Project Director - Child Development, Care, and Protection (Kenyan Nationals only) at Catholic Relief

Job Summary:

• As the Project Director, you will provide leadership and overall management of the child development, care, and protection project in Kenya, ensuring 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 Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, State Department for Children Services, national and county governments, 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 Kenya. 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.

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.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Country Manager, Head of Programming, Program Manager II (HNSS), senior program and operations staff, Country Program finance and MEAL teams, global technical advisors and Community of Practice, and security focal points.
• External: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, national and county governments, consortium and implementing partners, donor representatives, civil society organizations, other FBOs, and community networks.

Qualifications

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.

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.