Deputy Head of Programming at Catholic Relief

Job Summary:

You will contribute to providing strategic direction and management of the Country Program (CP) portfolio complementing the Head of Programs (HOP) efforts at ensuring the establishment and successful implementation of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. Your management and programming skills will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming. You will actively coordinate with CRS operations departments and other CRS programs. You will contribute heavily to the leadership and long-term vision of CRS Kenya’s growth strategy.                                                                                                             

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Complement the HOP in providing strategic direction for the design of CP strategic frameworks and plans, including resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities.
• Lead where appropriate and contribute to high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context and technical requirements of projects. Coordinate planning of activities for projects to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessment for direct reports across diverse sectors.
• Contribute to creating and maintaining the proper conditions for learning. Help establish a safe environment for the sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to small deficiencies. Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management as part of the implementation of the MEAL policy.
• Coordinate with CP operations staff to ensure appropriate project budgeting and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• Coordinate the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
  • Support partnership capacity strengthening manager by serving on PCS working group selection of strategic partnerships and representation in local leadership forums as needed.
• Contribute where needed in the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards.
  • Provide leadership in pursuing sector specific growth strategies including identifying new partnerships and developing roadmaps for pursuing non-traditional donors
  • Provide leadership to a private sector engagement strategy for the CP
• Coordinate technical assistance and capacity strengthening for project teams and partners in project management standards and related MEAL, business development and operational activities. Help identify training opportunities, develop training curriculums and deliver trainings.
•  Ensure that you and your team understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans.
• Ensure that safeguarding, protection and gender equity are consistently and intentionally streamlined into all program activities, including staff recruitment and training.
• Champion CRS commitment to safeguarding everyone from harassment, exploitation and abuse through robust systems of prevention and response, as well as our commitment to gender equity.
• Deputize for the HOP, when necessary.

Basic Qualifications

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations, Masters in Public Health or relevant field.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in a program management position with progressive responsibilities for an international NGO, preferably with at least 2-3 years working in direct implementation of projects in remote and resource constrained environments.
• Experience providing management oversight to programs in diverse sectors
• Demonstrated experience in prioritization of tasks in a fast-moving work environment
• Demonstrated experience in project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, etc., preferably for projects funded by multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Demonstrated experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or institutional donor funding, including successful engagement with private sector and positioning for long-term or non-traditional donor funding.
• Experience working with local partners, and supporting partnership capacity strengthening efforts
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion including gender equality.

Required Languages – English

Travel – Must be willing to travel to remote field locations based on need at an estimated 35% of time

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 and offer innovative and contextualized solutions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Strong planning, management and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated capacity to build, mentor and lead diverse teams in challenging field conditions.
• Commitment to building a diverse team and a safe working environment.
• Cultural awareness with the capacity to learn rapidly and adapt management approaches to varying cultural and security contexts.
• Good presentation and facilitation skills for diverse groups.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead teams responding rapidly to evolving challenges, devising appropriate solutions and achieving results.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple tasks in parallel meeting multiple and conflicting deadlines
• Demonstrated capacity to live and work in remote and insecure field locations with very basic amenities and few or no other international staff and adhere a strict curfew and movement restrictions.
• Team leadership abilities
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented
• Strong financial management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent English writing skills with demonstrated experience winning awards from multiple donors
• Demonstrated experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience developing staff capacity with staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Some experience and abilities in capacity strengthening - developing curricula and facilitating trainings.
• Strong MEAL knowledge and understanding of how to demonstrate achievements to different audiences
• Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks.
• Experience leading Emergency / Humanitarian Response/ Disaster Risk Reduction programming a plus.