Country Representative, Lesotho

Job Description

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Background:

CRS has supported programming in Lesotho since the 1970s, however, as the average income levels in Lesotho rose thoughout the 1990s, CRS closed its offices in the country at that juncture. In 2002, the Lesotho Catholic Bishop’s Conference (LCBC) requested the support of CRS to respond to a region-wide food crisis. Based on the Lesotho Bishops’ request and a more detailed analysis of the needs of the country, CRS launched a project with Caritas Lesotho to help address some of the critical food security needs of the population. When that program ended, CRS felt that the needs of the country and the growing HIV&AIDS crisis in Lesotho warranted a more permanent presence and the CRS/Lesotho country program was established.

Since 2002, CRS Lesotho has been supporting programming in the areas of agriculture, food security and disaster risk reduction, HIV&AIDS, and orphans and vulnerable children programming. The development landscape has evolved significantly in recent years and the Country Program, under the leadership of the Country Representative, must continue to adapt and respond to the changing dynamics of Lesotho’s specific market and competitive environment. The current programming portfolio includes: agricultural livelihoods and natural resource management; integrated early childhood care and development programming; improved literacy for children with visual impairments; HIV programming focused on adolescent girls and young women; with savings and internal lending programming integrated across CRS Lesotho’s program portfolio. There is a continued focus on child health and well-being and emerging opportunities in the area of private sector alliances particularly within the water sector. Lesotho is one of the main suppliers of water to South Africa and there are a number of opportunities for engagement that are being explored to support communities within the context of these infrastructure projects. The engagement within the water sector also aligns well with CRS Lesotho’s NRM strategy, which focuses on rangeland management, watershed management, ecological-based adaptation, and involvement of youth in agriculture. In addition, the Country Program is currently responding to a national drought emergency precipitated by the impact of the current El Nino. Estimates suggest that over 600,000 people will be in need of humanitarian assistance throughout the coming year.

The country program works closely with the Lesotho Catholic Bishops’ Conference, congregational partners, and other national and international NGOs to implement programs in response to the needs of the Basotho people.

Primary Responsibilities:

Responsible for overall leadership and management of the CRS Country Program in Lesotho, including management of programs, partner and church relationships, financial and material resources, and personnel. Duties will also include developing programs, building local staff/partner capacity and networks and representing CRS throughout the country and externally. The Country Representative will play a vital leadership role in moving forward key elements of the CRS Agency Strategy particularly in the areas of program growth, improving efficiency and controlling risk, and managing talent. The CR will also work to strengthen partnerships and invest in the signature program areas which are identified priorities within the SARO region and CRS/Lesotho.

Specific Duties:

Strategic and Program Management

• Provide vision and guide process of developing strategic programs and annual plans.
• Manage ongoing programs and develop and design new programs in the areas of health, HIV/AIDS, education, justice and peace, agricultural livelihoods, emergency preparedness and response, and institutional strengthening, in line with the regional and partner strategies.
• Ensure country program coherence with regional strategies through communication with Regional Director and regional technical staff; with national strategies through coordination with relevant national agencies and donors.
• Ensure program quality through implementation of country-specific project review systems, comprehensive Monitoring & Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems and staff/partner development.
• Remain current on national and regional issues impacting CRS country programs and partners.
• Oversee the management of all security issues, including the appropriate response to emergency situations should they arise.
• Ensure country program involvement in meeting the objectives of the agency strategy.

Financial/Administrative Management

• Develop and monitor annual and multi-year program budgets; oversee spending and financial planning to ensure proper budget management and efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with all CRS and donor administrative and financial regulations.

Personnel Management

• Directly supervise and mentor the Senior Management Team for the Country Program, including the Head of Programming, Head of HR & Administration, and Finance Manager.
• Develop and implement staff capacity development strategy; identifying training needs and opportunities for senior staff as appropriate.
• Recruit, develop, and retain national and international staff to build a cadre of skilled and committed personnel.
• Coach staff on cross-cutting areas of quality supervision and building effective partnerships, especially with the Church.
• Maintain and encourage principles of a just workplace and promote staff well-being.

Representation and Growth

• Represent CRS and share information regularly with local authorities, the Church, local partners, the UN, other NGOs and other appropriate networks.

• Build strategic relationships with donors and the private sector.
• Support CRS/Lesotho senior staff to strengthen relationships and represent the Country Program’s work at multiple levels.

• Seek opportunities to raise the profile of the work of CRS and its partners, as well as the needs of our beneficiaries.

• Pursue strategic alliances with European Catholic and other partners; and promote inter-agency coordination and cooperation, and co-funding for relevant programs in the country.

• Identify and negotiate funding opportunities for ongoing activities and new programs, incorporating emerging trends into the growth of new or existing programs.

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.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Country Representative Competencies: These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each country representative to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Leads toward Strategic Results
• Manages Risk and Complexity
• Represents and Partners Strategically
• Champions Learning and Performance

Supervisory Responsibilities: Senior Programming and Operations staff.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Regional Director and regional technical staff, and Departments of Program Impact and Quality Assurance, Office of Program Excellence, Institutional Donor Engagement, Humanitarian Response, Charitable Giving, Finance, US Operations, Human Resources, Purchasing and Shipping.

External: local Catholic Bishops Conference, local Catholic Church agencies, representatives of the USCCB and other US-based and international Catholic organizations, local partner organizations, host country government agencies, donor agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, foreign governments, and private sector stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Masters in International Development/Relations or related field
• Eight years or more relevant, progressive middle management experience in a developing country environment
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills
• Strong experience with short and long-term planning; financial, personnel and program management
• Experience managing a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded (USG, UN, Global Fund, Gates, etc…) initiatives
• Demonstrated leadership, management and supervisory skills
• Demonstrated success in program development and fundraising
• Strong experience with institutional strengthening and partnership building
• Demonstrated ability to effectively represent the Catholic, American identity of CRS
• Fluency in English, plus French, Spanish or Portuguese

Physical Requirements/Environment:

• Normal conditions for an office environment
• Willingness and ability to travel overseas

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

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

NOTE: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

About the Organization

Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Our mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people, and to foster charity and justice throughout the world. Working through local offices and an extensive network of partners, CRS operates on five continents and in 98 countries. We aid the poor by first providing direct assistance where needed, then encouraging people to help with their own development. Together, these approaches foster secure, productive, just communities that enable people to realize their potential. As the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS is also committed to educating the people of the United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities toward our global brothers and sisters by helping the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice.