Chief of Party, USDA Food for Education (Sub-Saharan Africa)

Save the Children

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places – over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you’re creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share.

The Role

Save the Children is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated FY26 USDA-funded McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in sub-Saharan Africa. The COP will lead strategic direction in the management, implementation, and overall quality assurance of the project. They will also provide technical leadership in school feeding, literacy, primary education, and community participation. The COP will collaborate with the Ministries of Education, Health, and other critical partners to provide high-level support for effective capacity building at the local level and sustainability of the project interventions. The COP will oversee a team of experts and support staff, prepare reports and annual operating plans, align project initiatives with in-country priorities and ensure the program is compliant with USDA and Save the Children’s regulations. The project must be designed to align closely with the current objectives of the partner Government.

This is a Key Personnel position, subject to donor approval. It is also subject to project award and funding.

This position will be based in sub-Saharan Africa.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)*
*not inclusive of all role responsibilities. May be subject to change

• Lead the management of the program in line with USDA guidelines to achieve project objectives.


• Oversee implementation, ensuring achievement of project results and deliverables in accordance with project work plan and budget.


• Provide technical oversight, ensuring technical quality, and alignment with donor technical guidelines and priorities.


• Manage operational, financial, and administrative priorities, and direct planning and budgeting processes. Create or adapt management systems in line with Save the Children standard operating procedures, ensuring adherence to donor policies and regulations, and relevant national policies and laws.


• Oversee the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) process to ensure results-driven project implementation and adaptive management.


• Represent Save the Children with USDA, local government counterparts, partners, and other key stakeholders. Build and maintain productive working relationships.


• Submit high-quality, timely reports to the donor, capturing project outcomes, impact, and key performance indicators.


• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where the project team strives to achieve excellence.


• Incorporate Save the Children vision, values and Code of Conduct principles.

Required qualifications for the role

• Graduate degree in education, nutrition, development studies, international development, or a related field preferred.


• At least 10 years of senior level professional experience designing, managing, and implementing large, donor-funded international development activities related to school feeding, education, or nutrition, preferably in a program director, Deputy Chief of Party or COP role.


• In-depth knowledge of USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education approaches and regulations. Technical expertise in food and nutrition security, school feeding and education programming.


• Strong financial management, compliance, budgeting and project operations/administrative oversight abilities.


• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in a team.


• Proven ability to work collaboratively with donors, host governments, development partners, the private sector, and community organizations.


• Creative problem-solving skills with the ability to work effectively in resource-constrained environments.


• Experience overseeing M&E systems for donor-funded projects.


• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. French preferred


• Ability to produce clear and concise reports, publications, briefs and other written materials related to the project.


• Ability to travel as required and as security conditions allow.


• Commitment to child rights and to the aims and objectives of Save the Children.

About Us

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to [email protected].