Nigeria: WASH/Shelter Program Manager

Aug 7, 2017 | Catholic Relief Services
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Catholic Relief Services is a humanitarian aid organization which helps the poor and vulnerable overseas by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies

Its mission is to assist impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Although the mission is rooted in the Catholic faith, our operations serve people based solely on need, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. Within the United States, CRS engages Catholics to live their faith in solidarity with the poor and suffering people of the world.

Program Quality and Management

• Together with Team Leaders, lead on program management of all CRS WASH and Shelter program activities in Northeast Nigeria, setting high quality performance targets and ensuring adherence to technical standards (including Sphere and local technical working group standards), best practices, and donor guidelines.
• Together with the WASH/Shelter Team Leader and with support from engineers on the WASH/Shelter team, ensure that designs, BOQs and implementation of constructed and rehabilitated structures are sound, from an engineering and program quality aspect, including that structures are culturally appropriate, accepted, and tailored to the needs of diverse, vulnerable populations.
• Together with the Emergency Coordinator and Northeast Head of Operations, prepare contracts and documentation for construction and rehabilitation projects, meeting appropriate standards.
• Together with the Hygiene Promotion Team Leader, ensure that community mobilization activities are adapted to the local context, specifically in the area of latrine maintenance committees and cleaning campaigns.
• Together with WASH/Shelter and Hygiene Promotion Team Leaders, manage distribution of program materials (NFI, shelter, etc) using appropriate in-kind or market-based modalities based on market and needs assessments Ensure that proper trainings / community mobilization events are organized to increase the chance of distributed program material to be used as intented.
• Ensure with Team Leaders beneficiary's ownership of projects to maintain output (infrastructure, management committees) in the long term.
• Ensure that land ownership issues has been addressed with proper documentation in hand prior to actual implementation of construction activities.
• Ensure that the project engages local material and labor where feasible and develops local capacity for longer term sustainability.
• Ensure with Team Leaders the selection of project beneficiaries based on approved criteria and strategies, ensuring beneficiaries are included or at least consulted and their views taken into account at all stages of program implemention.
• Ensure that Team Leaders oversee contractors and direct implementation, and that continuous assessments take place in older project sites as well in new sites.
• Ensure that Team Leaders use appropriate project management tools to plan, review, and track progress on project implementation and manage the utilization of project resources.
• Ensure protection, gender, and conflict sensitivity are mainstreamed throughout project design and implementation, and that diverse, vulnerable people's feedback is frequently solicited and incorporated.
• Together with the MEAL team, ensure the development and implement strong monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning tools and systems using appropriate CRS tools and resources to maximize project impact on beneficiaries.

• Contribute to strategic plans, proposals, budget development, donor reporting, and other written documentation.

Partnership and Capacity Building

• Establish and maintain excellent collaborative working relationships with local partners.
• Manage relationships, negotiations and intensive communication efforts with partners in all phases of grant/project implementation.
• Facilitate coordination with partners, including knowledge management, learning and capacity building for partner staff.

• Promote the involvement of partners at all stages of the project cycle.

Programmatic Reporting

• Ensure timely and quality preparation of donor project narrative reports, quarterly performance indicator tracking tables, baseline and final evaluation reports, as well as other reports needed/required by the local government, donors, the region or headquarters as per reporting schedule.
• Advise senior management about issues affecting project implementation, or key local issues affecting future grants/projects developments.

Budgeting, Financial Planning and Compliance

• Ensure grant/project management compliance with donor regulations.

• Ensure the review and timely submission of financial reports by partners working in close coordination with the finance team and other resource management staff in Country Office. 
• In collaboration Finance and Program teams, review and analyze budget comparison reports and take necessary steps to ensure proper management and utilization of grant/project budgets.

Representation, Coordination, and Communication

• Together with the Emergency Coordinator identify and contact land owners to ensure that CRS have appropriate permissions to construct or operate.
• Represent CRS at appropriate Cluster or Sector coordination meetings and review reporting tools (cluster 3Ws) prior to submission by Team Leaders.
• Ensure proper representation of CRS with key community leaders and relevant authorities for implementation of WASH and Shelter activities.
• Liaise with key non-government organizations (NGOs) and national, state, and local government actors as necessary.
• Contribute to strategy and policy development in regards to the WASH and Shelter sectors in close collaboration with Global CRS Technical Advisers for WASH and Shelter
• Promote strong linkages and exchange with other CRS staff and departments to share best practices and expertise. In particular, work closely with the other emergency teams to ensure complementarity and harmonization of process and implementation.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor Team Leaders and other WASH/Shelter program staff in adherence to the CRS Performance Management System.
• Prepare employee job descriptions, performance plans and performance appraisals for project staff.

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.

• Serves with Integrity 
• Models Stewardship 
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships 
• Promotes Learning

CRS Emergency Competencies:

Each CRS staff member working in emergencies is expected to have the following competencies 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 programs

Supervisory Responsibilities: Manage a diverse team of technical experts, project officers, and community mobilizers, including CRS and partner staff.

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal: County Representative, Emergency Director, Emergency Coordinator, Head of Operations, Security Manager, Senior Business Development Manager, and other CRS programming and operational staff in Nigeria, CRS HQ, regional staff, and technical advisors including CRS Humanitarian Response Department.

External: Appropriate Sector leads, UN OCHA, state and local government offices, local and international NGOs, UN agencies, CRS partners, donors, community members and beneficiairies

Required Qualifications and Experience: 

1. Masters Degree in any related field (public health, engineering, hydrogeology etc).
2. Minimum of five years of relevant field-based project management experience required. Experience in managing complex projects and large teams in an emergency, recovery and development context
3. Minimum of two years of experience managing emergency WASH andShelter programming with an international NGO.
4. Demonstrated knowledge and application of relevant humanitarian standards, including Sphere. 
5. Demonstrated ability in staff development and partner capacity strengthening, and experience in partnership with local NGOs. 
6. Demonstrated commitment to gender and conflict sensitive programming.
7. Proven ability to develop proposals and write reports meeting donor requirements. 
8. Excellent analytical, management, communication and negotiation skills. 
9. Must be able to prioritize multiple work demands and work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision. 
10. Familiarity with policies, procedures, and priorities of USAID, UN agencies and Caritas agencies preferred.
11. Advanced computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office (MS Word, Excel, etc) with ArcGIS and AutoCAD preferred 
12. Experience working in insecure environments and adhering to strict security protocols
13. Excellent inter-cultural sensitivity and interpersonal skills necessary in insecure environments.

Required Foreign Language: Fluent English. Hausa or Kanuri a plus.

Required Travel: Travel within Nigeria, frequent vehicle travel to project sites.

Work Environment: 

* This position is based in Maiduguri, Borno State, with frequent travel to Damaturu, Yobe State.

* CRS will provide accommodation in a guest house or approved hotel.

Disclaimer: 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.