Reports to: Central America Regional Director (RD)
Direct Reports: Heads of Department
Job Location: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Contingency Statement: This position is contingent upon project award, donor funding, and USDA approval. As a Key Personnel position, final candidate selection will be subject to USDA review and approval.
Summary:
Feed the Children seeks an experienced and strategic Chief of Party (COP) to lead implementation of a USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Honduras. The COP will provide overall leadership, strategic direction and management oversight for the program, ensuring high-quality implementation and achievement of program objectives related to school feeding, literacy, child nutrition, food security, and community resilience. The COP will serve as the primary liaison with USDA, government counterparts, consortium partners, and other key stakeholders.
The COP will oversee programmatic, operational, financial, compliance, and administrative functions, ensuring alignment with USDA regulations, organizational policies, and international best practices. The position requires strong leadership, technical expertise, partnership management, and experience managing complex donor-funded programs in multicultural and multi-stakeholder environments.
The COP will promote sustainable, locally led approaches that strengthen national and community systems while advancing measurable outcomes for children, schools, and vulnerable communities.
Qualifications:
Education:
Master’s degree in International Development, Agriculture, Nutrition, Education, Public Health, Business Administration, Economics, International Relations, Development Studies, or a related field required.
Project Management certification (PMP or equivalent) will be an advantage.
Experience, Knowldege and Other Requeriments:
Minimum of 10 years of progressive senior leadership experience managing large-scale, donor-funded international development programs
Demonstrated experience managing USDA McGovern-Dole, Food for Education, USAID, or other U.S. Government-funded programs strongly preferred.
Prior experience serving as Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Program Director, or in a comparable senior management role required.
Proven experience managing complex projects with significant operational scope and budgets (USD $20M+ preferred).
Demonstrated technical expertise in school feeding, literacy and education programming, child nutrition, food security, agriculture, and community-based development.
Demonstrated experience managing donor compliance, financial oversight, procurement, grants management, and operational systems.
Experience overseeing commodity management and food assistance programming preferred.
Proven experience integrating safeguarding in large-scale donor-funded programs, ensuring compliance, risk management, and reporting mechanisms across complex operations.
Proven ability to engage effectively with senior government officials, donors, development partners, and community stakeholders.
Strong experience establishing and overseeing Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems.
Excellent leadership, strategic planning, problem-solving, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
Demonstrated ability to lead high-performing and multicultural teams in complex operational environments.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in Spanish and English required, including the ability to prepare high-quality reports, presentations, donor communic ations, and strategic documentation.
High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and program management systems.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly within Honduras and internationally, as required by project needs and security conditions.
Excellent leadership, team management, coaching, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire high-performing and multicultural teams.
Strong strategic planning, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver results on time and within budget in dynamic operational contexts.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly within Honduras and internationally, as required
Experience working in Central America preferred.
Familiarity with USDA commodity regulations and reporting systems.
Experience leading consortium-based programming preferred.
Experience with localization and locally led development approaches.
Languages:
Professional fluency in both English and Spanish required, including strong written communication skills.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Program Management
Provide overall vision, leadership, and strategic direction for program implementation. Ensure timely, high-quality, and results-oriented delivery of all program components in accordance with USDA requirements and approved work plans. Lead adaptive management processes to ensure effective program performance and continuous improvement.
Oversee integration of education, nutrition, school feeding, agriculture, and community development interventions.
Ensure sustainability and local capacity strengthening are embedded across all program activities.
Donor and Stakeholder Engagement
Serve as the primary representative of the program to USDA, government institutions, local authorities, consortium partners, and external stakeholders.
Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with Ministries of Education, Agriculture, Health, and other relevant stakeholders.
Lead strategic engagement efforts to strengthen coordination, visibility, and partnership development.
Represent Feed the Children in donor meetings, technical working groups, and external coordination forums.
Financial, Operational, and Compliance Oversight
Provide oversight of program finances, administration, procurement, logistics, commodity management, and operations.
Ensure full compliance with USDA regulations, organizational policies, and applicable local laws.
Monitor project expenditures and resource utilization to ensure cost-effective implementation and achievement of program objectives.
Oversee risk management, internal controls, and accountability systems.
Team Leadership and Supervision
Lead, supervise, and mentor multidisciplinary and multicultural teams across multiple operational locations.
Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture.
Promote staff development, performance management, and organizational learning.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)
Ensure robust MEAL systems are established and effectively implemented.
Utilize data and learning to support evidence-based decision-making and adaptive management.
Ensure timely and accurate reporting to USDA and organizational leadership.
Commitment to Safeguarding
Feed the Children is committed to providing an environment free from sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment in all locations where development and humanitarian programs are implemented. Feed the Children maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. The organization expects all employees and collaborators to uphold the highest ethical standards, protect the integrity and reputation of the organization, and ensure that all work is carried out honestly and fairly, in accordance with Feed the Children’s safeguarding and related polici es.
We are committed to keeping children safe; therefore, our recruitment and selection process includes background checks, reflecting our strong commitment to child safeguarding.
Our primary commitment is to foster a culture that promotes safe and protective environments for children participating in the various programs implemented by Feed the Children in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, ensuring zero tolerance for any form of harm, abuse, or exploitation against them.
Application Process: Mandatory Initial Step
Thank you for your interest in being part of the process.
Before continuing with your application, please note that the first mandatory step to apply for this position is to complete the form at the following link. This requirement allows us to ensure that each application is reviewed in an organized, fair manner and with the necessary information to move forward in the process.
We invite you to see this step as an opportunity: every response you provide helps us get to know you better and brings you closer to the possibility of joining the team. Attention to detail and commitment from the very beginning say a lot about you as a professional.
We sincerely appreciate the time you are dedicating to this application and your interest in joining this project. We look forward to receiving your completed information soon!
Talent Attraction and Acquisition / Central America Region: Rellenar formulario