MEAL Manager (PMI) – Iraq

Job Title: MEAL Manager(PM I), Iraq

Reports to: Shared Future Project Director

Department: Program Team

Salary Grade: 9

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 partnership with Caritas Iraq, CRS Iraq is supporting conflict-affected people to live in dignity through upgrades to shelter conditions, educational and psychosocial (PSS) support for children, livelihoods support, social cohesion, and multi-purpose cash assistance.

Enabling Durable Solutions for a Cohesive and Diverse Kirkuk and Ninewa Plains, or by its shorter name Shared Future, is a 7.25-year project launched in June 2018. In Phase I and II, the project implemented social cohesion and livelihoods programing, to support families returning to the Ninewa Plains with durable returns, after years of displacement caused by the rise and fall of the Islamic State (IS). In Phase III, Shared Future will expand geographically into Kirkuk to support youth livelihoods. This phase of the project will also emphasize a positive youth development approach in both Ninewa and Kirkuk, engaging emerging adults and late adolescents (14-17s), to expand reach to younger youth. This approach seeks to create an environment where youth can achieve their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities and, in turn, durable solutions.

Job Summary:

You will manage the MEAL component of the Shared Future project, in the Iraq Country Program (CP) advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work in serving the poor and vulnerable. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and implement all MEAL activities throughout relevant project cycles – project design, start-up, implementation, and close-out – to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices including ICT4MEAL. Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise Shared Future MEAL staff. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Analyze, evaluate and document project performance data following MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles, inform decision making and identify lessons learned.
• Support the timely preparation of high-quality donor reports, quarterly performance indicator tracking tables, as well as other reports as needed/required by the local government, donors, the region or headquarters, including baseline, midline, and end line surveys and evaluations.
• Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development in respective programming and MEAL and ICT4D areas, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed.
• Coordinate assessment and identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Help identify, assess, and strengthen partnerships relevant to MEAL, specifically data collection and analysis, learning activities and accountability, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to MEAL activities for the project . Through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resources.

Required Languages – Fluent oral and written English is required; Arabic is a plus.

Travel– The position is based in Erbil, with 30% travel to project sites in Iraq,primarily in Kirkuk & Ninewa governorates. Regional and international travel for training, as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities: 1 MEAL Senior, 1 Project Officer and 2 Field Officers; support to Caritas Iraq MEAL staff; oversight of enumerator field teams.

Key Working Relationships:

**Internal:**Shared Future Project Director; Head of Programming; Program Quality Coordinator; MEAL Technical Support Unit; Peacebuilding Program Manager; Livelihoods Program Manager; Procurement and Finance staff; Regional Technical Adviser for MEAL.

External:Caritas Iraq; Iraqi Al-Amal Association; other operational partners and colleague organizations; local government; UN agencies and relevant sector leads.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using CommCare, PowerBI, web conferencing applications, information management systems, and other ICT4D platforms.
• Experience in designing and conducting trainings
• Experience leading participatory assessments, data collection and other MEAL processes, including baseline and endline evaluations.
• Experience developing and leading enumerator field teams in complex environments.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations, Social Research Methods, Monitoring and Evaluation or relevant field. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant field-based experience in coordinating or managing light to moderately complex projects required, preferably with an international NGO.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations.
• MEAL experience and ICT4D skills, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and managing data
• Proficiency using MS Windows and other MS Office packages (Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications (Microsoft Teams) required.

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.

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