Position Title: Program Manager II – Emergency Coordinator
Band: D
FLSA: Exempt
Posting/Location: East Africa Regional Office(EARO)/Uganda – based in Yumbe District, West Nile Region
Reports to: Head of Programs (HoP)
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
The recent fighting in South Sudan between government and the opposition has displaced thousands of South Sudanese community members who have been forced to seek refuge into neighboring countries, including Uganda. Following the rapid needs assessment and information provided via coordination with other stakeholders, CRS has identified critical gaps in settlements in Yumbe District that include water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), non-food items (NFI), livelihoods, and shelter support for those most vulnerable. The interventions will target refugees in zones 4 and/or 5 within the Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe, which have been recently established in November 2016 and experiencing big gaps in WASH needs. These zones have poor household latrine coverage and low water supply but with high groundwater potential according to UNHCR Hydrogeological survey report. CRS will directly implement the interventions to improve the access of refugee households in Yumbe District to safe and sufficient water sources, livelihood opportunities, and non-food items related to protection and hygiene promotion in the Bidibidi Refugee settlement.
Primary Role
The Emergency Coordinator, under the supervision of the Head of Programs (HOP), oversees the timely, high-quality implementation of Emergency Relief and Recovery (ERR) targeting South Sudanese refugees and neighboring Ugandan host communities within the Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe, West Nile Region in Northern Uganda. S/he directly manages national Project Managers in WASH and in other sectors (subject to confirmation of additional funding), such as Livelihoods and Shelter, to strengthen and reinforce the managerial and technical capacity of this team in project start-up, project management, implementation, reporting, budget management and project close-out. The Emergency Coordinator ensures that relief and recovery programing sectors are well-integrated and complementary to support coordination, efficiency, and improved services to communities. S/he will pro-actively identify and communicate to senior management any challenges that affect implementation of ERR projects, as well as emerging ERR community/household needs in CRS’ operating areas in Yumbe. It is assumed that this position would be filled for at least one year.
Primary Responsibilities
Program Design, Proposal Development and Fund-Raising
• With the assistance of the country program (CP) Business Development Manager and project managers, develop proposals and concept notes that follow SPHERE Standards, ProPack, Cost Application Guidance and EARO guidance and/or donor-specific guidance
• Make recommendations for new programming or growth ideas, substantiated by gap analysis; lessons learned; and/or potential innovations suggested by staff, government, or communities.
• Support project managers in the design and implementation of needs assessments, analyses, and project reviews and evaluations to facilitate evidence-based decision-making, learning and accountability and to demonstrate results and impact, in collaboration with the HOP, CP MEAL Manager and Regional Technical Advisor (RTA) as needed.
• Proactively seek technical input and review from relevant Humanitarian Response Dept. (HRD) Sectoral TAs and EARO RTAs in WASH and Livelihoods.
Program Quality and Implementation
• Ensure emergency project managers pro-actively manage grants through regular and effective collaboration with the operations team – procurement, logistics, transportation, HR and finance
• Assist project managers to document best practices and lessons learned through case studies, human interest stories and strong MEAL tools and practices, including MEAL in Emergencies, ICT4D initiatives and beneficiary feedback mechanisms.
• Facilitate cross-learning and accountability between sectors to enable greater impact.
• Identify technical assistance needs (e.g. Emergency and Protection Mainstreaming) and prepare relevant SOW.
• Oversee the production of project reports with input from project manager for timely submission to the HOP for review and submission.
• Maintain up to date Past Performance References and Gateway records on all emergency projects based in Yumbe.
• Ensure project managers are fully and effectively performing project management functions as outlined in ProPack II.
• Ensure project managers pro-actively manage budgets with an emphasis on accurate forecasting and pipeline analysis through timely budget maintenance reviews and working with finance on correcting problems as they arise.
• Assist project managers to trouble-shoot emerging issues and pro-actively communicate programming challenges.
• Ensure project managers under his/her supervision prepare reports in a timely way, and that they are meaningful, descriptive and of high-quality.
• Coordinate field visits for staff, visitors and teams travelling to the affected areas.
• Work with the HOP and gender focal point to ensure effective gender and protection mainstreaming in ERR projects.
Operations Management
• Coordinate with the HOP and Head of Operations (HOOP) to ensure that CRS management quality policies and guidelines are reflected at all levels.
• Coordinate with the HOOP to implement the personnel manual, field office maintenance and improvements and other terms of employment to ensure justice, fairness, retention of high quality staff, competitiveness with other humanitarian agencies, and compliance with local labor laws and standards
• Support the Administration department’s staff and operations, including procurement, IT, fleet and security
• Approve purchase requests and ensure the efficiency and compliance of procurement procedures in line with CRS and donor purchasing policies and procedures
Representation and Advocacy
• Represent CRS at sector meetings in Yumbe and at other programming-related meetings in Kampala as requested by the HOP and CR.
• Work with the Communications Officer to develop marketing and communication strategies, e.g. articles and white papers, regional events and online campaigns.
• Draft situation reports at the regional level and for sharing via HRD.
• Ensure the timely sharing of information gained through meetings and interaction with other stakeholders with regional and country level leadership.
• Develop contacts and foster relationships with in-country donor organizations
• Collaborate with key individuals, relevant Government ministries, the local Catholic Church, counterpart institutions and NGOs and UN agencies
Staff supervision and mentoring/coaching
• Supervise emergency response and recovery staff based in Yumbe
• Engage direct reports regarding their development plans, determine their professional aspirations, and manage/coach them towards development objectives
• Address poor performance promptly and constructively, ensuring fair treatment of staff by identifying, documenting and providing adequate support to address performance and behavioral issues
• Work with Human Resources team to execute timely recruitment processes to ensure that adequate staff are allocated to emergency activities to ensure quality implementation and follow up
• Promote a work culture in line with CRS values: promotion of international and national talents, collaboration, and uniform adherence to CRS programming principles
• Provide mentoring and on-the-job training for emergency program and operations staff on successful emergency response and recovery design and implementation
• Provide guidance to project managers in effectively managing staff, including providing feedback, building an effective team, motivating staff and following the CRS Performance Management System
• Facilitate the necessary trainings (i.e. SPHERE standards, voucher methodology, etc.) for staff to implement quality programs
• Assist Yumbe staff to ensure integration of security management into program activities with attention to the strategy of acceptance and compliance of staff with security procedures
• Promote appropriate staff behavior in the field and a Do No Harm approach for a better understanding of local communities and the local working environment
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
- Serves with Integrity
- Models Stewardship
- Cultivates Constructive Relationships
- Promotes LearningProgram Manager Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results. - Sets clear goals and manages toward them
- Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
- Manages financial resources with integrity
- Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learningEmergency Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each emergency program member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results. - Communicates strategically under pressure
- Manages stress and complexity
- Actively promotes safety and security
- Manages and implements high-quality emergency programsKey Working Relationships
- Internal: CR, HOP, HOOP, DHOP, Business Development Manager, area project staff, International Development Fellow, Business Development Specialist, Finance and Administrative Managers, East Africa Regional Office (EARO) DRD/PQ, HRD (TAs for Emergency MEAL, Technical Sectors and Capacity Building) and HQ STA Technical Integration.
- External: Government of Uganda Office of the Prime Minister Department of Refugees (OPM), UNHCR, local/international NGO offices, other UN agencies.Qualifications
• Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in International Relations or Economics/Social Sciences or relevant field
• Minimum of five years of experience in managing programs and human and financial resources, preferably in complex emergency situations
• Sound management skills including a minimum of five years of field management experience in a development agency
• Proven track record of developing winning proposals for the US government, EU, UN, and/or other funding opportunities
• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to navigate the humanitarian coordination system
• Proven expertise in coordinating management and technical skill training programs to support the development of emergency response staff
• Knowledge of SPHERE standards required; preferred experience with CRS programming, Integral Human Development, and Catholic Social Teaching
• Extremely flexible and can cope with stressful situations in emergency environments
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in strategic planning initiatives
• Ability to work both as a motivating member and a leader of a diverse team
• Experience with staff care in emergency settings
• Strong communication skills and inter- personal skills
• Willingness to be based in Yumbe
• Proficient in English (speaking, reading and writing ability) required
• Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point) necessary; familiarity with the application of ICT and GIS products in emergency preparedness and response an asset
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, 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.
Equal Opportunity Employer
More Information
- Job City Yumbe