*This position is contingent upon funding.

About CRS

CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Background:

CRS has been working on behalf of Afghan communities since 2002, with hundreds of experienced Afghan staff working in offices across the country. We provide emergency relief, inclusive education, improved agricultural techniques, and other life‐enriching services to tens of thousands of households. The country’s long conflict has left many families displaced and impoverished, but the war’s end in 2021 has opened the exciting possibility of reaching many previously inaccessible communities.

CRS is currently implementing programs in the provinces of Bamiyan, Daykundi, Ghor, Herat, and Kabul, and is exploring additional expansion. CRS maintains five main offices in the country as well as several sub-offices that support the direct implementation of program activities. With over 200 staff, the Country Program is growing to meet new needs throughout the country. With multisectoral programming and an evolving portfolio, CRS is seeking a Program Manager to lead efforts that strengthen the Country Program’s emergency response, recovery, and resilience programming.

Job Summary:

As a Program Manager for Humanitarian Response, Recovery, and Resilience, you will manage multisectoral projects designed to support household and community stabilization, recovery and resilience, which may include food assistance, livelihoods, WASH, nutrition, and/or shelter. You will manage funding from multiple and diverse donors to ensure that the Country Program (CP) delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its humanitarian and resilience programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight of new and existing emergency response, recovery, and resilience projects within the CP 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.
• Identify and manage key project risks, in collaboration with CRS’ operations departments. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of CRS staff and partner organizations, and lead capacity strengthening interventions to support staff growth and quality project implementation.
• Lead the development of program learning – identify opportunities for learning, research and publications in the area of emergency response, recovery, and resilience, and the implementation of MEAL policy. Facilitate the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned to contribute to the agency knowledge management agenda. Ensure integration of innovations and best practices.
• Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development of emergency response, recovery, and resilience programming, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed. This may include leading design workshops, writing proposals and supporting documents, and leading or supporting budget development.
• Help identify, assess and strengthen partnerships relevant to emergency response, recovery, and resilience programming, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to project needs. Provide strong planning and oversight to ensure efficient use of project resources, including financial management and reporting in line with donor and prime requirements.
• Lead reporting processes for assigned projects, ensuring that high-quality reports are compiled as per donor requirements and are shared by the deadline.
• Lead project registration processes and serve as a programmatic focal point to ensure coordination of planning and implementation with the relevant sectoral and line Ministries.
• Promote CRS’ Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct and Ethics, ensuring that team members are trained and implementing programming with a Do No Harm approach.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
• Strong supervision and team management skills, with an ability to create a psychologically safe environment for staff growth.
• Demonstrated financial management skills.
• Flexible management approach and willingness to adapt to evolving contexts, portfolios, and priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management experience in emergency response programming is highly desirable.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations, especially as a subrecipient.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
• MEAL skills and experience preferred.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Required Languages – Fluency in English (spoken and written) required. Proficiency in Dari or Pashto a plus.

Travel – Up to 50% anticipated travel within Afghanistan. Occasional international travel may be required.

Supervisory Responsibilities: TBC

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal: Head of Programming, Head of Operations, Deputy Head of Operations, Technical Advisors (CP, Regional, Global), Finance Manager, HR Manager.

External: Donor representatives, peer organizations.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, International Relations or in a related field required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant field-based experience in coordinating or managing moderately complex emergency projects required, preferably with an international NGO.
• Demonstrated experience in team supervision and capacity strengthening.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Protection Acknowledgment: CRS prohibits all forms of abuse and exploitation towards children and vulnerable adults. As a professional candidate, you commit to adhering to the Agency’s policy on protection, rights and dignity of children and vulnerable adults and to safeguard them from abuse and exploitation as defined in CRS’ Safeguarding Policy.