Deputy Chief of Party/senior Mel Specialist

**Location**:Bogotá, Colombia

**Position Status**:Full-time employee

**About LINC**

**Position Description**

LINC is seeking a Deputy Chief of Party for the anticipated USAID-funded Compass - Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity in Colombia. Compass will provide USAID/Colombia with technical and advisory services related to the monitoring, evaluation, and learning of USAID/Colombia’s strategy and activities. This includes providing monitoring support services; designing and implementing rigorous baseline, performance and impact evaluations, as well as other studies and assessments, and supporting their use and dissemination; developing collaborating, learning and adapting initiatives, and providing data management services. These efforts will inform the Mission’s strategy, learning, programmatic designs, decision-making, and adaptation, and will enable USAID/Colombia to comply with USAID’s Evaluation Policy and USAID Automated Directives System (ADS) 201.

The Deputy Chief of Party/Senior MEL Specialist will support the Chief of Party with leadership, day-to-day management, and technical support for the activity. The Deputy Chief of Party/Senior MEL Specialist will focus primarily on ensuring exceptional technical delivery and building the capacity of local staff and partners. The Deputy Chief of Party/Senior MEL Specialist will serve as Acting Chief of Party as needed.

This is a full-time position contingent upon USAID award.

**Colombian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply**

**Responsibilities**
- Support the Chief of Party with overall leadership of Compass, including program planning, technical execution, financial management, and operations, ensuring seamless coordination between all components.
- Oversee the design, implementation, resourcing, and quality assurance of all demand-driven technical assistance provided by the project, including assessments, performance and impact evaluations, and ongoing context and performance monitoring analyses.
- Manage subcontractors to ensure the timely provision of responsive, high-quality deliverables;
- Draft technical scopes of work for and supervise the performance of consultants and subcontractors.
- Support the management, training, and mentoring of Activity staff.
- Coordinate and provide MEL/CLA technical assistance to USAID and its partners.
- Work with the Chief of Party to coordinate and consult with USAID, the Government of Colombia, implementing partners, and other key stakeholders and audiences as required.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable USG, USAID, and LINC rules and regulations.

**Skills and Qualifications**
- A Master’s degree in international development, social sciences or a related field.
- Minimum 10 years of demonstrated experience supporting complex donor-funded programs, ideally USAID. Prior experience as a Deputy Chief of Party strongly preferred.
- Proven USAID and external stakeholder relations, team leadership, and strategic management skills.
- At least five years of experience related to research, evaluation, statistics and/or monitoring projects related to development.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills required.
- Fluency in spoken and written English and Spanish.
- Prior experience working in Colombia or Latin America required.
- Understanding of USAID regulations and policies, including but not limited to the Automated Directives System 201, the Evaluation Policy, and the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy.
- Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, and familiarity with innovative MEL approaches preferred.

**Application Instructions