Country Representative At Catholic Relief Services

CRS Background

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.

Position Scope and Scale:

CRS has worked in Greece since 2015, to support asylum seekers and refugees with immediate assistance and to help their integration into Greek society. CRS works in partnership with Caritas national and local offices to in implementing projects in cash, accommodation, education access, and livelihoods. With support through the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, CRS and its partners presently support more than 2,500 asylum seekers with temporary accommodation in the urban areas of Athens and Thessaloniki under the ‘ESTIA’ program. CRS is also assisting more than 20,000 asylum seekers with monthly cash assistance across Greece. We also assist thousands of recognized refugees assimilate into Greece. This is through assistance in job counselling and training, and educational support. This enables self-reliance and supports refugees in becoming active members of Greek society. CRS’ integration work is supported by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

As Country Representative you will lead, manage and advance the Greece program. Your strategic leadership will enable you to advance CRS’ reputation and impact while you proactively mitigate security risks and liabilities.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Champion and lead the vision, mission and strategy. Lead the design of medium and long-term goals. Ensure program and operations leads coordinate their objectives in alignment with the strategy.
• Ensure that all projects meet and exceed donor expectations and are designed and implemented for maximum impact and reach. Ensure the CRS program quality standards are adhered to per MEAL policy and procedures.
• Effectively manage senior programming and operations talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring for HoP, Head of Operations, and other senior staff. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans for large and complex projects and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Lead the development of strategic partnerships with national and international organizations that leverages resources, reputation, and expertise in line with CRS partnership principles. Ensure strong representation to key stakeholders, including Church partners, local and national government, US government and international donors.
• 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 policies and plans and ensure the updating of such plans.
• 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.
• Lead and direct the pursuit of strategic growth opportunities, prepositioning and capture planning.
• 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.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and experience

• Master’s degree in international development, International Relations or a related field; Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• 10 or more years’ experience managing complex relief and development programs.

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.
• Excellent relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience successfully managing a variety of complex, high-value projects from multiple international donors, including UN agencies, understanding of relevant donor regulations.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Experience working with Church partners a plus.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching and mentoring senior program staff.
• Ability to represent the agency at high levels.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.

Required Languages – English fluency, knowledge of Greek will be considered a strong asset.

Travel – Must be willing to travel up to 25% of the time within the country and to regional meetings.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Senior Management Team (HoP, HoOPs, Senior staff).

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: RD, DRDs, RTAs including Regional Security Coordinator, Fellow CRs in EMECA, HRD & HQ Colleagues in all other departments.

External: Local Church, Caritas, and other partners; INGO and UN colleagues, CI member organizations, etc.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

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.

• Integrity

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Builds Relationships

• Develops Talent

• Strategic Mindset

• Accountability & Stewardship

***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. 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.

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

Note: All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside their home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical examination.

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.

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 an Equal Opportunity Employer