Manager, Capacity Strengthening for Inter-Religious Action

Title: Manager II, Capacity Strengthening for Inter-Religious Action

Department: Program Quality Support Department (PQSD)

Position Type: Full-time

Areas of Interest: Peacebuilding, Partnership

Location: Flexibility with specific base location - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt or Nigeria

To Apply: www.crs.org/about/careers 

Note: This position is contingent on the awarding of funding by the donor

Background:
CRS believes in the importance of collaboration among different religious groups to address significant problems, and to strengthen social cohesion within religiously diverse communities. As the official overseas development organization of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS has a special obligation to support inter-religious efforts of sister catholic churches. This priority is reflected in CRS’ strategy for justice and peacebuilding, which includes specific objectives related to increased social cohesion and church action for peace and justice, including interfaith dialogue and action. CRS’ partner capacity strengthening efforts focus on supporting partners to effectively contribute to integral human development as members of a vibrant, diverse civil society.

Organizations seeking to engage in inter-religious action clearly require specific knowledge, skills and attitudes in order to be effective. Through expanded collaboration with a private foundation, CRS will work with a select set of Catholic Church and inter-religious partners in five locations (Niger/Nigeria border, Upper Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda), to enhance their capacity for and provide opportunities to engage in interfaith action. Within the wider set of potential collaborations, CRS will concentrate on Muslim-Christian initiatives, and specifically on strengthening church partners’ capacity for effective collaboration with Muslim organizations. CRS will likewise focus on building its own internal staff capacity to support sister church and inter-religious organizations who engage in Muslim-Christian cooperation.

Job Summary:
CRS seeks a qualified candidate as Project Manager of the Capacity Strengthening for Inter-religious Action initiative, to provide overall direction and leadership to this three-year project. The project has an overall goal of contributing to human development and peaceful coexistence among Muslim and Christian communities in select sites in Upper Egypt, along the Niger/Nigeria border, and in the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It will do this through strengthening partner capacities for engagement in interreligious networks; and providing opportunities for Muslim and Christian leaders, particularly youth, to work together to develop and implement small connector projects in their communities. As preparation for the above, the project will assist CRS staff and partners to gain improved knowledge and tools, adopt more positive attitudes toward the “religious other,” and learn relevant technical skills such as conflict analysis and effective communication. 

The project manager will coordinate the implementation of all aspects of the program to ensure quality implementation including planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and effective, timely reporting to the donor. S/he will also provide relevant technical assistance. The successful candidate will operate with the organizational structure of CRS, reporting to the Senior Advisor for Justice and Peacebuilding and liaising with the Director and other staff of the Strength in Solidarity capacity strengthening program, a complementary initiative. The project manager will also have close interaction with CRS staff and partners of the participating country programs and the corresponding regional technical advisors and other regional staff, as well as local and international content experts and facilitators. 

Specific Responsibilities:
• Planning and implementing capacity strengthening plans specifically tailored to each site including:
• Baseline assessment and project monitoring 
• CRS country program and partner organizational self-assessments on capacity for inter-religious action
• Coordination of the compilation, development, and/or adaptation of training/learning resources
• Preparation and implementation of knowledge, attitude and skills development sessions with both CRS country program staff and partners, including hands-on facilitation and working with country programs and partners to identify appropriate internal and external resource persons/facilitators as needed
• Identification of key project knowledge for documentation and promoting cross-Regional learning, 
• Mentoring of staff and partners
• Team-building
• Liaising with specialists on interfaith dynamics in US academic institutions and those abroad
• Annual implementation planning, and grant financial management and monitoring
• Preparation of regular reports (narrative and financial) and informal updates as appropriate to the donor 

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff) 
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning 

Key Working Relationships:
INTERNAL: Justice and Peacebuilding Senior Advisors, and Strength in Solidarity team at Headquarters; Senior Program Development Officer in the Foundations team; Deputy Regional Directors, Regional Technical Advisors for Justice and Peacebuilding, Country Representatives, Heads of Program, and Program Managers in and for the project countries

EXTERNAL: Select CRS staff and Catholic Church and inter-religious partners in the specific project countries; external inter-religious specialists and consultants for monitoring and evaluation.

Qualifications and Skills: 
• Graduate degree in organizational development, peacebuilding or conflict resolution, religious studies or other relevant field required. 
• Minimum 8 years responsibility in Africa or Middle Eastern country/ies, including experience with inter-religious dynamics and organizational development required
• Understanding of and experience with faith-based organizations, local religious structures and capacity-building principles in local partnerships required
• Comprehension of Muslim and Christian scriptures as related to peace and justice required
• Proven conflict analysis skills required 
• Good facilitation skills for meetings and workshops required
• Demonstrated knowledge of project or program management, including monitoring and evaluation, required
• Good inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse groups of actors required
• Cultural sensitivity and flexibility required
• Ability to travel up to 35% nationally and internationally required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite required
• Excellent oral and written English required. Additional fluency in Arabic, Swahili, Hausa or French desired
Citizen or legal resident of a project site country required
Note: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

To apply for this position please visit our website at: www.crs.org/about/careers 

EOE/M/F/D/V