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Job Description:
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Position Title:
Project Director-Disaster Risk Reduction
Requisition Number: I1402
Position Type:
Full-Time
Location:
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with about 30% travel to the field
Length of Assignment: Three years
This position is contingent on donor funding
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has worked in Ethiopia since 1958. For
more than 50 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and
man-made shocks 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, livelihoods support and water and sanitation assistance.
Recognizing the urgent challenges posed by climate change, CRS will soon
begin implementing an integrated $12 million disaster risk reduction (DRR)
project in Ethiopia’s most drought-prone and food insecure districts. The
purpose of this project is to build the resiliency of communities and local
structures to plan for and mitigate the effects of climate change.
JOB PURPOSE
The Project Director will be based at the CRS Ethiopia office in Addis
Ababa and be responsible for programmatic and managerial project oversight.
S/he will apply strong technical expertise in natural resource management,
food security, community mobilization, early warning systems and
partnership building to ensure the project is effectively planned, managed,
implemented and monitored, with a particular focus on learning and
innovation. S/he is responsible for representing the project internally and
externally, and ensuring that the project in line with and responsive to
donor standards and requirements.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Project management and oversight
- Serve
as the consortium lead for the project and ensure strong communication
and coordination with and between all consortium members as a means to
effectively achieving program objectives.
- Lead
the planning of project activities and set high quality performance
targets ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and
donor guidelines.
- Use
appropriate project management tools to plan, review and track
progress on project implementation as well as on the utilization of
project resources.
- Ensure
the establishment and implementation of a creative M&E system
using CRS tools and resources (e.g. SMILER method) and including
regular and iterative performance assessments (e.g. PDSA cycle) to
ensure continuous quality improvement.
- Liaise
with relevant sectors and partners to support integration and maximum
complementarity.
- Design
strategies, partnerships and interventions to guarantee the project is
gender and ability-sensitive and that CRS and implementing partners
are accountable to beneficiaries.
- Promote
good knowledge management, documentation and learning, including
supporting staff to develop, pilot, and share learning on technical
innovations.
- Procure
regional and global technical support as needed and carry out regular
monitoring to ensure the quality of technical support
Budgeting, financial planning and reporting
- Ensure
grant management compliance for the project with multiple donor and
CRS regulations with support from the Country Program Compliance team.
- Work
closely with local implementing partners and other Sub Recipients to
ensure timely and quality advance tracking and liquidation as per CRS
guidelines.
- With
support from the finance and compliance teams, prepare donor finance
reports.
- Coordinate
with management quality staff for purchasing and inventory control as
per CRS/donor requirements.
- In
collaboration with the finance/compliance teams, review and analyze
budget comparison reports and take necessary steps to ensure proper
management and utilization of budgets.
- Approve
project expenditures, carry out regular budget tracking and take the
lead on request for modifications as and when needed
Coordination and communication
- Serve
as the primary point of contact and collaboration for the consortium
and in-country stakeholders, including the donor, implementation
partners, government partners and other key stakeholders.
- Represent
the project in key coordination bodies and at events/forums as
requested.
- Act
as internal spokesperson for the project within CRS, ensuring
cross-country learning and maintaining strong communication with CRS
colleagues and regional staff.
Supervision
- Support
recruitment of CRS staff for the project and key positions for other
consortium members.
- Ensure
annual performance planning and reviews of staff performance in
keeping with CRS’ performance management system. Mentor staff to
ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork.
- Ensure
staff compliance with all CRS administrative and operational
procedures and policies, as well as applicable donor regulations.
Program Manager Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by
each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve
the desired results.
- Sets
clear goals and manages toward them.
- Collaborates
effectively with staff and stakeholders.
- Manages
financial resources with integrity.
- Applies
program quality standards to project design and organizational
learning
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used
by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve
the desired results.
- Serves
with Integrity
- Models
Stewardship
- Cultivates
Constructive Relationships
- Promotes
Learning
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
National Project Officers
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
This position reports to the Country Representative. Other key
relationships include but are not limited to:
Internal: Head of Programs; Head of Management Quality;
program managers in related sectors (agriculture/NRM, health, etc.);
regional technical advisors; CRS/Ethiopia administration; Deputy Regional
Director for Program Quality
External: USAID mission in Ethiopia; implementing partners;
regional, zonal and district governments; humanitarian and development
coordination bodies
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience
- Master’s
degree in Agriculture, Resource Management, Engineering, Environmental
Science, International Development or a related field.
- Significant
previous experience planning and implementing DRR and natural resource
management activities.
- Minimum
5 years experience managing projects focused on one or more of the
elements identified above; experience with development projects and
significant field-based technical expertise and training in Africa.
- Exceptional
leadership, judgment and inter-personal skills and ability to build
and motivate diverse and talented teams.
- Proven
experience working with Government, universities, faith-based
organizations and the private sector to build and sustain coordination
structures and mutually beneficial market linkages.
- Experience
with participatory methods, institutional partnerships and diplomacy
in communication.
- Proven
ability to think strategically and innovatively.
- Flexibility
to work effectively both in a team and independently.
- Cultural
sensitivity, patience and flexibility.
- Demonstrated
personal accountability, driven to serve others and achieve results.
- Excellent
English language oral and written communication skills.
- Willingness
to travel to resource-poor areas at least 30%.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an
exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities
associated with the position
EOE/M/F/D/V
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