Deputy Country Representative - Programming

About the job

Job Description

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Job Summary

As a member of the Country Program (CP) Senior Management Team, you will provide overall strategic direction, leadership, and management of the CP’s programming to ensure the establishment and successful implementation of large and complex programming serving the poor and vulnerable. Your leadership, management and knowledge will enable the CP to deliver high-quality programming and continuously work toward improving the impact of its programming. As part of the Senior Management Team, you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

Job Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Country Representative (CR) provide leadership and strategic direction for the design of CP strategic frameworks and plans, including the development of resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of large and complex programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities. Represent and promote CRS.
• Lead high-quality project design with innovative approaches that incorporate project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context, and technical requirements of large and complex projects. Contribute to establishment of project management standards. Lead planning of activities across projects from different sectors to ensure integration and efficiency in implementation.
• Effectively manage senior programming talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring for Deputy HOP and senior PMs. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessment for direct reports. Contribute to developing staffing plans for large and complex projects and to the recruitment process of senior project staff.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies. Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management overseeing application of the MEAL policy, as well as cross-sectoral and cross-department learning.
• Coordinate with CP operations leads to ensure appropriate project budgeting and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• Lead the business development cycle of increasingly complex, strategic, and competitive growth opportunities from intelligence gathering and positioning to proposal development to learning and marketing to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards.
• Lead the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Ensure technical assistance and capacity strengthening for project teams and partners in project management standards and related MEAL, business development and operational activities. Identify training opportunities, develop training curriculums and deliver trainings.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements

Education and Experience

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field.
• Minimum of 10 years work experience in a program management position with progressive responsibilities for an international NGO.
• Strong experience in project grants management for large and complex projects, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, etc., for projects funded by multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Substantial experience with successful business development activities capturing significant public and private donor funding.
• Excellent English writing skills.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Experience working with Church partners a plus.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching and mentoring senior program staff.
• Experience and abilities in capacity strengthening - developing curricula and facilitating trainings .
• Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks.

Personal Skills

• Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills
• Presentation and facilitation skills
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented

Required/Desired Foreign Language: English

Travel Required: 25%

Key Working Relationships

Supervisory: DHOP, business development specialists, COP as specified by CP organizational structure

Internal: Country Representees, COP, Operation, Regional DRD PQ, RTAs

External: USAID, UN, Caritas partners, Embassies, clusters and relevant federal and regional government.

Qualifications - External

Basic Qualifications

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field.
• Minimum of five years of relevant field-based program management, at least three years of middle/senior management experience.
• Experience in the development of successful proposals, reports, strategic alliances, project design, project management, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience in partner capacity strengthening, staff development, training, and mentoring, as well as in team building and strategic planning initiatives. Experience working with Church partners a plus
• Experience in community development, community mobilization, or similar grassroots, self-help initiatives.
• Experience in project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, etc., preferably for projects funded by multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship
• Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

Note: All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside their home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical examination.

CRS' talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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