About CRS:
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:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in 93 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs. Therefore, strengthening and building the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to our approach in every country in which CRS operates.
CRS came to Nigeria in 1960 to provide humanitarian assistance in collaboration with the Catholic Church until it was requested to leave during the Biafran War. In 1999, CRS opened an office in Nigeria, and greatly expanded HIV/AIDS programming through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2004. Programmatic areas in Nigeria have since expanded to include all 3 Strategic Program Areas (SPAs) health, agriculture and emergency response & recovery as well as cross cutting efforts in capacity building and governance. CRS in Nigeria is currently implementing two large USAID-funded programs, Feed the Future Nigeria Livelihoods Project & SMILE, focusing on agriculture-livelihoods and orphans and vulnerable children respectively, and has recently been appointed Principal Recipient (PR) for Malaria by the Global Fund. CRS has a growing Emergency Response & Recovery portfolio supporting thousands of vulnerable households in the northeast where the economic system has been severely disrupted as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.
CRS has identified Nigeria as a “Top 10” country for business development based on the many opportunities and the great need with over 100 million people surviving on less than $1.25 per day. The country program has grown over the past few years with potential to grow further. CRS seeks a Contracts Administrator to provide management, guidance and support in the management and administration of contracts to enable the country program to confidently apply for and competently administer USG contracts.
Job Summary: Reporting to the Deputy Country Representatives/Operations, the Contracts Administrator assists the country program through guidance and support in contracts related matters at various stages of contracts management such as project design, proposal development, start up, implementation, close-out and after-action learning and review. S/he will provide support to the country program in preparing for and successfully submitting Request for Proposals (RFPs) and the subsequent implementation of contracts, subcontracts, grants under contracts (GUCs), and consultancy and vendor agreements issued under acquisition. This would include developing the necessary policies, procedures, manuals and systems for successful contract management and administration, with the attendant trainings for staff to build capacity in their respective sectors, as applicable. Additionally, s/he will work to increase capacity to proactively manage various agency and donor policies and standards related to acquisition.
The Contracts Administrator will work with regional and HQ risk and compliance managers as needed to ensure seamless support to the country program and will contribute actively to the Contract Administration & Management Communities of Practice.
This position collaborates with HQ’s Institutional Donor Engagement and Advancement (IDEA) department and team to analyze, (co-)develop and implement systems which allow the country program to increase contract management efficiency and promote competitiveness in acquisition.
Job Responsibilities
Contracts Proposal Development and Other New Business Activities
• Support CRS in Nigeria to make strategic go/no-go decision on contracts.
• Review client (i.e., donor or prime) solicitations with country program team, and participate in the development of questions to be submitted, as well as the budget strategy for proposals; depending on size or complexity of proposal, may handle these tasks independently or with varying degrees of guidance and oversight.
• Assist with the development of complex budgets and review for appropriateness.
• Assist with the development of the full cost/business proposal volume for submission to clients.
Ensure that local partners’ costs and proposal inputs are aligned with client and CRS’ standards.
• Participate in award reviews, and start-up of new projects; may provide guidance on contract terms and conditions to program teams depending on award type and complexity.
• Supported by the HQ-based Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration and Award Management Officers (AMOs), prepare consultant and vendor agreements, subcontracts, grants under contracts and other general contract administration tasks.
• Assist in developing correspondence for submission to the client for approvals, waivers, funding notifications, modification requests, etc.
• Assist in the review and preparation of budgets for contract modifications and client meetings.
Contract Administration
• Interface with the Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration and Award Management Officers (AMOs) in the IDEA Department and the Senior Contracts Analyst in the Overseas Finance Department.
• Provide guidance, necessary support and training at the various stages of Contracts Management, i.e., proposal development, start up, implementation, close-out and after action learning and review.
• Assist in start-up activities including organizing and facilitating effective kick-off events.
• Participate in the Community of Practice for Project and Operations staff involved in contract administration and management.
