Job Description

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.

Job Summary:

Based in Mogadishu, the Country Manager will manage and represent the country program office, advancing programming and operations objectives and the mission of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to serve the poor and vulnerable. Your management and representation skills will enable you to advance CRS’ reputation and impact while you proactively manage security and mitigate security risks and liabilities.

 Country Program Background

CRS began working in Somalia in 1961 responding with food to assist flood victims and established its first office there in 1964. The 2011 Horn of Africa Drought prompted CRS’ return. Since 2011, CRS has implemented a number of large humanitarian projects in multiple sectors with funding from multiple donors, primarily USAID.

Today, CRS continues to respond to the urgent needs of the Somali people through meeting their immediate needs (food and water); providing essential services (health, nutrition, and protection); creating and rehabilitating critical infrastructure (latrines and wells); restoring productive assets and purchasing power to build resilience and promote long-term, sustainable solutions; and ensuring peacebuilding activities to transform intercommunal conflict. The current portfolio of CRS programming in Somalia is implemented through several trusted and long-term civil society partners.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure CRS is represented at partner and government levels. 
• Manage the design of medium and long-term goals. Lead CRS Somalia to develop and implement a country strategy that contributes to the advancement of the regional and agency strategies. Ensure programs and operations coordinate their objectives in alignment with the strategy. 
• Support CRS Somalia’s senior program staff to ensure all projects meet and exceed CRS and donor expectations and are designed and implemented for maximum impact and reach.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise teams in an environment that reflects CRS values and principles and the agency’s Respect, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) commitments. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Manage the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of staff.
• 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 polices and plans and ensure the updating of such plans. Respond to emergency issues and needs as they arise. Closely supervise or oversee responses to emergencies.
• Establish and develop strategic partnerships with national and international organizations that leverage resources, reputation, and expertise in line with CRS partnership principles. Ensure strong representation to key stakeholders, including partners, international organizations, host government, and donors.
• Ensure compliance with CRS safeguarding allegation management policy and fraud prevention guidelines. 
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Ensure compliance in operations functions. Provide oversight and analysis regarding monthly expenditures.
• Oversee the pursuit of strategic growth opportunities, prepositioning and capture planning. Identify and pursue opportunities for appropriate expansion and growth of programs, ensuring the sound management of all aspects of the business development cycle.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies. Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management overseeing application of the MEAL policy, as well as cross-sectoral and cross-department learning.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages participation and open communication, and high levels of staff engagement and well-being. Ensure open communications with regional and HQ colleagues.

Experiences and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, International Relations or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience managing high value relief and development programs. Experience in complex development settings preferred.

Required Languages - Fluent written and spoken English;  preferably professional proficiency in Somali.

Travel - Approximately 30% travel within Somalia as security allows, and some travel outside Somalia. 

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.
• Very good relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. 
• Team leadership abilities.
• Strong communications and presentation skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity and inclusion including gender equality.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Head of Programs, Senior Operations Manager, Deputy Finance Manager, Security Manager, Senior Human Resources Officer

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal: EARO RD, Kenya & Somalia Operations team, DRD/PQ, DRD/MQ and RFO, HRD colleagues, HQ colleagues in PIQA and OpEx departments, USOps, Finance, HR, Audit and Charitable Giving.

External: donor agencies, host country government agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, US Embassy.

Skills Required

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