Job Title: Head of Programming I
Reports to: Country Representative
Location: South Sudan/Juba
Department: Country Programming
About CRS
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 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.
As the newest country in the world, South Sudan continues to struggle amidst the challenges that accompany the complex process of nation-building. The 2018 Peace Agreement has brought hope that South Sudan will transition from a protracted crisis to long-term development programming, but the implementation of the agreement has been slow. CRS Country Program (CP) in South Sudan includes Food Security, Livelihoods, Nutrition, Health, WASH, Emergency Response, Social Cohesion and Microfinance, supported by WFP, USAID, EU and emergency funding from CRS, LDS, and other Caritas and private donors. CRS has over 700 staff across more than 10 offices located in Lakes, Jonglei, Central and Eastern Equatoria states.
Job Summary:
As a member of the Country Program (CP) Senior Management Team, you will provide strategic direction, leadership, and management of the CP’s programming to ensure the establishment and successful implementation of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. Your leadership, management and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming. As part of the Senior Management Team you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.
You will manage teams spread across multiple locations and oversee programming in remote and insecure field locations. You will actively coordinate with all other CRS programs and teams undertaking similar interventions and working in the same target areas. You will coordinate with sector teams to amplify the value and impact of CRS’ program portfolio. Together with the CP’s Senior Management Team, you will be based in Juba city, Central Equatoria State and conduct regular field visits to remote and insecure field locations.
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the Country Representative (CR) provide strategic direction for the design of the CP strategic frameworks and plans, including the development of resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities.
- Working closely with the CR and Head of Operations, develop the CP’s Annual Program Plan.
- Lead high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context and technical requirements of projects. Coordinate planning of activities across various projects from different sectors to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
- Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessment for direct reports. Contribute to developing staffing plans for projects and to the recruitment process of senior project 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. Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management overseeing implementation of the MEAL policy, as well as cross-sectoral and cross-department learning.
- Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Support your team to ensure compliance with donor grants/contracts, including financial tracking and oversight of program and partner budgets, finance, administration and reporting. Review and approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
- Coordinate with the Head of Operations and CP operations leads to ensure appropriate project budgeting and financial reporting, robust procurement planning and dispatch and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
- In coordination with resource mobilization staff oversee the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards.
- Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
- Ensure technical assistance and capacity strengthening for project teams and partners in project management standards and related MEAL, business development and operational activities. Identify training opportunities, develop training curriculums and deliver trainings.
- Manage and mitigate risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans and contribute to the revision of such plans.
- Represent CRS programming in national circles, highlighting high quality and innovative work with peer agencies, clusters, government and donors. Support the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
- Advance the CP commitment to gender and protection, including policy and practice in support of gender transformative programming, protection mainstreaming and safeguarding everyone from harm.
Required Languages – English.
Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% of the time.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
- Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
- Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills. Experience and skills in implementing matrix management for programs teams.
- Presentation and facilitation skills.
- Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results oriented.
- Experience of living and working in remote and insecure context and carrying out direct implementation of multi-sector humanitarian and development programs in conflict settings.
- Significant experience in establishing new programming including office start-up, recruitment and direct implementation of multi-sector humanitarian and development programs in conflict settings.
- Proven ability to plan and manage multiple tasks in parallel to optimize the short seasonal implementation window in multiple locations.
Supervisory: Deputy Head of Programs, Business Development Specialist, MEAL Manager, WFP Program Manager and Nutrition Program Manager.
Internal: Country Representative, Head of Operations, Chief of Party (2), Operations Advisor, Security Manager, Finance Manager, Supply Chain Management Manager, Human Resources Manager, Information Communication and Technology Manager, Deputy Regional Director- Program Quality and relevant regional and HQ teams.
External: Government of South Sudan and local authorities, local and US Catholic agencies and Caritas Internationalis member organizations, donors, partners, peer agencies, clusters and UN agencies.
QUALIFICATIONS
Basic Qualifications
- Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field.
- Minimum of five years of relevant field-based program management, at least three years of middle/senior management experience.
- Experience in the development of successful proposals, reports, strategic alliances, project design, project management, and monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience in partner capacity strengthening, staff development, training, and mentoring, as well as in team building and strategic planning initiatives. Experience working with Church partners a plus
- Experience in community development, community mobilization, or similar grassroots, self-help initiatives.
- Experience in project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, etc., preferably for projects funded by multiple public donors, including USAID and WFP.
- Experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding.
Preferred Qualifications
- Excellent English writing skills.
- Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
- Experience and abilities in capacity strengthening – developing curricula and facilitating trainings.
- Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy a plus.
- Ability to represent and present at high levels.
- Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks.
Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfil his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Personal Accountability
- Acts with Integrity
- Collaborates with Others
- Builds and Maintains Trust
- Open to Learn
- Strategic Mindset
- Develops and Recognizes Others
- Leads Change
***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
Note: All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside their home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical examination.
CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people – especially children and vulnerable adults – to live free from abuse and harm.
CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global remote, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
More Information
- Job City Juba