• Develop and share periodic highlights/updates on and lessons learned in Contracts Administration and Management with relevant stakeholders within the country program and the region.
Sub-contract/award Administration
• Develop subcontract and sub-grant award documents compliant with donor requirements and CRS standard templates and work closely with the IDEA team to execute quality sub-contracts and sub-awards.
• Administer the full cycle of sub-contract/award management activities beginning from solicitation through selection, pre-award assessments, negotiation, monitoring/compliance visits, and closeout.
• Utilize CRS’ Gateway (Salesforce) and accounting system (SUN and JDE) for sub-contract/award issuance and management. Ensure that all required documentation is available and stored as per CRS policies.
• In collaboration with the HOOPS in charge of Finances, oversee budget management of projects’ sub-contract/award pools. Work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate and timely disbursement and liquidation of sub-contract/award expenses.
• Ensure timely training of grantees (partners) and CRS staff to understand and comply fully with client standards. Develop training materials and carry out regular trainings with grantee partners.
• Ensure that office systems for grants and contracts administration are maintained and that required reports, both narratives as well as financials, are provided to the IDEA department at CRS HQ for submission to client (i.e., donor or prime).
• Support with awarding and administering sub-contract(s) and consultant agreements under acquisition.
• Support closeout of sub-contracts/awards and vendor agreements under acquisition mechanisms.
After-Action Learning and Review
• Initiate after-action reviews with project staff as well as any partners to gather information on best practices and lessons learned.
• In Gateway, maintain:
o general learning on the implementation of acquisition mechanisms
o a record of lessons learned on each subcontractor
o past performance reports (PPRs) of all contracts
Other Responsibilities
• Develop and use tools to assess on an ongoing basis the level of contract readiness of CRS/Nigeria (and for relevant partners). Recommend actions to address identified gaps and weaknesses. Ensure learning is widely shared within the region and beyond.
• Identify issues or potential risks and make informed decisions on how to address the situation, communicating when appropriate with the DRD/Ops and the Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration.
• Perform other budgeting or analytical tasks, as assigned.
• Coordinate and perform finance and compliance review and closeout assignments, drafts reports, and provide recommendations and best practices to project teams.
• Track the status of recommendations presented to project teams from various assignments, including start-up assignments.
• Propose and develop innovative tools or processes to streamline activities or fill gaps to support the Finance team and/or project team compliance.
• Foster and demonstrate a workplace inclusive of creating opportunity, serving others, building trust, innovation, and exceeding expectations.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities, as required.
Agency-wide Competencies (for all Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his/her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning
Key Working Relationships
Internal: CR, DCR/Operations, DCRs (Health and Agriculture), Emergency Director, CRS/Nigeria programming and operations departments and staff, RD, DRD MQ, DRD PQ, RFO, HQ Departments notably IDEA, Finance, OPEX Unit, Human Resource Department, other regional and Headquarters Ops staff.
External: Donors, Consultants
Qualifications
- Master’s degree or equivalent experience required in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, or international business preferred.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in financial compliance for USAID/Federal government contracts, and well-versed in the FAR, AIDAR, ADS and 2 CFR 200.
• Minimum of five years’ experience with USG contract management, audit or accounting preferred, as well as some experience in working with multilateral organizations.
• Minimum of five years of award management experience, with new business pricing and budget management experience.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to work with finance and accounting systems and staff, HR staff and policies, etc.
• Knowledge of audit or accounting software and/or statistical sampling methodologies preferred.
• Prior knowledge of JD Edwards, Sun Systems, etc. preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to follow standard practices and procedures, receive general instruction and supervision on work progress, and make significant contributions to end results.
• Applies effective adult learning principles and practices into training design and delivery.
• Able to multitask and manage time effectively.
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability in building capacity and providing training and technical assistance, and experience working with church partners.
• Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills.
Disclaimer Clause
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.
EOE
More Information
- Job City Abuja
