Job Title:  Head of Programming, Honduras

Job Location: Tegucigalpa

Reports to: Country Representative

Salary Grade: 11

About CRS Honduras

CRS Honduras leads and implements programs in education, water-smart agriculture, emergency response, disaster risk resilience, youth development, peacebuilding, local partner capacity strengthening, and water. In 2024, CRS´ programs benefited more than 500,000 vulnerable families in Honduras in 16 departments. CRS partners with the USAID, USDA, FAO, Foundations, private sector, the Government of Honduras and 12 local organizations to create transformational and lasting change in the lives of Honduras´ most vulnerable families.

Job Summary

As a member of the Country Program (CP) Senior Management Team, you will provide strategic direction, leadership, and management of the CP’s programming to ensure the design, development, and successful implementation of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. Your leadership, management and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of CRS programs and interventions. As part of the Senior Management Team, you will proactively manage security, mitigate risk, and ensure safe and dignified programming for all participants.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Country Representative (CR) provide strategic direction for the design of the CP strategic frameworks and plans, including the development of resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities.
• Lead high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context and technical requirements of projects. Coordinate planning of activities across various projects from different sectors to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessment for direct reports. Contribute to developing staffing plans for projects and to the recruitment process of senior project staff.
• 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 implementation of the MEAL policy, as well as cross-sectoral and cross-department learning.
• Coordinate with CP operations leads to ensure appropriate project budgeting and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• In coordination with resource mobilization staff oversee the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Ensure technical assistance and capacity strengthening for project teams and partners in project management standards and related MEAL, business development and operational activities. Identify training opportunities, develop training curriculums and deliver trainings.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field.
• Minimum of five years of relevant field-based program management, at least three years of middle/senior management experience.
• Experience in the development of successful proposals, reports, strategic alliances, project design, project management, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience in partner capacity strengthening, staff development, training, and mentoring, as well as in team building and strategic planning initiatives. Experience working with Church partners a plus
• Experience in community development, community mobilization, or similar grassroots, self-help initiatives.
• Experience in project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, etc., preferably for projects funded by multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding.

Required Languages – Written and oral fluency in English and Spanish.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% within Honduras.

 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong staff and team management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic relationship management capacity.
• Team leadership abilities
• Presentation and facilitation skills
• Proactive, resourceful, results-oriented
• Dynamic, solutions-oriented, and self-motivated.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent English writing and editing skills.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to an environment focused on continuous learning and improvement.
• Experience and abilities in capacity strengthening – especially for staff and local partners.
• Strong understanding of the Honduran national context.

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.

Supervisory Responsibilities: MEAL Manager, Communications Specialist, Chief of Party MGD, Program and Project Managers and Business Development Specialist.

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal: Country Representative, Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Sr Technical Advisors, Platform Focal Points, Head of Operations, Finance Manager, among others.

External: Local partners, local government official, national government officials, donors, private sector leaders, international NGO partners, among others.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people – especially children and vulnerable adults – to live free from abuse and harm.

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

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements