Program Manager I

Job Description

Job Summary:

You will manage, coordinate, and monitor project activities and relationships with partners and other project stakeholders to lead implementation of Telema, an-OFDA funded livelihoods recovery project focused on shelter reconstruction and agricultural livelihoods, including cassava and seed and tool distribution/fairs and training. You must be adept at partnership relationship management to ensure project success, particularly with national and diocesan Caritas.

Your work will advance the objectives Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your project management skills and knowledge of the program area, particularly in shelter and seed/tool distributions and fairs will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of this project.

Job Responsibilities:

• You will lead technical, budget management, monitoring and reporting activities through most of the project cycle - start-up, implementation and close-out - in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. 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.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities following MEAL Policy. Proactively identify issues, report them to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Ensure integration and promotion of best practices for safeguarding and gender-sensitive programming.
• Oversees and manage MEAL implementation at project level. Ensure integration of data analysis, reflection and interpretation and use with ongoing project activities. Ensure compliance with donor and agency MEAL requirements.
• Engage and strengthen partnerships relevant to Telemaapplying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Represent the organization with donors, INGO working groups, UN, relevant local partners and relevant local government and community actors for shelter and agriculture.
• Coordinate activities required for ensuring the financial, material and human resources for the quality implementation of the project. Conduct periodic budget reviews and follow-up with partners on timely submission of financial reports to facilitate proper tracking of resource use.
• Identify staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and contribute to capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and disseminate results. Review project documentation to ensure project file is complete with all required documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Master’s Degree in International Relations or in the field experience with OFDA recovery programs in shelter and agriculture would be a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in project management, ideally in the field of shelter and agriculture and for an NGO.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Relevant grant management experience, especially for OFDA, USG or other public donors, a plus.
• Partnership capacity strengthening and partnership relation management experience required.
• Experience working with stakeholders at various levels and strengthening community partnerships.
• Experience implementing gender-sensitive programming.
• Staff supervision experience.
• Ability to contribute to the development of technical proposals, a plus.
• Experience analyzing data and contributing to evaluation reports.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Personal Skills

• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders. Representation abilities.
• Ability to contribute to written reports
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

Required/Desired Foreign Language French (fluent written and spoken) English (professional fluency written and spoken preferred)

Travel Required 20%

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: Agriculture Project Officer, Shelter Project Officer, Accountability Technical Associate, Data Technical Associate

Internal: Country Manager, Head of Operations, Finance Manager, other program and admin staff

External: Caritas Congo, Ministry of Social Affairs, Acted, UNHCR, WFP, FAO, other UN and NGO agencies

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

NOTE: Applications will be accepted until this 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.