Retention and Reintegration Senior Program Manager

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.

About IPE:

The USAID Improving Pathways to Education (IPE) activity in Honduras aims to increase access to safe, quality basic education for children and youth, by improving socio-economic opportunities, contributing to the multi-sectoral impacts of violence prevention efforts, and decreasing irregular migration. This activity will focus on basic education in Honduras, with a particular emphasis on upper primary and the transition to secondary. The IPE Activity will be implemented over a five-year period in selected municipalities and communities across Honduras characterized by high levels of out-migration and insecurity. CRS is a member of 5 institution consortium led by RTI.

Job Summary:

The Retention and Reintegration Manager will coordinate the implementation of a major project technical area, including supervising the implementation of all activities, and providing technical assistance and leadership at national and regional level to increase retention, promotion and access rates. The Retention and Reintegration Manager is CRS´ most senior position within the project and will represent CRS to the IPE consortium as part of IPE´s Management Team. S/he will be responsible for meeting project commitments to RTI and working hand in hand with RTI to engage critical project stakeholders. The R&R Manager will supervise the Alternative Modalities and Social Emotional Leads as well as a team of Retention and Reintegration Specialists. He/She will be responsible for working with these staff to meet their project commitments while also meeting CRS operational policies and processes.

Under IPE, the Retention and Reintegration Manager will coordinate the implementation of the project activities and provide technical assistance and leadership at national and regional level to increase retention, promotion and access rates. He/she will provide technical expertise on all aspects of retention, promotion and access within school settings and on developing and measuring changes within the education ecosystem. He/She will ensure complementarity of activity approaches related to this area, integrating best practices and research from education, security, and positive youth development. He/She will guide strategic planning and implementation of activities using appropriate tools to achieve a cohesive plan for social transformation and reduced dropouts in adverse education settings.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the development, implementation and consolidation of the Retention and Reintegration component of the IPE project. Develop strategies and approaches for helping learners stay in and return to school. Work with families and caregivers to create supportive environments and reduce barriers for learners to continue their education.
• Develop and provide implementation oversight for strategies and approaches that promote the transition from upper primary to lower secondary with a focus on lowering/preventing school desertion.
• Develop and provide implementation oversight for strategies and approaches aimed at reintegrating students into the formal education sector coordinating with the Alternative Modalities Lead to ensure access to alternative education institutions.
• Collaborate with RTI and consortium members on technical and strategic planning initiatives. Ensure that CRS meets IPE technical quality standards for all CRS led and implemented objectives and results. Lead internal CRS annual and quarterly activity planning, including quarterly technical review of implementation plans.
• Contribute to the implementation of the IPE M&E system across CRS implemented components. This includes but is not limited to the documentation and development of norms/best practices for intervention and assessment approaches in Honduras and the capture and dissemination of lessons learned across IPE.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and recruitment process of senior 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. Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance. Provide evidence-based recommendations based on best practices and learnings from the project.
• Manage and mitigate risk. Ensure compliance for administering RTI/USAID grants including budget oversight, finance and administration, and reporting to RTI.

Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in Education, International Development, International Relations or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience managing large-scale development grants ideally with an international NGO focusing on Education with progressive responsibilities and with relevant field-based experience targeting school enrolment, retention and reintegration for upper primary and/or middle school.
• Proven track record of successful USG funded program management, including management of multi-activity projects, complicated logistics and large budgets, as well as commodities.
• At least 5 years of supervisory experience, including performance evaluation, coaching and mentoring.
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in budget management and project management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Publisher, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.

Personal Skills

• Proven leadership skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and high-performing teams
• Self-motivated with proven experience in managing complex and demanding projects
• Proven experience in building and maintaining institutional linkages
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in multiple tasking environments
• Excellent organization, planning and analytical skills; detail oriented with a focus on quality
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated strength in relationship management and conflict resolution

Required Languages– Spanish professional proficiency, both written and oral is required. English professional proficiency, both written and oral is desired.

Travel– Must be willing and able to travel at least 50% within Honduras to the project implementation zones including Tegucigalpa, Comayagua, La Ceiba, Santa Rosa de Copan and Juticalpa.