Chief of Party I-Food for Progress, Nepal

JOB DESCRIPTION

About CRS

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.

CRS Nepal
CRS started its operational presence in Nepal in response to the 2015 earthquake, providing immediate emergency response support to 23,000 disaster-affected families in multiple districts and earthquake recovery support to almost 30,000 households. In 2021, CRS expanded its earthquake recovery and resilience programming to respond to the Lamjung earthquake and also through its ReCoVER program to support 4,000 most vulnerable households yet to be reached with housing, livelihoods, and WASH assistance by humanitarian actors. In the seven years since the disaster, CRS has become a key stakeholder in the national-reconstruction effort, supporting the GoN in setting reconstruction standards through Housing Recovery and Reconstruction Platform (HRRP), recently renamed the National Housing and Settlements Resilience Platform (NHSRP). NHSRP was established to support the government authorities, and Partner Organizations (POs) with coordination of the post-earthquake housing reconstruction. The platform, led by CRS since 2017, has now evolved to support resilient housing coordination for any types of disaster including flooding, landslides, and fires.

CRS Nepal is also supporting the agriculture and livelihoods sector in Nepal with multiple research projects on cash crops and goats value chains and its ongoing USAID Farmer to Farmer program which provides technical assistance from US agriculture experts to organizations in Nepal, improving farmer’s productivity, access to markets, and technical knowledge.

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Safeguarding have been areas of focus for all CRS programming in Nepal with advances made in HR systems, community participation, and organizational management.

CRS is seeking a Chief of Party for a five-year program to strengthen food security and nutrition of rural households though climate smart aquaculture in Nepal. Funded under USDA’s Food for Progress, the proposed program will engage public and private sector partners to develop market-based solutions to increasing the climate smart production and marketing of aquaculture products in Nepal. The position is contingent on funding.

Job Summary:

As Chief of Party I you will provide leadership and overall management of the USDA/Food for Progress project to serve the poor and vulnerable. Your leadership, management and technical knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming and advance the position of CRS as a leading agency in Food Security, Climate-Smart Agriculture and Aquaculture field. As a senior leader you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the USDA/Food for Progress project, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Serve as the primary point of contact to USDA as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
• Ensure the project is designed and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability. Ensure coordination between program and operations leads. Ensure the CRS program quality standards are adhered to per MEAL policy and procedures.
• Effectively manage senior programming and operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Manage and mitigate risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans, and ensure the updating of such plans.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Ensure compliance with USDA/FFPr grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and reporting to USDA/FFPr. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
• Coordinate relationships with consortium partner organizations, including organization of review/planning workshops. Contribute to coordination of the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations in implementation in line with CRS partnership principles.
• 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. Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong 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 skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recognized leader in sector as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, conference presentations etc.
• Demonstrated experience of successful program management, including management of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects, with complicated logistics.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy a plus.
• Experience with both USDA and USAID funding mechanisms highly desirable.
• Ability to represent and present at high levels.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• Candidates with GESI diversity is a plus, including gender (female); marginalized groups (ethnic/ religious minorities); and, persons with disability.
• Candidates with experience working in Nepal and the ASIA Region preferred.
• Residency in Nepal preferred.

Required Languages – Professional fluency in written and spoken English required. Nepali preferred.

Travel– Must be willing and able to travel up to 30 %.

Key Working Relationships: Program and Operations teams, Consortium partners

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in International Development, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Agribusiness, and related fields. PhD preferred.
• 7 or more years’ relevant management and technical experience managing aquaculture and/or complex economic growth programs.
• 5 years’ experience managing USG funds. Strong knowledge and experience in budget management.
• 5 years of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching senior program staff.
• Experience developing partnerships with private sector actors.

Agency REDI 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.

• Personal Accountability
• Acts with Integrity
• Collaborates with Others
• Builds and Maintains Trust
• Open to Learn
• Strategic Mindset
• Develops and Recognizes Others
• Leads Change

***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.

To ensure the safety of our staff, our partners, and the people we serve, CRS requires that staff be vaccinated against Covid-19. CRS complies with all federal and state laws to allow for accommodations, as needed with supporting documentation. However, accommodations may limit the roles that candidates are eligible for based on role requirements (e.g., travel, meetings with staff, partner, donors).

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