Chief of party II: BRACED (Extended closing date)

City/location:

Niamey or Ouagadougou

Organization:

Reference number: I1505

About CRS:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 99 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs.

Background:

CRS seeks a qualified candidate for Chief of Party (CoP) to provide overall direction and leadership to a proposed Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)/Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience program in West Africa. This 3-year project, with an expected value of over $15 million, aims to assist vulnerable people, especially women and children, in the Sahel by strengthening household and community resilience to climate extremes and to improve policies and institutions at the national level and better integrate DRR, climate adaptation, and development programs. The CoP will be responsible for the achievement of strategic objectives, intermediate results, and performance expectations through adherence to high standards of programmatic and management quality.
Project approaches entail building the resilience of households and communities by improving and diversifying livelihoods, developing shared management systems of resources critical to resilience (water, rangelands, and forests) and embedding DRR and adaptation into climate change and development responses. The project will be implemented via a consortium of international and national agencies, in coordination with the national governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Major Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership, Quality Assurance, Supervision, Mentoring/Training, Administration, Finance, Monitoring/Evaluation, Report Writing.

Specific Job Responsibilities (not exhaustive of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position) include:

Program Quality:

With key CRS and consortium member program staff and other stakeholders, ensure program’s strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished and meet expected technical quality standards.
Ensure that vision and plans for the program are innovative and are in line with CRS agency and country program strategies.
Oversee periodic technical reviews, ensuring best practices are followed and managing changes in program direction and focus.
In collaboration with program staff, provide guidance and technical oversight to consortium members to ensure that lessons are documented and disseminated.
Oversee program’s monitoring and evaluation system, using data analysis as the basis for measuring performance. Ensure that M&E learning is incorporated into evolving program plans.
Ensure integration of program interventions with other CRS programs or through linkages with other stakeholders.
With program staff, ensure the delivery of quality training, technical assistance, and administrative and financial support to all partner agencies and government, including the selection and coordination of sub-grantees and consultants.
Coordinate with other ongoing projects to ensure consistency and avoid duplication.

Management and Administration:

Manage program budgets, including tracking of financial and material resources.
Ensure accurate and timely reporting of program finances and progress status, review actual financial performance against the budget, and explain variances on a regular basis.
Ensure staff compliance with all CRS administrative and operational procedures and policies, as well as applicable donor regulations.
Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.

Representation and Advocacy:

Provide leadership and oversight to the consortium, ensuring that sub-grantees adhere to their assigned scopes of work and sub-award terms, and ensuring all members of the consortium work cooperatively and productively to achieve project objectives.
Act as primary project contact to donor, taking responsibility for addressing all program matters, collaborating with the CRS Regional and Deputy Regional Directors and Country Representatives on overall donor relationships.
Strengthen linkages with existing and potential partner agencies, in collaboration with CRS Country Representatives and Heads of Programs.
In collaboration with CRS Country Representatives and Heads of Programs, manage relationships with the respective national governments of the target countries.
Oversee program communication strategies, in collaboration with CRS Country Representatives and Heads of Programs, including compliance with donor’s branding and marketing requirements as well as CRS’ marketing and communication procedures.

Human Resource Management:

Lead, manage, and supervise a team of CRS and consortium staff to meet program objectives.
Conduct periodic reviews of staff performance in keeping with CRS’ performance management system and mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork.
Manage recruitment portfolio for the program, in collaboration with Kenya country program management, to ensure optimum service delivery through recruitment of competent and qualified staff.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

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

Serves with Integrity
Models Stewardship
Cultivates Constructive Relationships
Promotes Learning

Supervisory Responsibilities: Program and Finance/Administration leads as well as other key staff as determined in the proposed management plan.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: SWA Regional and Deputy Regional Directors; Country Representatives, Heads of Programs, and Finance Managers of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso; SWA Regional PQ and MQ Technical Staff, and Africa and Headquarters Technical Advisors.

External: Consortium agencies, donor representatives, target country government representatives (national and provincial levels); UN and international community representatives, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications and Skills:

Minimum MS with a focus on Agribusiness, Governance, Disaster Risk Reduction or other related fields mentioned above. PhD desired.
Minimum 10 years of progressively increasing management responsibility in developing countries
Prior management of significant donor funding required, ideally in CoP position.
Familiarity with and commitment to addressing gender equality in programming.
Experience working in Africa required. Experience working in Sahel West African, African nationals preferred.
Proven leadership and inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams.
Proven experience in managing complex consortium or partnership relationships in a participatory way required.
Strategic vision and capacity to oversee a complex program required.
Public relations skills required.
Ability to work well both in a team and independently.
Cultural sensitivity, patience, and flexibility.
Demonstrated personal accountability and drive to serve others.
Understanding of and experience with faith-based organizations, local church structures, and accompaniment and capacity-building principles in local partnerships desired.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook.
Excellent English oral and written communication skills as well as fluency in oral and written French, required.