Project Director-Disaster Risk Reduction

Job Title: Project Director-Disaster Risk Reduction
Region/Location: EARO /Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with about 30% travel to the field
Band: D
FLSA: Exempt
Reports To: Country Representative
Length of Assignment: Three years
This position is contingent on donor funding

PROJECT BACKGROUND
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has worked in Ethiopia since 1958. For more than 50 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made shocks affecting Ethiopia’s most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS’ disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, livelihoods support and water and sanitation assistance. Recognizing the urgent challenges posed by climate change, CRS will soon begin implementing an integrated $12 million disaster risk reduction (DRR) project in Ethiopia’s most drought-prone and food insecure districts. The purpose of this project is to build the resiliency of communities and local structures to plan for and mitigate the effects of climate change.

JOB PURPOSE
The Project Director will be based at the CRS Ethiopia office in Addis Ababa and be responsible for programmatic and managerial project oversight. S/he will apply strong technical expertise in natural resource management, food security, community mobilization, early warning systems and partnership building to ensure the project is effectively planned, managed, implemented and monitored, with a particular focus on learning and innovation. S/he is responsible for representing the project internally and externally, and ensuring that the project in line with and responsive to donor standards and requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Project management and oversight
•    Serve as the consortium lead for the project and ensure strong communication and coordination with and between all consortium members as a means to effectively achieving program objectives.
•    Lead the planning of project activities and set high quality performance targets ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines.
•    Use appropriate project management tools to plan, review and track progress on project implementation as well as on the utilization of project resources.
•    Ensure the establishment and implementation of a creative M&E system using CRS tools and resources (e.g. SMILER method) and including regular and iterative performance assessments (e.g. PDSA cycle) to ensure continuous quality improvement.
•    Liaise with relevant sectors and partners to support integration and maximum complementarity.
•    Design strategies, partnerships and interventions to guarantee the project is gender and ability-sensitive and that CRS and implementing partners are accountable to beneficiaries.
•    Promote good knowledge management, documentation and learning, including supporting staff to develop, pilot, and share learning on technical innovations.
•    Procure regional and global technical support as needed and carry out regular monitoring to ensure the quality of technical support
Budgeting, financial planning and reporting
•    Ensure grant management compliance for the project with multiple donor and CRS regulations with support from the Country Program Compliance team.
•    Work closely with local implementing partners and other Sub Recipients to ensure timely and quality advance tracking and liquidation as per CRS guidelines.
•    With support from the finance and compliance teams, prepare donor finance reports.
•    Coordinate with management quality staff for purchasing and inventory control as per CRS/donor requirements.
•    In collaboration with the finance/compliance teams, review and analyze budget comparison reports and take necessary steps to ensure proper management and utilization of budgets.
•    Approve project expenditures, carry out regular budget tracking and take the lead on request for modifications as and when needed
Coordination and communication
•    Serve as the primary point of contact and collaboration for the consortium and in-country stakeholders, including the donor, implementation partners, government partners and other key stakeholders.
•    Represent the project in key coordination bodies and at events/forums as requested.
•    Act as internal spokesperson for the project within CRS, ensuring cross-country learning and maintaining strong communication with CRS colleagues and regional staff.
Supervision
•    Support recruitment of CRS staff for the project and key positions for other consortium members.
•    Ensure annual performance planning and reviews of staff performance in keeping with CRS’ performance management system. Mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork.
•    Ensure staff compliance with all CRS administrative and operational procedures and policies, as well as applicable donor regulations.

Program Manager Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
•    Sets clear goals and manages toward them.
•    Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders.
•    Manages financial resources with integrity.
•    Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

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

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
National Project Officers

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
This position reports to the Country Representative. Other key relationships include but are not limited to:
Internal: Head of Programs; Head of Management Quality; program managers in related sectors (agriculture/NRM, health, etc.); regional technical advisors; CRS/Ethiopia administration; Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality
External: USAID mission in Ethiopia; implementing partners; regional, zonal and district governments; humanitarian and development coordination bodies

QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience
•    Master’s degree in Agriculture, Resource Management, Engineering, Environmental Science, International Development or a related field.
•    Significant previous experience planning and implementing DRR and natural resource management activities.
•    Minimum 5 years experience managing projects focused on one or more of the elements identified above; experience with development projects and significant field-based technical expertise and training in Africa.
•    Exceptional leadership, judgment and inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams.
•    Proven experience working with Government, universities, faith-based organizations and the private sector to build and sustain coordination structures and mutually beneficial market linkages.
•    Experience with participatory methods, institutional partnerships and diplomacy in communication.
•    Proven ability to think strategically and innovatively.
•    Flexibility to work effectively both in a team and independently.
•    Cultural sensitivity, patience and flexibility.
•    Demonstrated personal accountability, driven to serve others and achieve results.
•    Excellent English language oral and written communication skills.
•    Willingness to travel to resource-poor areas at least 30%.

All interested applicants can apply with cover letter and resume online at www.crs.org/about/careers. 

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

EOE/M/F/D/V