Chief of Party (COP), USDA Food for Progress Program – Colombia 

 *Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on July 31, 2025. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close sooner if a suitable candidate is found.

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 2,100 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.

This Opportunity:

Palladium is recruiting a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated USDA Food for Progress (FFPr) program in Colombia. The program will support increased agricultural productivity and expanded trade, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture, market systems development, and inclusive growth. The COP will lead a multidisciplinary team and serve as the primary liaison with USDA/FAS, Colombian government counterparts, and private sector stakeholders. 

The COP will provide overall strategic, technical, and operational leadership for the program. This includes responsibility for program delivery, team management, compliance, and stakeholder engagement. The COP will ensure that all activities are aligned with USDA’s FFPr objectives and Palladium’s standards for quality, impact, and inclusion. 

Location:

The position is based in Bogotá, Colombia (with travel to Norte de Santander, Cesar, Magdalena, La Guajira, and other departments)

Reporting Lines:

This position reports to the Project Director, Economic Growth & Natural Capital

Primary Roles and Responsibilities: 

Provide overall leadership, management, and technical direction for the program, ensuring high-quality implementation and compliance with USDA regulations 
Serve as the primary point of contact with USDA/FAS and represent the program to government counterparts, private sector actors, and civil society
Oversee the design and execution of interventions in cocoa and other value chains (e.g., livestock, rice, palm), with a focus on productivity, market access, and financial facilitation
Lead the development and implementation of annual work plans, budgets, and MEL frameworks
Ensure integration of climate-smart agriculture, gender and social inclusion, and digital tools across all program components
Supervise and mentor a diverse team of technical and operational staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and learning
Coordinate with monetization agents and ensure effective use of commodity proceeds in line with USDA guidelines 
Ensure timely and accurate reporting to USDA and other stakeholders, including quarterly and annual performance reports
Cultivate partnerships that support co-investment, sustainability, and scale

Essential Criteria:

Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing large-scale donor-funded agricultural or economic development programs, preferably in Latin America 
Demonstrated experience with USDA, USAID, or other USG-funded cooperative agreements or contracts
Proven leadership in managing complex teams and partnerships, including private sector engagement and co-investment strategies 
Technical expertise in market systems development, value chain strengthening, and/or climate-smart agriculture
Strong understanding of Colombia’s agricultural sector, political economy, and rural development context
Fluency in English; professional proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred

Desirable Criteria:

Experience with cocoa or other high-value crop and/or agribusiness systems in Colombia or comparable economic contexts
Familiarity with USDA’s FFPr program regulations (7 CFR part 1499) and climate-smart agriculture priorities
Prior experience working with Colombian producer federations such as Fedecacao or Fedegan

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.