Deputy Chief of Party

USAID TRADE FACILITATION PROGRAM

Position: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)
Base of Operation: Hanoi, Vietnam
Period of Performance: December 2020 – May 2023

Project Background

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Trade Facilitation Program (“Trade Facilitation Program” or “the Program”), is a five-year project (May 29, 2018 to May 28, 2023) that aims to support the adoption and implementation of a risk–based approach to customs and technical (“specialized”) inspection institutions in Vietnam. Attaining this objective  will facilitate the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The primary Government of Vietnam (GVN) counterpart for the Trade Facilitation Program is the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC), which also acts as the focal point of the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) for Vietnam. Within this context, the Program supports national and provincial stakeholders in promoting the benefits to be gained by the application of a risk management approach to specialized inspections mandated by line ministries to protect food safety, public health, and the environment.

Specialized inspections are considered a major impediment to trade causing major delays in border clearance. The Trade Facilitation Program aims, in particular, to strengthen the role and capacity of the NTFC to effectively implement and coordinate trade facilitation policies and procedures, and to promote more proactive public-private dialogue.

The USAID Trade Facilitation Program activities are organized into four components:

• Component 1: Harmonization and simplification of key risk management and specialized inspections-related policies at the central level and strengthening the role of the NTFC
• Component 2: Strengthening National-Provincial (Vertical) coordination of trade facilitation strategies and facilitating import and export of goods
• Component 3: Strengthening the provincial level implementation and inter-provincial coordination in at least five targeted provinces
• Component 4: Enhancing the partnership between customs and the private sector

In addition to providing targeted assistance at the central level, the Program will secure provincial buy-in by localizing technical assistance and operations in six provinces identified and selected in close cooperation with GDVC, i.e.: Da Nang, Dong Nai, Hai Phong, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

In implementing its activities, the Program will look specifically to engage the private sector, the ultimate beneficiaries of trade facilitation (TF), as advocates to help champion TF reforms.

Position Overview

The primary role of the DCOP will be to assist the Chief of Party (COP) in managing the implementation of the USAID Trade Facilitation Program in Vietnam. The DCOP will be based in Hanoi and should draw upon his/her expertise to strengthen existing relations and create new ones between the Program and Vietnamese stakeholders at central and provincial levels (e.g. GDVC and GVN Leaders and representatives of the private sector). In this role, the DCOP will support the strengthening of the National-Provincial coordination of trade facilitation strategies, with particular attention to 1) Cooperate with the People’s Committees, local customs, line departments and other stakeholders, including the representatives of the private sector, to support the implementation of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) activities in the targeted province to ensure the uniform implementation of the trade facilitation policies elaborated at central levels; (2) Supporting the coordination between central and provincial authorities and that of provincial agencies in charge of implementing locally the centrally-designed trade facilitation policies; (3) Assist COP with overseeing the strategy and activity implementation of all four Components to meet the objectives of the program; and (4) Establish partnerships with the business associations and increase the private sector
engagement.

Responsibilities and Tasks

• Maintain good relations with GDVC leaders, Line Ministries’ leaders and other relevant stakeholders at central level and in the six targeted provinces. Facilitate high-level strategic discussions to encourage buy-in and ownership of Program activities and sustainability of results;
• Provide assistance to COP on operation management of the Program
• Contribute to the strategic planning of the Program’s activities;
• Develop technical scopes of work for the implementation of Program activities;
• Provide support in the preparation of the Annual Work Plans, Weekly, Quarterly and Annual Progress Report and other reports submitted to USAID;
• Represent and promote the project at technical workshops and events
• Promote the implementation of the AWP activities in the targeted provinces; All travel plans need to get COP’s travel authorization in advance.
• Manage the establishment of Trade Facilitation mechanisms in the targeted Provinces to strengthen the central-provincial GNV agencies coordination and the implementation of national trade facilitation policies at local level;
• Supervise the technical team in charge of providing the necessary technical support to the missions of experts and team members in the targeted provinces, identifying relevant stakeholders to be met, and facilitating the meeting with relevant provincial agencies;
• Manage the Customs to Business partnership and private sector engagement activities of Component 4;
• Promote the development and strengthening of partnerships between the Program and business organizations;
• Plan, manage and supervise the training activities of the Program;
• Assume the role of Acting COP as necessary.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business administration, international development, international trade, trade policy, law, economics, or similar field (Bachelor’s degree with more than 10 years of experience in field may be accepted);
• Demonstrated experience in building relationships with senior officials in government, non-governmental organizations, donor agencies, and the private sector;
• Must be well respected and trusted by Government counterparts and international donors;
• Proven ability to anticipate challenges and work on sensitive issues to contribute to the success of the program;
• At least ten years of experience in supervising/managing the implementation of technical assistance programs (inclusive of USAID), managing technical experts and administrative staff;
• Demonstrated management skills to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, in a bureaucratic environment, and U.S. operational and management systems;
• Previous experience in working in trade-related sector (for example, but not exclusively, trade facilitation, trade policy or trade law) is relevant but not mandatory;
• Experience in customs-related topics is preferred but not mandatory;
• Experience in strategizing, coordinating and overseeing training activities is preferred but not mandatory;
• Proven leadership and communication skills, including the ability to manage complex issues and solve problems as well as exercise considerable analysis and judgement to identify solutions;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Fluency in English and Vietnamese; and
• Proficient in word processing, spreadsheets and office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Applications.

Reporting

The DCOP will report to the COP.

Application Submission:

Interested applicants can apply online https://www.nathaninc.com/join-us/career-center/career-center-job-detail.... The deadline of applications is 12 noon on November 30, 2020 (Hanoi Time) or until the position is filled. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.