Background and Job Summary:

CRS is the lead agency of a USAID funded emergency food assistance program in Ethiopia – the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP), which is a multi-year emergency food security program. The Joint Emergency Operation is led by CRS and implemented through a consortium of partners including CARE, GOAL, World Vision, the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), the Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara, Food for the Hungry, Meki Catholic Secretariat, and Hararghe Catholic Secretariat. JEOP provides emergency food assistance in response to acute food needs in Ethiopia working alongside the World Food Program and the Government of Ethiopia.

CRS seeks a qualified candidate to serve as JEOP’s Deputy Chief of Party (D/CoP) for Grant Management, Commodity Operations and Compliance/Risk Monitoring. This person will directly oversee and manage JEOP’s Compliance Risk Monitoring (CRM) Unit, directing food monitoring teams in planning and conducting end-use checks, warehouse checks, document checks and monitoring distribution within JEOP’s operational areas. The D/CoP also supervises JEOP’s Grants team including generating financial reports, monitoring project expenses, ensuring cost effective services, facilitating requested audits (internal and external) including partners’ required audits; ensures coordination with CRS’ Ethiopia Operations’ team (Finance, Administration, HR and ICT); and supports capacity building of implementing partners around grants management.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:
Strategic planning and coordination

• Coordinate with the Country Program team as well as project partners to achieve high levels of commodity compliance and budget management through technical oversight and guidance; consortium-wide learning; and effective management of human, material and financial resources as per USAID regulations.
• Ensure that visions and plans for program implementation are innovative and are in line with CRS and USAID policies and strategies.
• Address bottlenecks and scale up best practices to achieve high quality program implementation.
• Work with the Chief of Party and the Deputy Chiefs of Party – Program Quality and MEAL in managing USAID reporting requirements.
• Coordinate with partners to plan monthly CRM dispatch and distribution activities.
• Ensure CRS and partners maintain full compliance with USAID/BHA conditions, rules and regulations for food aid distribution.

Overseeing Grant Management Activities and Follow-up Actions

• Oversee JEOP’s grant management team to regularly review CRS and sub-recipient budgets and liquidation report, ensure timely budget forecast and expenditure reporting, procurement, and requisite partner performance monitoring for improved financial and operational compliance under the JEOP.
• Ensure JEOP’s grant management team coordinates with the Country Program team and implementing partners to manage JEOP budget in line with the approved annual workplan budget and applicable subrecipient agreements.
• Ensure that the financial management Technical Working Group (consisting of CRS and partners) meet on a regular basis, identify lessons learned, solve problems and harmonize approaches where possible.

Overseeing Commodity Management Compliance Risk Monitoring Activities and Follow-up Actions

• Ensure that the commodity management Working Group (consisting of CRS and partners) meet on a regular basis, identify lessons learned, solve problems and harmonize approaches where possible.
• Provide technical oversight and supervision to CRM Team Leaders.
• Oversee commodity monitoring activities, supervising, planning and coordinating field-based monitoring teams
• In collaboration with partner(s), design and facilitate regular review meeting for dispatch and distribution events with consortium partners and regional DRMOs, ensuring that lessons of sound practice are documented and disseminated learned through program implementation and review.
• Implement and oversee a regular feedback mechanism to respond to food monitoring findings on commodity management and ensure corrective actions.
• Coordinate with CRS’s in-country and agency Ethics Unit to ensure allegations of fraud, corruption, and aid diversion are escalated, investigated, and reported to donor as required.

Liaison

• Support Chief of Party to liaise between project teams and other stakeholders from Government, USAID, international agencies and NGOs, project Consortium partners, CRS’ regional office, and CRS HQ.
• Support partner organizations in orienting regional government officials to the project and its activities and linking partners more closely with regional administrations.
• Serve as Chief of Party in his/her absence as requested.
• Perform other duties related to the implementation of the project or assigned by supervisor.

Basic Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in international development, management, economics, agricultural economics, social science or related technical field with a minimum of 7 years’ work experience with CRS or other international humanitarian agencies; with at least 3 years of middle/senior management experience.
• Knowledge of USAID and US Government grants’ rules, regulations and procedures;
• Prior management of USAID funded awards is required; knowledge of Title II, CCC and or IDA policies and procedures preferred;
• Experience in consortium management is preferred.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience and abilities in strengthening capacity – developing curricula and facilitating trainings.
• Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks
• Minimum of five years’ experience managing donor funds, including strong knowledge of USAID and USG grant regulations and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a technical team in budget and or food commodities management, and general relief program operations management.
• 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 is a bonus

Required Languages – Fluent written and spoken English is required.

Travel – Must be able and willing to travel within Ethiopia up to 30%, including remote field locations.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Proven skills, knowledge and experience in USAID program areas of emergency food distribution, program monitoring and evaluation, commodity management, consortium management, logistics.
• Minimum three years’ experience in Africa in a senior position that demonstrates mentoring national staff to achieve program results.
• Exceptional English writing skills and the ability to capture, synthesize and report out consortium learning to CRS and the broader food security community.
• Demonstrated ability to work both strategically and at an appropriate level of detail to lead a complex program and consortium, excellent analytical skills.
• Excellent partnership skills and the ability to interact effectively with donors, collaborating agencies, and local partners demonstrated through close work experience with international PVOs.
• Demonstrated capacity to understand the current best practices and challenges while coordinating to implement program strategies through a participatory approach.
• Computer literate, with strong knowledge of MS Office applications, spread sheets, database programs, and statistical software packages.
• Personal qualities include flexibility, persistence, and ability to work well with people and cross-cultural skills.

Key Working Relationships

• Supervisory Responsibilities: Grants Manager, Commodity Operations Manager, Risk and Compliance Program Manager, and Technical Advisor/CRM Data Analyst.
• Internal: JEOP SMT (Chief of Party and Deputy Chiefs of Party), Country Representative, CRS Head of Program, CRS Head of Operations, JEOP Technical Advisors and Program Managers, Procurement and Supply Chain Managers.
• External: Primarily Program Managers of Consortium Members and Technical service providing agencies, consortium partners, USAID, Host Government, and other stakeholders.

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.

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.