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 and works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs. CRS has been helping po...

Job Summary

CRS seeks Chief of Party II candidates for the anticipated USDA Non-Emergency Food for Peace projects. These multi‑year, development-focused projects seek to combat chronic and acute malnutrition especially in children and mothers, strengthen early recovery and resilience, and support communities.

The Chief of Party II will provide vision, leadership and overall management of these large and complex projects to serve the poor and vulnerable. The incumbent’s strategic leadership, management and technical knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming and advance the position of CRS as a leading agency in the respective field. As a senior leader, the Chief of Party II will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

CRS has worked in Kenya since 1965, building strong partnerships with the Catholic Church, national and county governments, civil society, communities and the private sector. CRS Kenya has extensive experience across agriculture and livestock, food and nutrition security, livelihoods and market systems, water and natural resource management, health and nutrition, and emergency response, with a longstanding presence in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). Recent programming includes the $146 million Kenya Nawiri activity in Isiolo and Marsabit, a multisectoral project linking nutrition, health and resilient livelihoods. CRS is also leading a USDA-funded Food for Peace emergency food security and nutrition program in Turkana and Marsabit, providing critical assistance while helping households move from crisis toward recovery and more resilient livelihoods.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the assigned project, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Serve as the primary point of contact with the donor as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
• Ensure the project is designed and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability. Lead coordination efforts between program and operations leads to ensure CRS program quality standards are adhered to.
• Effectively lead senior programming and operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Proactively manage and mitigate risk by monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all CRS staff safety and security policies and plans are regularly updated and all staff understand and adhere to these policies.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources.
• Ensure compliance with donor grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and donor reporting. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Represent CRS programming in international circles, highlighting innovative work. Publish program results and deliver presentations. Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
• Manage relationships with consortium partner organizations, including organization of review/planning workshops. Coordinate the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations to ensure implementation is in line with CRS partnership principles.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment to share ideas, solutions, and difficulties. Build the internal capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies.
• Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, International Relations or a relevant technical area.
• Minimum of 8 years’ of relevant management and technical experience.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience managing donor funds, including multi country grants. Excellent knowledge and experience in budget management.
• Minimum of 5 years’ of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience coaching and mentoring senior program staff.
• Demonstrated experience of successful program management, including management of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects, with complicated logistics.
• Established leader in sector as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, conference presentations etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to represent and present at high levels.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• 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. Ability to strategically approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse and multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented mindset.

• Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the assigned project, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Serve as the primary point of contact with the donor as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
• Ensure the project is designed and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability. Lead coordination efforts between program and operations leads to ensure CRS program quality standards are adhered to.
• Effectively lead senior programming and operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Proactively manage and mitigate risk by monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all CRS staff safety and security policies and plans are regularly updated and all staff understand and adhere to these policies.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources.
• Ensure compliance with donor grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and donor reporting. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Represent CRS programming in international circles, highlighting innovative work. Publish program results and deliver presentations. Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
• Manage relationships with consortium partner organizations, including organization of review/planning workshops. Coordinate the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations to ensure implementation is in line with CRS partnership principles.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment to share ideas, solutions, and difficulties. Build the internal capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies.
• Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.

• Ability to represent and present at high levels.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• 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. Ability to strategically approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse and multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented mindset.

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, International Relations or a relevant technical area.
• Minimum of 8 years’ of relevant management and technical experience.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience managing donor funds, including multi country grants. Excellent knowledge and experience in budget management.
• Minimum of 5 years’ of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience coaching and mentoring senior program staff.
• Demonstrated experience of successful program management, including management of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects, with complicated logistics.
• Established leader in sector as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, conference presentations etc.
• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy.