Chief of Party I

CRS is recruiting in anticipation of an award – recruitment for all candidates is contingent upon successful award of the project.   

Background

CRS is seeking Project Director candidates for an anticipated multi-county child development, care, and protection project. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen national systems that protect vulnerable children, support families, and improve early childhood development through locally led and sustainable approaches. The project will improve outcomes for vulnerable children by strengthening child protection systems, supporting families and caregivers, advancing integrated early childhood health and development, and reducing reliance on residential care.

Job Summary

As the Project Director, you will provide leadership and overall management of the child development, care, and protection project in Malawi, ensuring that effective systems and processes are in place to support the project objectives and advance CRS’ work in serving the poor and vulnerable. 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 the field of child development, care, and protection. The role is accountable for day-to-day project leadership, donor compliance, subaward management, and effective coordination with consortium partners and government stakeholders. As a senior leader, you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Relationship Management: Serve as lead relationship manager and representative with all in-country stakeholders, including the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, foreign governments, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, civil society partners, other FBOs, and community networks. Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of partnerships relevant to the project, applying CRS’ partnership principles, concepts, tools and approaches. 
• Project Management: Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the project in Malawi. Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight of the Liberia FCI project throughout the project cycle to ensure project design, start-up, implementation and close-out are in line with CRS quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. Manage integration of CP project processes and activities with the global project team. Establish a safe environment for sharing ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies.
• Supervision: Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff. Effectively manage senior programming and operations talent, ensuring coordination between program and operations leads. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. 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.
• Program Quality: Oversee the project technical assistance and capacity strengthening activities for staff and partner organizations to enhance program quality and impact. Ensure the project is co-created and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability.  Ensure the CRS program quality standards are adhered to per MEAL policy and procedures. 
• Program Learning: Lead the development of program learning and share how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Identify opportunities for learning, research, and publications. Facilitate the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned to contribute to the agency's knowledge management agenda. Ensure integration of innovations and best practices. 
• Stewardship: Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Ensure compliance with donor guidelines, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, milestones, administration and reporting.  Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Communications: Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Demonstrated understanding of service delivery systems in the health sector, primary health care, national health strategies, and the role of governmental, civil society, and faith-based partners. 
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to lead and manage partner relationships at high levels, and to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Demonstrated experience of successful program management, leading and coaching diverse, multi-disciplinary teams. 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 communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or Doctorate Degree in social work, education, health or a related field.
• Recognized leader in sector as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, conference presentations etc.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy.

Required Languages - Fluent English and Chichewa 

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% to remote low resource locations. 

Supervisory Responsibilities Yes 

Leading a project of 6 staff 

• Program Managers Technical 
• Project officers 
• MEAL 

Internal: Head of Programming, CRS MEAL Lead, Regional and HQ Technical Advisors 

External: Government Stakeholders, partners and CSOs,

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a health-related field, international development, or international relations. 
• Minimum 8 years’ relevant management and health technical experience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience managing donor funds, including multi-country grants.  Strong knowledge and experience in budget management.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience managing staff and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.  Experience coaching senior program staff.

Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions. 
• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

What we offer

CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.  Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.  CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  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 safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, 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 committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

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.

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

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.