Program Manager I-AIDI at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 16 February 2024)

Program Manager I-AIDI at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 16 February 2024)

Job Title: Program Manager I-AIDI

Department: Programming

Band: 9

Reports To: Head of Programming

Country/Location: Rwanda (Kigali) with field trips

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 has been present in Rwanda since 1960, and currently implements projects in nutrition, WASH, agriculture, youth entrepreneurship and peacebuilding. The Country Program has 85 staff and implements its projects through local and international partners, with strong coordination/collaboration with Government of Rwanda Priorities. 

Job Summary:

You will manage the successful implementation of the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AIDI). Your coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that the projects for which you work for, responsibly apply best practices, and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to opportunity youth. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and implement all AIDI activities throughout relevant project cycles – project design, start-up, implementation and close-out – to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good market systems development practices. Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools.
• Champion learning with CRS Rwanda staff and partner teams. Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development in respective programming area, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed.
• Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Help identify, assess and strengthen partnerships relevant to AIDI applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches, particularly with regard to layering on to other CRS projects.
• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to project needs. Through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resources

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in International Development, Agribusiness, Business Administration required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of agriculture/livelihoods/SBC for an NGO.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Required Languages – English and Kinyarwanda required/ French desired.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 40 %. The position will be based in Kigali CRS Offices.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in leading and coordinating business skills development is highly desirable.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
• MEAL skills and experience preferred.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

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.

• Builds & Maintains Trust
• Collaborates with Others
• Open to Learn
• Leads Change
• Develops & Recognizes Others
• Strategic Mindset
• Personnel Accountability
• Acts with Integrity

Supervisory Responsibilities: Project Officer 

Internal: Head of Programming, Agriculture and Livelihoods Advisor, GKB Project Leadership Team, Other sectoral advisers.

External: Project focal points including Prime agency.

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should complete the attached application form, Self -Declaration Clause and submit them together with one page Cover letter plus updated CV (maximum three pages) all in/as one document – via email only to: [email protected] not later than Friday February 16^th, 2024, at 5:00pm.

Please, include below statement in your cover letter:

“By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.”

Also include your full names and title “Program Manager I @ Band 9” in the subject line. Due to anticipated high interest in this post and the expected number of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Kigali February 02^nd, 2024.

Hans Fly 

Country Representative

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