DRC: Watershed Program

Oct 3, 2020 | Catholic Relief Services
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Catholic Relief Services 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.

Job Summary:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most populous, vast and resource rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Decades of conflict and other challenges over the past decades have left the Congo with an 80 percent poverty rate, an annual per capita income of just over $120, inadequate social and health services, and weak governmental institutions. Given its fragility and weak institutions, the country is susceptible to health crises, including recent outbreaks of Ebola, measles, cholera and COVID-19.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS has operated in the DRC since 1961, successfully implementing programs in nutrition, agriculture livelihoods, emergency, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, microfinance, and peacebuilding throughout the country. CRS/DRC currently has around 180 staff operating out of 8 offices in Kinshasa, Goma (North Kivu), Kananga (Kasai Central), Mbuji Mayi (Kasai Oriental), Kalemie (Tanganyika), Lubumbashi (Haut Katanga), Bukavu (South Kivu), and Kole/Lodja (Sankuru).

A proposal-based position, as Chief of Party I you will provide leadership and overall management of the overall management of a four-year “Food Security and Integrated Water Resources Management” (FS/IWRM) program pending a successful bid for the award. Your leadership, management and technical knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming and advance the position of CRS as a leading agency in conflict-sensitive food security, agriculture, value chain, and environmental and watershed protection programming. As a senior leader you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

The Chief of Party (CoP) will oversee the development, management and implementation of a high-quality FS/IWRM project funded by the Netherlands Embassy in Rwanda catalyzing economic development, access to markets and livelihoods (especially agricultural livelihoods), and climate-sensitive environment and land management.

The Chief of Party will ensure activities are needs-driven and evidence-based, adhering to CRS program quality standards for emergency and development and employing best practices based on a long history of multi-sectoral interventions in DR Congo.  He or she will ensure compliance with CRS and donor requirements and will maintain positive and productive relationships with the donor and partners throughout the co-creation process and project lifecycle.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and management of the program, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Serve as the primary point of contact to the donor as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
  • Ensure the project is designed and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability. Ensure coordination between program and operations leads. Ensure CRS program quality standards are adhered to per MEAL policy and procedures.
  • Effectively manage senior programming and operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
  • 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 ensure the updating of such plans.
  • Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Ensure compliance with donor grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and reporting to donor. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
  • Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
  • Coordinate relationships with consortium partner organizations, including organization of review/planning workshops. Contribute to coordination of the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations in implementation in line with CRS partnership principles.
  • 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. Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field.
  • Preferred minimum of 10 years work experience in a program management position with progressive responsibilities for an international NGO preferably managing projects with agriculture, livelihoods, value chain, and watershed management activities.
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing donor funds, preferably for institutional donors including or similar to the Government of the Netherlands.  Strong knowledge and experience in budget management.
  • Minimum of 5 years of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching senior program staff.

Required Languages: English, French

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 25 %.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Strong 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.
  • Presentation and facilitation skills.
  • Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Excellent English writing skills.
  • Prior experience as a Chief of Party or comparable senior leadership position.
  • Demonstrated experience of successful program management, including management of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects with agriculture, livelihoods, value chain development, and/or watershed management components.
  • Experience engaging partners (local organizations, private sector, government, etc.) and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy a plus.
  • Ability to represent and present at high levels.
  • Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
  • Experience working in conflict-affected or insecure areas.

Supervisory Responsibilities: program staff.

Key Working Relationships:

  • Internal: Country Representative, Deputy Country Representatives for Programming, Deputy Country Representative for Operations, Deputy Head of Programming, MEAL/ICT4D Coordinator, Emergency Coordinator, Business Development Specialist, Gender, Protection, and Beneficiary Feedback Advisor, Finance Manager, Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Regional Technical Advisors, HQ based Public Donor Liaison.
  • External: Donors, partner INGOs and local NGOs, Caritas, and peer agencies.

Qualifications

  • Masters degree in International Development, International Relations or a relevant technical area. PhD preferred.
  • 7 or more years’ relevant management and technical experience.
  • 5 years experience managing donor funds, including multi country grants. Strong knowledge and experience in budget management.
  • 5 years of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching senior program staff.