Chief of Party II – Agricultural Landscape Restoration Initiative, Guatemala

The position is based in Guatemala and is open to national and international applicants.

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.

In Guatemala, CRS implements a diverse program portfolio in the areas of food security, agricultural livelihoods, emergency response, education, child protection, migration, and rural community development. The vision of CRS Guatemala is to promote healthy, prepared, and resilient communities, families and individuals who can exercise their leadership, generate livelihoods and live in just and peaceful environments with the support of effective local organizations. To achieve this vision, the Country Program leads and supports several projects primarily in the western highlands and eastern dry corridor of the country. In coordination with the government of Guatemala, CRS works with 20 Church and other local partner organizations and has a team of approximately 180 staff.

Job Summary:

As Chief of Party you will provide vision, leadership, and overall management of the Agricultural Landscape Restoration Initiative which aims to catalyze landscape restoration at scale by simultaneously and synergistically addressing the economic, environmental, and social challenges facing smallholder farming communities in the departments of Huehuetenango, San Marcos and Quiché. Your excellent leadership and communication skills and passion for innovation and impact-driven programming focused on agriculture and community development will guide project implementation. You will coordinate with other senior program staff, partners, and consultants to engage with the public sector (Government of Guatemala), the private sector, financial institutions, NGOs, researchers, and other actors to scale sustainable agriculture and build a robust base of allies and leaders in the agriculture sector of Guatemala. Your strategic leadership, management, and technical knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming and advance the position of CRS as a leading agency in sustainable agriculture and landscape restoration. As a senior leader, you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all aspects of the development, implementation, and consolidation of the Agricultural Landscape Restoration Initiative, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the agency in landscape restoration. Serve as the primary point of contact with the donor as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
• Manage and strengthen relationships with local, national, and international partners with the aim to catalyze a movement around landscape restoration. Oversee the implementation of an influence agenda for the promotion of landscape restoration investments at scale.
• 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.
• Lead participatory strategic planning, scenario and risk management, and development of an annual work plan and budget. Provide strategic vision and support to the project team to facilitate agile and effective systems, structures, and relationships to catalyze landscape restoration in the prioritized territories.
• Lead and represent the project team to identify and mobilize new resources for landscape restoration initiatives as co-investment to existing project resources through new public and private sector alliances.
• Effectively manage senior programming and operations talent to ensure continuous collaboration, learning, innovation, and impact. 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 understands and adheres 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 the donor’s grant guidance, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration, and reporting to the donor. 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. Represent CRS programming in international circles, highlighting innovative work. Publish program results and deliver presentations.
• Coordinate relationships with consortium partner organizations, including the 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.
• Oversee the development and implementation of a sustainability strategy that identifies, creates, and strengthens local community-based organizations as critical implementers and owners of a long-term vision for landscape restoration in the proposed territories.
• 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.
• Provide oversight of the project´s monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) systems, using data analysis and community feedback as the basis for measuring performance and decision-making for adaptive management.

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in International Development, International Relations or a relevant technical area. PhD preferred.
• 10 or more years’ relevant management and technical experience.
• 7 years of experience managing donor funds, including multi-country grants. Excellent knowledge and experience in budget management.
• Minimum 5 years of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching and mentoring senior program staff.

Required Languages – Professional proficiency in English and Spanish

Travel– Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%. Must be willing to be based in the Western Highlands up to 80%.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the capacity to see the big picture and the ability to make sound judgments 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. Cross-cultural sensitivity, patience, and flexibility; ability to work with people of different perspectives. Coaching skills.
• Strong oral and written communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented.
• Ability to be flexible, persistent, and diplomatic and to gain respect among staff, local community leaders, church and secular partners, as well as local government ministries and donor organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recognized leader in agriculture and/or natural resources management, 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.
• 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.

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

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory Responsibilities: Deputy Chief of Party for Program Quality and Technical Innovation, Operations Manager, MEAL Manager

Internal: Head of Programs, Head of Operations, Finance Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Human Resources Manager, other senior program leaders

External: Donor staff, other donors; NGO partners, church partners, private sector, agricultural development banks, private sector leaders in agriculture; university and other research and learning partners.

***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. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

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

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.