Project Director/Chief of Party

The Project Director/Chief of Party shall display competent supervisory ability and experience by successfully performing at least 10 years in a similar capacity and position. The individual will be responsible for continuous supervision, coordination, quality assurance, hiring, travel coordination, business development, and oversight of all services and recruiting of our USAID institutional support contract. They will provide senior-level technical and administrative management of open innovation activities. The candidate will ensure a timely implementation of project activities and effective financial and personnel management. They will ensure that all project deliverables meet standards of excellence and USAID expectations. They will provide responsive financial, contractual, and operational leadership and support to the project staff, ensure contract compliance, and liaise with USAID on issues related to contract management to ensure all project activities are implemented in accordance with the USAID policies and regulations.

Other primary job duties are as follows:

Project Management and Implementation: Responsible for the overall management and implementation of project activities. This includes developing and monitoring work plans, budgets, and performance indicators, as well as ensuring that project objectives are met within the specified timeline and budget constraints.
• Technical Leadership and Guidance: Provide technical expertise and guidance to project staff and implementing partners in areas such as innovation, adaptive management, and capacity building. Help identify and promote best practices, innovative approaches, and new technologies to ensure that project activities are effective and sustainable.
• Stakeholder Coordination and Collaboration: Work closely with project partners, supported organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure effective coordination and collaboration in achieving project goals. They represent XLA and the overall project team in meetings, workshops, and conferences, and actively engage with stakeholders to build strong working relationships and promote project visibility.
• Compliance and Reporting: Ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations, as well as project-specific policies and procedures. Assists in the preparation of project reports and other deliverables, ensuring their quality and timely submission to USAID and other stakeholders.
• Direct institutional support for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Provide management and oversight of USAID projects to ensure continuity of operations and identify new business and growth opportunities
• Work with corporate Accounting & Finance, Human Capital, Recruiting, and Contracts teams to facilitate smooth operations, effective staff support, and responsiveness to client requests
• Serve as primary point of contact with government, teaming partners, & stakeholders
• Ensure compliance with government rules and regulations, as well as, corporate policies
• Play an active role in the recruitment and applicant screening processes; identify specific USAID recruiting needs and support them by filling positions for USAID both within the Bureau in the Washington D.C. Metro area, or overseas at Missions or other Operating Units. Schedule interviews and client "Meet and Greets", potentially across multiple time zones for candidates.
• Network with industry professionals to keep abreast of developments in the USAID community
• Hire, supervise, and mentor staff providing direct support to government clients
• Assess staff performance and use a variety of tools and approaches to sustain, improve, or

correct performance with HR Dept, as needed

• Identify and resolve project performance issues, coordinating with teaming partners and

upper management, as appropriate

• Develop accrual, status update, staffing, and miscellaneous ad hoc reports
• Direct travel arrangements including obtaining travel approvals from government clients, building cost proposals to the Gov't, communicate with travel vendors, and guiding staff through the full travel process
• Review and approve timesheets, expense reports, and invoices

• Bachelor's degree requires, Master's degree a plus
• Minimum of 10 years of professional work experience
• 7 years of significant program or project management experience for contracts within USAID
• A professional, courteous and approachable demeanor on the phone and in-person
• Strong interpersonal skills, especially the ability to network and establish professional relationships
• Ability to prioritize, demonstrated strong organizational skills, and ability to meet or exceed deadlines

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): XLA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, XLA will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations in the hiring process. We encourage qualified individuals with disabilities to apply. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process or to perform essential job functions, please contact our HR team by phone at 703-584-8317 or via email at humanresources@xla.com. For persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or deaf-disabled, XLA will provide an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter where needed as a reasonable accommodation for the hiring processes.