Catholic Relief Services
Job Title: Head of Program
Reports to: Country Manager
Department: WARO/Liberia
Salary Grade: 11
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 strategic direction, leadership, and management of the CP’s programming to ensure the establishment and successful implementation of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. Your leadership, management and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming. As part of the Senior Management Team, you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the Country Manager (CM) provide strategic direction for the design of the CP strategic frameworks and plans, including the development of resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities.
- Lead high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context, and technical requirements of projects. Coordinate planning of activities across various projects from different sectors to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
- Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Contribute to developing staffing plans for 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 the implementation 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.
- In coordination with resource mobilization staff, oversee the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards.
- Oversee 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.
QUALIFICATIONS
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 is 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 and Global Fund.
- Experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding.
Required Languages – English
Travel– Must be willing and able to travel up to 40%
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- 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
- Presentation and facilitation skills
- Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented
Preferred Qualifications
- Excellent English writing skills.
- Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
- 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.
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
Supervisory Responsibilities: Program Managers and Senior Project Officers
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: Chief of Party I, Country Finance Manager, GF Finance Manager, Procurement and Supply Chain Manager, Risk and Compliance Officer, Operations Manager, HR Country Lead, programs and operations management teams.
External: Partners, Donors, Regional & HQ Program Lead.
***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