Chief of Party (COP)/Project Director- Biosafety and Biosecurity

Chief of Party (COP)/Project Director- Biosafety and Biosecurity, Global Health

Location:
District of Columbia
United States

Project HOPE seeks a Chief of Party (COP)/Project Director- Biosafety and Biosecurity to provide vision, leadership, and direction to ensure the strategic, programmatic, technical, and financial integrity of an upcoming global biosafety and biosecurity initiative funded by the U.S. Department of State. The 24-month, $2 million cooperative agreement aims to improve laboratory biosafety and oversight of high-risk biological research (e.g., gain-of-function studies), strengthen national policies, and coordinate international research efforts. The Project Director will be responsible for the overall strategic, technical, operational, and financial performance of the program and serve as the primary liaison to the donor and stakeholders.

The COP will be responsible for the overall program leadership, management, and technical direction of staff and consultants, project activities such as implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation, and partner coordination. This is a leadership position requiring expertise in biosafety/biosecurity, strong management and donor coordination skills, and experience in complex, multi-country projects. The COP will be the primary point of contact with the Department of State a with regard to day-to-day activity implementation and management matters relating to the Agreement. The COP must have overall responsibility for assuring that all assistance provided under the award is technically sound and appropriate for the program needs to be addressed and for adequately managing and supervising the work of all staff such as Technical Advisors, Regional Coordinators, Operations and Finance Teams under the award

This position will be based in United States. Washington, D.C. Preferred.
This position is contingent upon award (potential 24-month cooperative agreement).

Code of Conduct

It is our shared responsibility and obligation to treat each other with respect, take affirmative steps to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse and Trafficking in Persons, and to disclose all potential and actual violations of our Code of Conduct, which may include Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption, Discrimination or Harassment. Together we can reinforce a culture of respect, integrity, accountability and transparency.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Strategy

• Provide overall strategic vision and technical leadership across the program's three key pillars:
  1. High-containment laboratory training and oversight
  2. Gain-of-function research governance
  3. Global coordination of biosafety/biorisk research
• Guide the development of technical approaches, ensuring that activities align with the State Department's nonproliferation goals and Executive Order 14292.
• Integrate international best practices and scientific evidence into all program activities.
• Provide day-to-day technical oversight for design, planning and implementation of work planning and ensure that project activities are meeting program outcomes

Program Implementation and Quality Assurance

• Lead and supervise the design and delivery of regional workshops, technical exchanges, and capacity-building activities across Latin America and East/Southeast Asia.
• Ensure consistent implementation and technical fidelity across regions and partners.
• Develop and monitor implementation plans, technical deliverables, and timelines.
• Oversee adaptation of tools and guidance for national-level biosafety policy development.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies, host-country officials, academic institutions, and implementing partners.
• Cultivate strong relationships with national and regional government counterparts and technical stakeholders to foster country ownership and policy change.
• Represent the program in high-level forums and technical working groups.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Oversee design and implementation of a MEL system to capture program outputs, outcomes, and impact.
• Ensure data is used for decision-making and adaptive management.
• Promote documentation of lessons learned and facilitate knowledge sharing across countries.

Operational and Financial Management

• Ensure compliance with cooperative agreement requirements, donor regulations, and organizational policies.
• Oversee the program budget, procurement, and financial reporting in collaboration with the finance team.
• Lead the development and submission of timely technical and financial reports to the donor.
• Manage contributions of sub-awardees, consultants, and technical experts.

Team Leadership and Management

• Supervise technical and operational staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
• Provide mentorship, performance management, and professional development support to staff.
• Ensure clarity of roles, workflows, and communication across HQ, regional teams, and partners.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MPH, MSc, PhD, or MD) in public health, biosciences, laboratory science, biosecurity, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive technical and management experience in international development or public health programs, preferably with U.S. government funding.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in biosafety, laboratory strengthening, biosecurity, or nonproliferation.
• Experience engaging high-level government officials and academic/scientific institutions.
• Proven ability to lead complex international initiatives and manage multidisciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with cooperative agreement mechanisms and donor compliance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese is highly desirable.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% internationally.
• Experience in a formal setting interacting with executive level government representatives.
• Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to lead and build consensus, cooperation, and coalitions among individuals with competing interests.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including TEAMS.

Work environment:

• Typical office environment with exposure to a minimal noise level
• Travel Required and Emergency deployments may be in resource-deprived environments with austere living conditions
• Project HOPE employees may be required to travel or work in countries where working conditions are classified as "hardship"

Due to the large number of inquiries, we receive, only candidates who have met the required experience & qualifications for this position will be considered. No phone calls please.

However, since we are active around the world in the field of public health, we may wish to retain your CV in our database for other/future opportunities, unless you direct us otherwise.

Thank you very much for your interest in Project HOPE.