Chief Program Officer

Worldwide

Chief Program Officer

  • Reports to: President and CEO
  • Reports: Director of Technology, team of Program Specialists located globally
  • Location: Virtual, with international travel; Open to global candidates
  • Cadasta offers a competitive compensation package with benefits based on applicable country location.

WHO WE ARE

Founded in 2015, the Cadasta Foundation (Cadasta) is an award-winning, high-impact non-profit organization registered in the U.S. It is a leading technology and service provider supporting secure land and resource rights for a more sustainable and equitable planet. Cadasta creates high-impact partnerships with civil society and government agencies to provide technology, training, and technical support to help marginalized communities document and secure titles to their land, property, and resources, and to use the data for better decision-making regarding livelihoods, land use, climate, and community empowerment.

With a new CEO in 2018 and a new strategy and software platform in 2019, Cadasta has grown to over 100 partners in 45 countries, who have used community-led approaches to document and strengthen the land rights of over 6 million people living on 21 million hectares of land in cities, farms, rangelands, and forests. 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THE CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER ROLE AT CADASTA:

As the Chief Program Officer (CPO), you will develop, lead, and manage Cadasta's program strategy and implementation. You will manage and support the program team, provide technical oversight and expertise in land administration and land information technology, develop and lead strategic partnerships, and develop new business opportunities in collaboration with the CEO and the business development team. As the CPO, you will understand how our work contributes to goals on climate, gender equality, sustainable land use, Indigenous and community rights, conflict and peacebuilding, and equitable housing, and will develop exciting opportunities to link more secure tenure rights to outcomes in these broader areas.

Strategic and Operational Management

  • Create a program strategy and plan for responsive, high-quality design and delivery of Cadasta's programs and services;
  • Provide strategic and operational team leadership and oversight for international programs and the team;
  • Ensure high-quality delivery of the partnership strategy and processes, including partner acquisition, onboarding, service delivery, and evaluation;
  • Oversee the development and implementation of annual program operational plans and budgets;
  • Work with the Project Management Unit to ensure compliant contract and subcontract administration, procurement, reporting, and timely submission of reports, budgets, expenditures, and deliverables;

Technical Leadership

  • Provide technical leadership in land administration, using fit-for-purpose approaches;
  • Serve as technical land administration lead on Cadasta proposals and project delivery;
  • Provide oversight, development, and support of field and project staff on technical approaches, knowledge, and skills in the land sector;
  • Oversee the technology team to ensure that Cadasta has 1) a clear roadmap for and is delivering high-quality demand-driven products and services for current and future efforts; 2) has strong data governance and IT oversight; and 3) has a data vision and strategy to maximize Cadasta's value proposition for land, climate, and other sectors.
  • Work with the Impact and Evidence Manager to integrate results of learning and impact evaluations into organizational planning, learning, and documentation.

Outreach, Business Development, and Thought Leadership

  • Identify and develop business opportunities in collaboration with the CEO, business development team, and program team that lead to funded initiatives;
  • Provide strategic and technical leadership and support to bids and proposals and other business development opportunities;
  • Build business relationships with partners to leverage value through innovative consultancy services;
  • Represent Cadasta at conferences, and outside events, and external meetings with key stakeholders;
  • Contribute to marketing Cadasta to new partners and supporting communications and thought leadership through presentations, articles, blogs, and papers.

WHAT IT TAKES

The ideal candidate is a strategic leader, with strong program design, business development, and grant management experience in international development, including with a range of donor funding. Expertise in land administration and land rights is highly desired, along with solid leadership, teamwork, management, and communication skills. Familiarity with the use of technology to solve development challenges, cross-cultural skills, and experience working in a developing economy context are strongly desired.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

  • At least ten years of experience working in an international development setting in the U.S. or abroad;
  • 5+ years of experience working in the field of land administration, land and resource rights, or other land-related disciplines in emerging economies, with knowledge of land information technology implementation preferred;
  • Experience designing and implementing land tenure, land use, and/or resources management projects in complex environments in emerging economies and remotely managing teams composed of a staff of varying cultural backgrounds;
  • Experience working with technologists, GIS experts, trainers, and developers, and communicating field-level needs and system requirements to ensure responsive technology solutions and services;
  • Solid understanding of donor requirements and grant and contract management and compliance, particularly for bilateral and multilateral grants and contracts;
  • Experience designing and managing project budgets and implementation plans;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English with experience presenting complex land administration issues to a wide range of individuals,
  • The ability to speak languages other than English is a plus;
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a global team; and
  • Strategic, operational, and results-oriented with an ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines, and coach team members to do the same.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

Cadasta is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants. We believe in harnessing the power of diversity to create a culture of belonging where individuals are celebrated and valued for their unique ideas, perspectives, and strengths as a means to achieving personal excellence and organizational success. Cadasta also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, except where such an accommodation would cause an undue hardship.

 

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