Deputy Country Representative for Emergency Response and Recovery at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an International non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 99 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs, therefore, strengthening and building the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to programs in every country in which CRS operates. CRS re-established presence in Nigeria in 2000 and currently focuses on vulnerable children, agriculture, health and HIV, extractives and governance, and peace building programming.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Deputy Country Representative for Emergency Response and Recovery

Req Number: I4031
Location: Maiduguri, Borno State


Specific Job Responsibilities

Management & Leadership:

• Ensure high quality projects and high quality operational support through daily mentoring/coaching of both PQ staff and MQ/northeast staff
• Oversee the management of humanitarian projects to ensure they all meet and exceed donor expectations and are designed and implemented for maximum impact and reach.
• Ensure the CRS program quality standards are adhered to, including MEAL policy and procedures
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources.
• Ensure compliance in operations functions.
• Provide oversight regarding monthly expenditures.
• Oversee the pursuit of strategic growth opportunities, prepositioning and capture planning.
• Enforce application of procedures in line with CRS policies and principles, local government standards, and donor requirements, as well as ensure that resource management systems remain current with regard to managing risk and liability to the agency.
• Participate in northeast -based UN and INGO meetings as they concern security and government-related issues such as taxation, compliance with rules and regulations, legal issues, labor codes and requirements, immigration requirements, customs issues, etc., in order to institute and enforce internal policies to ensure compliance and proper functioning of operations.
• Monitor and ensure implementation of Management Action Plans deriving from evolving requirement and events (summits, trainings, retreats, meetings, etc.), and organize monthly status updates.
• Ensure NE programs and operations demonstrate commitments to partnership excellence and leadership in the Grand Bargain, particularly as concerns localization, cash based programming, local area programming and strengthening the engagement between Humanitarian Assistance and Development Assistance.

Talent Management:

• Effectively manage and supervisor senior talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and contribute to the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Maintain proper conditions for learning. Ensure 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.
• Ensure that all CRS staff including new hires are well oriented to CRS, including its mission & values, policies & procedures, and available tools & resources.
• Supervise Emergency Coordinator/NE, Head of Operations/NE, Security Coordinator/NE, Chiefs of Party and Grants Manager/NE, NE Heads Of Office (including that of Yobe and Yola) and with oversight of all CRS staff in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe province.

Representation & Communication

• In coordination with the Country Representative and Abuja based DCRs assure representation of CRS at various levels within government and other key humanitarian and development actors and stakeholders.
• Ensure communication flow between the Abuja office, Maiduguri sub-office and northeast
• project offices and vice versa by sharing of meeting minutes, situation updates, and other means of communication.
• Ensure effective, timely, appropriate strategic and operational communication across all CRS
• actors in the NE (Emergency Response, CGPP, Global Fund, FTF).
• Maintain regular communication with HOOs to coordinate the work of the NE project-offices with attention to their needs and performance, while ensuring HOO communication and coordination throughout the country program is consistent with the functioning of a cohesive organization.
• Understand issues at hand at field-offices and facilitate clarification with Maiduguri or Abuja units or departments concerned; coordinate with relevant authority (DCRs, HoOPS, HOOs) and provide guidance, as required.
• Ensure HOOs establish monthly action plans to share with relevant stakeholders to assist them in better monitoring of their sub-office activities.
• Similarly monitor and ensure that their requests are addressed with due diligence by support staff at the main office.
• Ensure active participation of CRS in relevant cluster meetings by qualified staff.

Security:

• Supervise the Security Coordinator for the NE and oversee overall security management in the NE; ensure cohesion, application of security instructions and guidance as well as regular updates of security procedures and manuals as available.
• Actively participate and/or ensure CRS’ active participation at cluster security meetings and ensure sharing with staff.
• Establish a network system among the Country Representative (CR) and security staff, including the Country Program’s Security Manager, that monitors security reports for immediate action, as appropriate.
• Ensure that security is part of all new staff orientation, and all staff coming into the northeast receive security briefings.
• Ensure key security focal points across the northeast receive security refresher trainings, as needed.

Key Working Relationships
Internal:

• Country Representative, Deputy Country Representative for Operations, Deputy Country Representative for Health, Deputy Country Representative for Agriculture Livelihoods. Northeast programs and operations staff, Central Africa Regional Office (CARO) Deputy Regional Director (DRD) for Operations and DRD for Program Quality (PQ), CARO Regional Director, Regional Finance Officer, HRD (Humanitarian Response Department) Vice President and HRD Director of Technical Assistance (TA)HQ Department

External:

• INGO Forum, UN and OCHA leadership, Partner agencies, local government, service providers.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in International development, Non-profit management or related fields strongly preferred or equivalent experience.
• Seven years of field-based experience managing staff and programs, particularly in complex emergency and insecure environments program portfolio.
• Significant experience in general CP and emergency operations including security management.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender sensitive programming and operations.
• Ability to manage diversity and commitment to embracing diversity.
• Thorough knowledge of CRS management and program principles.
• Working knowledge of Church and Caritas structures a plus.
• Demonstrated qualities of leadership, sensitivity to cultural setting, communication skills, commitment, and sound judgment.
• Effective planning and organization skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to project offices.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, with added Hausa and/or Kanuri an advantage.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online