Job Description

Internal/External Job Announcement

About CRS

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, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. 

For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia's most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS' disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS's humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes gender equality, mobilizes for immunization and mitigates the impact of COVID-19.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS.

CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following different positions for an indefinite term contract that is contingent upon funding of the JEOP program:

Position Title:

Program Manager I JEOP Program Quality

Duty Station:

Mekelle

Employment Term:

Indefinite Term contingent upon funding of JEOP program

Reports to:

 JEOP Deputy Chief of Party Program Quality

Application Deadline:

January 09, 2021

 JEOP Background

The Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) is an emergency food assistance program targeting transitory food insecure households through a project participant targeting process led by the Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE) National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC). JEOP provides emergency assistance to protect their lives and livelihood where recurrent drought affected in significant harvest loss, livestock death and price increase of essentials. The consortium is led by CRS and includes consortium partners, CARE, Food for the Hungry, Relief Society of Tigray (REST), World Vision and Organization for Relief and Development in Amhara (ORDA). CRS also works thorough local implementing partners Hararghe and Meki Catholic Secretariat (HCS and MCS).

 Job Summary:

 As a member of JEOP, you will facilitate achievement of high-quality project objectives through leading the JEOP Program Quality Unit for the Northern Ethiopia Response, advancing CRS work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that JEOP applies best practices related to programming and partnership, and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve. JEOP’s program quality unit covers monitoring evaluation accountability and learning (MEAL), early warning systems (EWS), protection, inclusion, safeguarding and gender integration. You will work within JEOP to strengthen CRS and partner capacity in the above areas, in liaison with the CRS program quality technical team in Addis. This will include managerial support for JEOP program quality staff in Tigray, facilitating workshops around and following up workplans across workstreams. The program quantity unit provides support to mainstream quality concepts across JEOP’s other core units: Operations, Compliance and Risk. The position holder will work with multiple JEOP staff (and supply chain staff in the Mekelle Primary Distribution Point – PDP) to make sure that JEOP staff in CRS and partners have an appropriate capacity building plans in place, with training, support, follow up, with particular focus on local staff and partner capacity building, localization, and subsidiarity.

Job Responsibilities:

·        Manage and implement all activities throughout relevant project cycles - project design, start-up, implementation and close-out - to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices. Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools.

·        Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.

·        Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.

·        Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development in respective programming area, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed.

·        Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.

·        Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.

·        Help identify, assess, and strengthen partnerships relevant to JEOP, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.

·        Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to project needs. Through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resources

In addition to the above, the cope will cover the following in particular:

1.      Strategic planning and coordination

• Coordinate with JEOP partners in Northern Ethiopia to achieve high levels of program quality through technical oversight and guidance; consortium-wide learning; and effective management of human, material, and financial resources as per USAID/BHA regulations
• Assist the Deputy Chief of Party for Program Quality (DCoP/PQ) to review progress on implementation of JEOP program quality unit interventions in Northern Ethiopia according to the proposal, budget, detailed implementation, work-plans, and donor agreements and that JEOP is implemented according to proposed technical design, quality standards and reporting schedules
• Onboard, lead and support JEOP program staff in Northern Ethiopia (CRS and JEOP implementing partners) in developing and implementing efficient technical service delivery that may consist of capacity building, feedback mechanism from consortium partners and performance monitoring system to measure progress
• Support development of quarterly progress reporting among JEOP partners implementing in Northern Ethiopia, and annual PREP submission to USAID/BHA, coordinating with the DCoP/PQ and Addis-based MEAL Program Manager and consortium partners to provide timely updates
• Ensure effective and full integration of program interventions across technical sectors, including integration of cross cutting strategies regarding protection, gender, disability inclusion, youth, and sustainability

2.      Program Quality, Monitoring and Learning

• Provide technical direction to program quality activities/innovations (MEAL, protection/PSEA, EWS, disability inclusion, environmental impact)
• Assist DCoP/PQ to facilitate JEOP program implementation in Northern Ethiopia, and ensure quality of products including EWS reports, technical training modules, monitoring and evaluation reports, and compliance with agency and donor standards
• Manage a team of technical staff who will coordinate and lead implementation of all program quality activities with consortium partners
• Identify innovation, including use of ICT4D, in respective technical areas and facilitate adaptation and application within the context Northern Ethiopia where the JEOP with all consortium partners
• Ensure that JEOP technical working group Northern Ethiopia components meet on a regular basis, identify lessons learned, solve problems and harmonize approaches
• Explore different modalities to improve smooth roll-out of and the turnaround responses of feedback mechanism to respond to M&E findings on program implementation and ensure corrective actions
• Enhance cross-learning within consortium through review reflections, exchange visits, exchange of staff and other practical innovations
• Provide services for specific program activities on behalf of consortium members, including (but not limited to) short term and long-term consultancies, research studies and visits of donors and others
• Support the communications team to identify and develop solid success stories, write-up of lessons learned and human-interest pieces

  Representation

• Support JEOP SMT in Addis to liaise between JEOP and other stakeholders in Northern Ethiopia, including local administration, food cluster, international agencies, and NGOs, JEOP consortium partners
• Represent JEOP on the Mekelle CRS SMT
• Represent JEOP at external meetings and different fora as related to technical areas, notably EWS, protection, and ensure the experience of JEOP implementation is shared with others

Job Requirements

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• MA or BA Degree in Management, International Development, Social Science, related field with 4 years' relevant experience for MA degree or 6 years' relevant experience for BA degree for an international NGO. Additional education may substitute for some experience.
• Knowledge and experience in USAID Title II program areas of emergency food distribution, program monitoring and evaluation, consortium management, recovery
• Additional demonstrated ability to lead a technical team in one or more of the following technical areas: early warning analysis, protection, nutrition, and MEAL
• Minimum three years’ experience in a senior position that demonstrates mentoring staff to achieve program results
• Demonstrated ability to work both strategically and at an appropriate level of detail to lead a complex program and consortium, excellent analytical skills
• Personal qualities include flexibility, persistence, and ability to work well with people and cross-cultural skills
• Demonstrated capacity to understand the current best practices and challenges while coordinating to implement JEOP program strategies through a participatory approach
• Excellent partnership skills and the ability to interact effectively with donors, collaborating agencies, and local partners demonstrated through close work experience with international NGOs
• Knowledge of USAID and USG grant regulations and procedures. Prior management of USAID funding required; knowledge of Title II policies and procedures preferred
• Experience in consortium management is preferred
• Computer literate, with strong knowledge of MS Office applications, spread sheets, database programs, and statistical software packages

 Personal Skills

• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
• Attention to detail, accuracy, and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
• Strong facilitation and creative problem-solving skills.

 Required/Desired Foreign Language: Tigrinya and English essential. Amharic a plus.

 Travel Required: 35%

 Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: 4 or more Senior Project Officers

Internal: CRS PDP Management, Supply Chain, JEOP Senior Management Team and technical leads, CRS Ethiopia partnership unit, CRS Ethiopia safeguarding, finance, protection, and gender units.

External: JEOP implementing partners, food cluster, World Food Programme

 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.

• Trusting Relationships 
• Professional Growth 
• Partnership 
• Accountability 

 Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

 How to Apply

You should fill the application form through this link; CLICK HERE

And attach your up-to-date CV on / before the application deadline January 09, 2021.

You will be contacted only if selected for written exam/interview. Phone solicitations will not be accepted. These job opportunities are open to Ethiopian nationals only. CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking.  Qualified women are highly encouraged to apply**