Head of Programming I, Benin at Catholic Relief Services

Job Description:

Job Title: Head of Programming I, Benin
Job Type: Regular, full-time
Reports To: Country Representative
Job Location: Cotonou, Benin
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.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has worked in Benin since 1958. Through 13 local partners, we implement programs in 10 of Benin’s 12 departments. Focusing on health, education, and agricultural livelihoods, and micro-finance, we are helping to increase access to health care, strengthen community-based health care, improve education quality and strengthen agriculture livelihoods. We strengthen the institutional capacity of the Catholic Church, other community-based organizations and government institutions to improve program impact. CRS’ 2019 investment in Benin amounted to $12 million, and CRS employs 130 staff in 6 offices throughout Benin to directly and indirectly improve the lives of more than 3.7 million Beninese men, women, young adults and children.
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 establishment 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 its programming. As part of the Senior Management Team you will proactively promote th e Respect, Equity Diversity and Inclusion initiative (REDI), help manage security and mitigate security risks, and ensure effective relevant representation and partnerships.
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, in particular, advance gender and REDI-related actions in the country program.
• Lead high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (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 and ensure all senior team members are well informed of all program highlights and challenges in a timely manner. Ensure engagement of regional and Headquarters technical assistance to reach programmatic excellence and support learning.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide timely feedback and coaching to supervisees, 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.
• In coordination with resource mobilization staff oversee the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards and leverage the country program’s and the Agency’s program portfolio to position the CP to attract current and potential donors to support the Agency mission and strategy.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• In close collaboration with the Head of Operations (HoOps), ensure efficient and timely use of resources, in accordance with CRS policies and project management standards.

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, preferably in Africa.
• 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, USDA and The Global Fund.
• Experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding.

Required Languages – Excellent English and French language oral and written communication skills required.
Travel – National and international travel is required – up to 30%; includes attendance at internal and external conferences and workshops, when requested. Travel within Benin includes areas with limited amenities.

Supervisory Responsibilities: You will supervise the Gender and Protection Specialist, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Coordinator, the Food for Education Chief of Party, the BeninCaju Director of Production, the Community Malaria Program Coordinator, and the Communications Officer.
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: Regional Director, Country Representative, Head of Operations, Finance Manager, Deputy Regional Director Program Quality, Regional Technical Advisors, PIQA technical staff and IDEA staff.
External: Local government and line ministries, local and international NGOs, UN agencies, Church and non-church partners, donors, affected communities, universities.

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.