offices worldwide. We strive to build sustainable peace for generations to come by working with all sides of a conflict, providing the tools needed to work together, and finding constructive solutions. While conflict is inevitable, violence is not. Our mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. Instead of tearing down an existing world, we focus on constructing a new one. We shift the everyday interactions between hostile groups of people so they can work together to build up their community, choosing joint problem-solving over violent means. We rely on local staff as well as local partner organizations in order to ensure our work is culturally sensitive, sustainable and well-grounded in the context.

For more information, visit www.sfcg.org

Summary of Position:

Search for Common Ground (Search) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Chief of Party (COP), to be based in Jerusalem, to lead the Women Building Bridges project, which empowers Palestinian and Israeli women to foster inclusive peace and sustainable coexistence. The COP will oversee all aspects of project implementation, including capacity-building, cross-border collaboration, and network development, while ensuring safety and adaptability in response to evolving risks.

Reporting to the CD, the COP will provide overall management and technical guidance to the implementation of a multi-year USAID MEPPA People-to-People Partnership for Peace Fund Grants. S/he will effectively manage project staff, resources and partnerships to ensure that the project meets its objectives and interventions on-time, on scope and within budget, while meeting the highest program quality and technical standards and delivering impact. The COP will supervise project staff and ensure accountability to SFCG’ policies and donor rules and regulations. S/he will be the primary representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and external stakeholders for this Activity. S/he will actively promote an inclusive culture of learning and adaptive management. S/he will ensure strong program systems and processes drive program performance.

Program Leadership and Strategy

• Provide overall vision, strategic direction, and oversight for all project components to ensure effective execution.
• Offer leadership and strategic guidance across all facets of project development and management. Ensure that implementation is responsive to community needs and aligns with USAID and SFCG principles, values, and strategic objectives.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive plan for program activities, including a clear targeting strategy and process. Establish robust systems for quality implementation and program delivery, alongside effective operational methods and evaluation metrics.

Program Management

• Lead the development of detailed implementation plans based on strategic annual work plans.
• Ensure the project is delivered on time, on scope, and within budget, and that all systems are in place to support field activities effectively.
• Oversee the timely submission of all project deliverables, reports, and briefings to USAID and other stakeholders.
• Create and maintain systems to ensure the effective and transparent use of financial resources, ensuring timely and informative reporting in line with program and donor requirements.

Team Management

• Manage the program’s consortium, providing a framework and guidance for partners to fulfill their roles, contribute to the program’s vision and direction, and manage challenges or issues that arise.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop program staff, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback through regular one-on-ones and performance reviews.
• With support from P&C, hire, orient and lead team members as necessary, ensuring effective onboarding

Compliance and Financial Management

• Ensure full compliance with USAID regulations and Cowater policies, particularly regarding financial management, procurement, and reporting.
• In collaboration with the country and regional operations and finance departments, ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources and logistics needs of the project are conducted within SFCG’ policy and with the maximum benefit.
• Monitor adherence to grant agreement, SFCG’ policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the Government in both IS/PA.
• Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Country Director.
• Works Directly With: Director of Operations, project team members, Regional and HQ technical Support teams and partner organizations.
• Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders.
• SFCG team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our projects.

Behavioral Competencies

• Working with People: Ability to respect the views and contributions of team members, demonstrating empathy, active listening, and support. Consults others, shares information and expertise, builds team spirit, and adapts to the team dynamics.
• Flexibility: Ability to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities, tolerate ambiguity, and modify personal style to suit different people and situations.
• Drive for Results and Efficiency: Ability to set quality standards, monitor and maintain work quality, and establish goals for continuous improvement.
• Relationship Management: Ability to manage interactions effectively, provide excellent service, and support the organization while building strong internal and external networks.
• Consultation: Ability to guide organizational stakeholders and apply creative problem-solving to meet business needs.
• Leadership and Navigation: Ability to lead and contribute to initiatives and processes that promote change and continuous improvement within the organization.
• Communication: Ability to effectively exchange information, deliver critical messages, gather insights, and communicate clearly with others.
• Global and Cultural Effectiveness: Ability to value and consider diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and work effectively in cross-cultural environments.
• Ethical Practice: Ability to integrate Search’s vision, mission, and core values, maintaining integrity and accountability in all organizational practices.
• Critical Evaluation: Ability to analyze information to inform business decisions and recommendations based on best practices and an understanding of desired outcomes.
• Business Acumen: Ability to understand and apply relevant information to contribute to the organization’s strategic plan.
• Developing Others: Ability to support and enhance the performance and professional growth of team members.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Master’s degree in public administration, peace building, economics, political science, international development, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience managing international development programs of similar scope and complexity, particularly around peace building, accountability, democracy, and local development in fragile and conflict affected states.
• Prior experience as a Chief of Party (COP) or in senior leadership roles (e.g., Deputy Chief of Party, Program Director) is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of USAID regulations, compliance, and project management.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale, complex projects, particularly those involving consortiums or multi-partner arrangements.
• Proven leadership skills in managing large, multi-disciplinary teams in challenging environments, ideally within the Middle East and North Africa region.
• Extensive experience working with local and national government agencies, civil society organizations, and media stakeholders to promote civic engagement, social accountability.
• Exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively engage and communicate with partners, stakeholders, and counterparts at all levels.
• Fluency in English, with the ability to produce high-quality reports and presentations for diverse audiences. Fluency in Arabic and/or Hebrew is a strong asset.
• As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.