Strong Program Manager II at Catholic Relief Services (CRS) | Kigali :Deadline: 07-07-2023

THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING 

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, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Background: CRS is preparing to implement a global project that will address critical nutrition needs of adolescent girls and young women, with an emphasis on a multi-regional perspective and incorporating a significant goods delivery component. This five-year program will be implemented across seven countries including: Guatemala, India, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Timor Leste, and Zambia. Activities in the seven countries will contribute to the achievement of global results, targets, and indictors under one global award managed by a central Senior Management Team. In Rwanda, this program will be implemented in five districts with the highest anemia rates amongst women  (DHS 2020). namely Kayonza, Rwamagana, Nyarugenge, Rulindo, and Nyamasheke districts.

Job Summary:

As the Project Manager in Rwanda for the Sustainable, Targeted, Responsive approach to Optimize Nutrition and Growth (STRONG) for Adolescent Girls and Young Women, you will manage, coordinate, and monitor project activities and relationships with partners and other project stakeholders contributing to the achievement of STRONG project objectives and advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your project management skills and knowledge of health and nutrition for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming and advance work towards increasing the impact of this global project. This position reports to the CRS Rwanda Head of Programming and will have a matrixed relationship with the global Project Director.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• You will lead STRONG Rwanda’s technical, budget management, monitoring, and reporting activities throughout the project cycle – start-up, implementation and close-out – in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Effectively manage and supervise talent. 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.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities following MEAL Policy. Proactively identify issues, report them to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.

• Engage and strengthen partnerships relevant to STRONG, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools, and approaches.

• Represent the project with donors, INGO working groups, UN, relevant local partners and relevant local government and community actors advancing nutrition for AGYW.
• Coordinate activities required for ensuring the financial, material and human resources for the quality implementation of the project in Rwanda. Conduct periodic budget reviews and follow-up with partners on timely submission of financial reports to facilitate proper tracking of resource use.

• Champion learning with CRS Rwanda 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.

• Identify staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and contribute to capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and disseminate results. Review project documentation to ensure project file is complete with all required documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.
  
  
  

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in the field of Nutrition, Social Science, Development Studies fields is required or master’s degree in public health would be a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in project management, ideally in the field of Nutrition and for an NGO.

• Additional experience may substitute for some education.

Required Languages –

• Oral and written fluency in English and Kinyarwanda. French is a plus.

Travel – The position is Kigali based.

Must be willing and able to travel to the field, in five target districts, up to 20 % of the time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders. Representation abilities.
• Ability to write and contribute to, and ensure quality of, written reports.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant grant management experience, especially for USG or other public donors, a plus.
• Staff supervision experience.
• Experience working with stakeholders at various levels and strengthening community partnerships.
• Strong budget management skills.
• Ability to contribute to the development of technical proposals, a plus.
• Experience analyzing data and contributing to evaluation reports.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
  
  
  

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.

• Builds and Maintains Trust
• Collaborates with Others
• Open to Learn
• Leads Change
• Develops and Recognizes Others
• Strategic Mindset
• Personal Accountability
• Acts with Integrity.

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.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Will supervise two staff (the Project Officer and MEAL officer)

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Working relationship with the Head of Programming, STRONG Global Project Director through a matrixed relationship, INECD Nutrition Advisor, INECD Agriculture Livelihoods Advisor

External: Local Civil Society Organizations implementing INECD and GoR institutions at central and decentralized levels.

***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.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, strongly recommends women and young people to apply, and offers inclusive and gender friendly recruitment and working conditions.

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should complete the attached application form, Self -Declaration Clause and submit them together with one page Cover letter plus updated CV (maximum three pages) all in/as one document – via email only to: RW_HR@crs.org no later than Friday July 07^th, 2023, at 01:30 pm.

Please, include below statement in your cover letter:

“By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.” 

Also include your full names and title “STRONG Program Manager II @ Band 10” in the subject line.

Due to anticipated high interest in this post and the expected number of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Kigali, June 22^nd, 2023.

Jude Marie Banatte

Country Representative

CRS/Rwanda Program