Kisili Project Director, Mali

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.

Job Summary

The Kisili Project Director will provide leadership and overall management of the Kisili Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) funded jointly by USAID/BHA and now being extended for a fifth phase of implementation valued at $12M for a 24-month period. Its overall goal is to provide lifesaving assistance to Mali’s most vulnerable populations affected by conflict. The RRM is two-pronged: CRS and its local partners both organize multi-sectoral needs assessments following crises across Mali and provide emergency response when no other actor is positioned to quickly respond. The fifth phase will be more focused on ongoing accompaniment to local partner NGOs which should be able to independently conduct rapid assessment and responses.

The Project Director will be responsible for overall planning, managing, monitoring, and reporting on project activities in coordination with CRS managers and partner staff. He/she will also manage sub-awards to local partners and contracts with the service providers involved in procurement of emergency response materials. The Project Director will ensure that program targets are achieved through coordination with other humanitarian actors and timely and efficient delivery of services to affected populations.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of the implementation of the Kisili project, including information sharing and coordination across the humanitarian community and with the government. Serve as the primary point of contact to USAID/BHA.
• Ensure the project is implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for handover of information management systems.
• Ensure coordination between program and operations leads, particularly for delivery of emergency response goods and services. Ensure that CRS program quality standards are adhered to per MEAL policy and procedures.
• Effectively manage next-level programming 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.
• Manage and mitigate security and other risks through monitoring local, national, and regional events and issues that may impact staff safety, access, and programming. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans and, together with Security technical experts, ensure the updating of such plans.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Ensure compliance with USAID/BHA grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and reporting to USAID/BHA. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Manage and mitigate safeguarding and protections risks and ensure all staff and contractors understand and adhere to CRS protection, code of conduct, and safeguarding policies and plans and ensure the updating of such plans. Ensure protection, gender, and conflict sensitivity are mainstreamed throughout project design and implementation, and that diverse, vulnerable people’s feedback is frequently solicited and incorporated into project design, implementation, and adaptations.
• Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
• Contribute to the proactive pursuit of opportunities for new funding to ensure growth of the CP emergency response sector portfolio in line with agency, regional, and CP strategic priorities. Serve as the technical lead and technical writer to ensure quality proposals in emergency response per agency and donor standards. Contribute to budgeting and staffing plans and activities for proposals.
• 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. Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.
• As co-lead, ensure the coordination activities of RRM in Mali funded by USAID/BHA and ECHO. Ensure the operating of the new alert validation system across the region and that all RRM Mali data are updated in ActivityInfo platform.

Basic Qualifications

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations or a relevant field required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in relevant field-based project management experience required, with preferably at least 2-3 years working in the area of emergency response,
• Experience in managing moderately complex projects preferably with an international NGO.

Required Languages – English and French, spoken and written fluency required.

Travel - The position is based in Bamako with the potential for limited travel to the field due to the security situation in Mali.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (SKAs)

• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in the approach to each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching 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

• Good experience in project grants management, including project design, preferably for grants from multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality technical proposals.
• Experience engaging with donor and partner organizations.
• MEAL skills and experience required. ICT4D experience preferred.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to manage competing priorities.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Emergency PMI, Kisili PM, Kisili Program Quality PM, Kisili MEAL PM, Kisili Operations PM; dotted line in-country support to Mali EMPOWER PM

Internal Relationships: HoP, HoOps, Procurement, Finance, RTAs, Public Donor Liaison, EMPOWER project team, other Emergency Project Team members

External Relationships: ECHO RRM Actors, local partners, OCHA, Clusters, government stakeholders

Work Conditions/Environment Conditions

Bamako is currently at a Security Level II, which indicates that international posts are accompanied. However, most regions in Mali are qualified as Security Level III and require careful monitoring and respect of security protocol.

Qualifications

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

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