Program Manager I / Youth Program Design and Coordination Analyst at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 29 June 2023)

Program Manager I / Youth Program Design and Coordination Analyst at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 29 June 2023)

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 works are accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. The Country Program has over 80 staff and implements its projects through local and international partners, with strong coordination/collaboration with Government of Rwanda structures.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has been working in Rwanda since 1961. CRS Rwanda’s key programing areas include youth empowerment, agriculture, early childhood development, economic strengthening, justice, and peace building. To achieve this, CRS collaborates with the government of Rwanda, donors, the Catholic church, private sector, and civil society organizations.

Job Summary: 

CRS Rwanda has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MINIYOUTH, with the aim of supporting the youth economic empowerment program until April 2026. Within this framework, CRS and MINIYOUTH would like to recruit qualified and experienced staff in youth, partnership management and coordination of the youth sector programming in Rwanda.

The successful candidate will support the MINIYOUTH’s outcome of increased jobs, productivity, and economic empowerment of Rwandan youth, creating income-generating opportunities. Your role is to support MINIYOUTH in coordinating the efforts of partners in the field of youth economic empowerment by organizing meetings, events targeting youth, and experience exchange visits between MINIYOUTH and partners.   She/he will collaborate with the CRS Youth team and MINIYOUTH for a range of program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of youth projects and interventions in Rwanda. She/he will collaborate with the CRS Youth Program Manager and Head of Programming to ensure that her/his work is in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, country, and industry best practices to Country Program (CP) teams to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the opportunity youth in Rwanda.

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

You will perform the following tasks but are not limited to:

• Work jointly with the MINIYOUTH, and any other stakeholders to support youth empowerment through employability, entrepreneurship access to affordable and user-friendly services.
• Support MINIYOUTH to strengthen coordination of youth initiatives in Rwanda and organization of youth empowerment events such as Youth Connekt related events for socioeconomic transformation.
• Support the MINIYOUTH to oversee and monitor the implementation of youth activities long terms, medium and short terms priorities and support in the coordination of all partners involved in youth aspects.
• Support capacity strengthening initiatives in youth economic empowerment programming for GoR and partners through helping the development of learning and training strategies, organizing and facilitating trainings, workshops, and coaching.
• Provide any other technical support to MINIYOUTH in youth projects design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of youth interventions across all sectors.
• Support in the organization of partners meeting and ensuring that partners within youth empowerment perspectives including government institutions, private sector and other civil society actors are invited and participate.
• Initiate resource mobilization strategies through providing full support in the project proposals to be submitted for funding.
• Design, develop and establish management reports with key reporting standards and performance indicators for management to review concerning certain projects
• Collect and analyze program data, capture, and share lessons learnt and best practices from projects to facilitate improvements in decision-making at policy level.

•  Contribute to maintaining relationships with other GoR institutions, donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions, participate in forums in the areas of youth empowerment.

• Participate in regular check-in meetings with his/her line manager.
• Perform any other tasks requested by the management of MINIYOUTH.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, Economics, Business Administration, or social sciences are required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in relevant youth program management is required.
• Experience working with multi-stakeholder platforms and processes, or other complex collaboration platforms across sectors.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with other GoR Ministries, donors, private sector, peer organizations, faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Strong Knowledge and previous experience in capacity strengthening of the youth.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation and analysis.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Web Conferencing Applications.

Required Languages – Full working proficiency in English and Kinyarwanda is required. The proficiency in French is an added value.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% throughout youth and youth-serving organizations’ intervention.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to make sound judgment and decisions and offer innovative solutions.

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 and Maintains Trust
• Collaborates with Others
• Open to Learn
• Leads Change
• Develops and Recognizes Others
• Strategic Mindset
• Personal Accountability
• Acts with Integrity.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None 

Key Working Relationships:  

• Internal: CRS Rwanda Country Representative, CRS Head of Programming, CRS Youth Program Manager and CRS Youth Program Team.
• External: Ministry of Youth, National Youth Council, Youth-serving organizations/institutions, and Private sector.

***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. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. 

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

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages Youth and Female candidates to apply. 

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

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] no later than Friday June 29^th, 2023, at 05:00 pm.

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 / Youth Program Design and Coordination Analyst @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, June 19^th, 2023.

Jude Marie Banatte

Country Representative

CRS/Rwanda Program