Position Title: Country Representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Dept/Location: CARO/Kinshasa
Job Band: E
FLSA: Exempt
Reports To: Regional Director - CARO
Length of Assignment: Three to five years
Background:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, we have expanded in size to reach more than 100 million people in 91 countries on five continents. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. Though CRS intervenes in every area of development and emergency, our three signature program areas are: emergency response and recovery, agricultural livelihoods, and health..
CRS has been supporting program activities in the DRC since 1961, and has long-standing relationships with Church and non-Church partners and communities throughout the country. The DRC country program has a diverse funding base with projects in nutrition, community health, food security and agricultural livelihoods, microfinance (SILC), WASH, education, and peacebuilding. The DRC is currently a priority country of the agency selected for strategic initiatives to achieve greater growth and program impact. CRS/DRC currently has over 140 national and 25 international staff. With an FY14 APP budget of over USD $25 Million, coupled with strong donor interest in supporting CRS’ work in the country, significant growth opportunities exist for the CP. CRS DRC has project offices in Goma, Bukavu, Lubumbashi, Lodja and Kinshasa. CRS DRC also manages occasional outreach programs with Caritas in the Republic of Congo - Brazzaville.
Job Summary:
The CRS Country Representative for DRC is responsible for overall leadership and management of the country offices, including stewardship of agency resources, operational excellence, program quality and implementation, and performance management of human resources. The Country Representative is also CRS’ principal representative to the Catholic Church and the government in both Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville, donors, international organizations, and local civil society organizations. This position requires an individual with strong leadership abilities; representational, communication, and risk management skills; and a facility for developing networks to build partnerships and diversify program resources. S/he will be responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program in the short- to long-term; provide necessary coaching and supervision for senior managers directly under his or her supervision; ensure high quality program design and implementation; ensure efficient management of public grants and private funds for compliance and high quality reporting; and provide oversight of the financial management systems.
Specific Job Responsibilities
Leadership/Representation
· Provide leadership at the country program level to ensure staff understand and work towards the long-term vision and strategies of CRS in DRC.
· Develop strategies to ensure strong representation to the Church, United States Government, local governments and authorities, international organizations, other donors, international and national PVOs, and other appropriate networks.
· Develop and maintain strong partnerships with local implementing partners such as the Church, and other local and international agencies.
· Represent CRS at the highest levels in DRC, as required.
· Seek and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of CRS and its partners, as well as the needs and challenges of program participants.
Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
· Set the strategic vision and direction of the country program to serve more people with the highest quality programming possible, and secure the necessary resources to ensure its realization.
· Align programming to Agency and Regional strategies, and guide the process of developing appropriate programs and annual work plans.
· Manage ongoing programs and develop and design new programs in the areas of health, food security, emergency preparedness and response, WASH, education, justice and peace, and institutional strengthening in line with the regional and partner strategies.
· Ensure country program coherence with regional strategies through communication with Regional Director and regional technical staff; with national strategies through coordination with relevant national agencies, government and donors.
· Ensure program quality through implementation of country-specific project review systems, comprehensive Monitoring & Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems and staff/partner development.
· Enhance MEAL with increased utilization and linkages to ICT4D and ICT4E technologies across the country program.
· Remain current on national and regional issues impacting CRS country programs and partners, and develop responsive strategies to ensure the CRS mission is carried out appropriately.
· Ensure country program alignment and involvement in meeting the objectives of the agency strategic objectives.
· Oversee short- and medium-term strategic planning for implementation of high quality programs.
· Identify opportunities for appropriate expansion and growth of programs, and the acquisition and investment of human resources.
· Ensure that programming quality and operational excellence standards are coherently integrated and upheld for maximum performance.
Stewardship
· Ensure operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost effectiveness in all functions and operations of the country program, whether quality/technical assistance, finance, material resource management, growth, administration, information technology, audit, etc.
· Ensure that systems are in place to enable CRS DRC to adhere to CRS and donor policies and procedures, and that those policies and procedures are understood by all Staff.
· Ensure compliance with all CRS and donor administrative and financial requirements and regulations.
Staff Performance Management and Development
· Supervise and mentor staff, including development of performance plans and assessment of performance.
· Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development for CRS staff.
· Oversee the management, coaching and development of national and international staff to build a cadre of skilled and committed personnel.
· Ensure application of principles of a just workplace and diversity, and promote staff care and well-being.
Security and Emergency Response Management
· Oversee the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.
· Create and maintain a culture of safety and security throughout the country program.
· Keep security, evacuation and contingency plans current and revise annually, or as necessary, and ensure adherence by all CRS staff.
· Lead and manage emergency responses.
Communications
· Ensure open communications and encourage principles of a just workplace.
· Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages honest communication between CRS staff and partners.
· Ensure positive and productive communication with the Episcopal Conference and with the dioceses supported by CRS.
· Ensure open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.
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
Country Representative Competencies:
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each country representative to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
· Leads toward Strategic Results
· Manages Risk and Complexity
· Represents and Partners Strategically
· Champions Learning and Performance
Qualifications:
· Masters in International Development/Relations or related field
· 10 or more years of progressively responsible experience in PVO leadership and management
· Previous experience managing a large-scale PVO country program
· Experience managing a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded (USG, UN, Global Fund, Gates, etc…) initiatives
· Demonstrated success in program development and fundraising
· Proven ability to negotiate and work with local government and organizations
· Strong interpersonal, communication and organization skills as well as solid, well-balanced judgment, vision and maturity
· Ability to operate successfully amidst complexity and uncertainty
· Demonstrated effectiveness with short- and long-term planning, as well as financial, human resource, and program management
· Experience with institutional strengthening and partnership building helpful
· Ability to work effectively in diverse environments and under pressure
· Ability to cope with multiple priorities in a timely manner with high quality outcomes
· Demonstrated understanding of the importance of staff development
· Familiarity with Central Africa a plus
Personal/Professional Skills:
· Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills as well as good judgment and vision.
· Strong written and verbal communication skills.
· Familiarity and/or appreciation of the social teachings of the Catholic Church and its structure; ability to work well within this framework
· Commitment to the Agency's mission and strategy
Key Working Relationships:
Internal - CARO Regional Director and Regional team, and HQ departments, as applicable.
External - Catholic Church Officials, Catholic Church agencies, local partner organizations, host country government agencies, donor agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, foreign governments.
Physical Requirements/Environment:
The position is based in Kinshasa requiring travel 25% of the time on average.
Foreign Language Required:
Excellent French language skills essential
Disclaimer Clause:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
EOE/M/F/D/V
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