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Position Title: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for Advancing Digital Democracy (ADD)
Proposal Summary:
Vistant is pursuing the USAID Advancing Digital Democracy program. The purpose of this activity is to foster open, secure, and inclusive digital democracies in which data-driven technologies advance, rather than undermine, democratic values and respect for human rights. It will support and strengthen country-level and global multi-stakeholder coalitions that can identify opportunities for productive engagement, leverage incentive structures, and create shared language for tackling the most pressing issues in the digital age.
The program will provide support for partner-country stakeholders to spur rights-respecting digital innovation while addressing potential adverse impacts of technology and data across the digital ecosystem. The program will operate in politically closed spaces and robust emerging economies; and will engage civic and private actors while tailoring support to leverage existing opportunities and address specific needs in particular countries.
Program Objectives:
Objective 1: Governments implement legal and regulatory frameworks related to technology, data, and information that align with and fulfill their international human rights and democratic commitments.
Objective 2: Respect for human rights and democratic values are embedded in the development and design of digital technology and data management.
Objective 3: Civil society and citizens more effectively engage in democracy and human rights issues involving technology.
Cross-Cutting Objectives: (1) Engagement between diverse stakeholders and sectors is fostered and self-sustained. (2) Collaborative CLA feedback loops are created and used to adapt the program.
Position Summary:
The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will provide managerial and operational support to the Advancing Digital Democracy (ADD) program. The DCOP will lead a team of passionate democracy, digital rights, and digital development professionals and program managers to implement a wide range of activities that promote open, secure, and inclusive digital democracies where data-driven technologies advance, rather than undermine, democratic values and respect for human rights. This role requires experience in developing and implementing organization-wide strategies and strong interpersonal skills to manage complex relationships across various stakeholders in multiple sectors. The DCOP will ensure the delivery of a wide variety of technical activities in service of advancing USAID's digital democracy agenda.
The DCOP will report to the Chief of Party (COP) and will work closely with USAID/Washington D.C. and USAID Missions.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
• Provide support to the COP with strategic leadership and oversight of the activity.
• Serve as a member of the senior leadership team of the program and support the COP in oversight of project staff and buy-in activities.
• Co-lead and oversee programmatic functions, including the development of work plans, budgets, quarterly/annual reports, and ensuring effective implementation of program strategy.
• Maintain effective and open communication throughout the project with the COP, Objective Leads, project operations teams, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Work with the COP and other project staff to continuously refine implementation processes by integrating lessons learned and best practices.
• Serve in an acting capacity in the absence of the COP.
• Oversee the design and strategy of new project buy-ins and work plans, ensuring timely submission to and approval by the client, and ensure that agreed activities and targets are fully accomplished, meet expected technical and management quality standards, and are delivered on schedule and on budget.
• Identify opportunities and negotiate partnership programs to leverage synergistic donor, governmental, and organizational resources.
• Manage and mentor a team of senior technical and program management staff, facilitating strong communication and coordination with and between all team members.
• Cultivate and provide oversight to a network of diverse local and international project subcontractors and grantees to ensure quality and timeliness of deliverables, and facilitate regular communication among implementing partners to encourage maximum participation in the project.
Key Competencies Required:
• At a minimum, have a bachelor's degree (master's degree preferred in business administration, information systems, democracy, or international development) and fifteen (15) years of experience adaptively managing USAID activities, including contracts and buy-ins, with proven experience building and managing dynamic, flexible teams.
• Strong financial management experience including the ability to develop, track, and monitor budgets and overall financial health of the project.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a high level of emotional intelligence for effective communication and interaction within the project and to promote and position the project in the broader digital transformation arena.
• Sound management skills to guide all project human, technical, and financial resources.
Professional Expertise:
• Experience leading large-scale USAID activities that catalyze democracy, governance, or economic growth outcomes worldwide; prior experience as Chief of Party, Project Director, Deputy Director, Team Leader, etc., on projects of similar scope, scale, and complexity preferred.
• Experience cultivating and managing relationships across multiple technical sectors, including digital development, policy and strategy, democracy, digital rights, digital inclusion, and/or digital transformation.
• Strong communication, writing, and oral presentation skills in English. Professional fluency in additional languages preferred (e.g., French, Spanish, Portuguese).

• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.