Internal/ External Job Announcement
About CRS: “Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.”
In Ethiopia, CRS has a long and rich history of providing emergency relief and development assistance to the people of Ethiopia since 1958. At present, CRS/Ethiopia implements multiple projects through different partner organizations. CRS/Ethiopia has a highly diverse portfolio ranging from very large food-supported emergency response to cutting edge development programs. The current CRS/Ethiopia budget stands at $100 million with funding from the U.S. Government, UN agencies, private foundations, individual donors, and CRS private funds.
CRS strictly adheres to its Policy on Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults among its staff, consultants, volunteers, and affiliates. CRS is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer: women, minorities and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following positions;
Position Title: ELRP PSNP Systems Manager
Duty Station: Addis Ababa with up 40-50% field travel
Employment term: Indefinite period contingent upon funding of the ELRP Program
Reports To: Deputy Chief of Party for Programming
Application Deadline: October 31, 2016
Purpose of the Position:
The ELRP PSNP Systems Manager will provide strategic vision, management and technical expertise in leading the activities of one of the key purposes of the ELRP scope of work: GoE and Community systems respond to reduce communities’ and households’ vulnerability to shocks. The PSNP Systems Manager will work to improve the user experience for beneficiaries of the GoE Productive Safety Net Program, allowing them to access services that meet their multifaceted needs, while mitigating obstacles such as fragmentation of services, high staff turnover and inadequate coordination among service providers. The incumbent will be CRS’ lead liaison with the PSNP, working to create an enabling environment to pull vulnerable beneficiaries out of poverty and into a more resilient state. The incumbent will collaborate closely with Woreda and Kebele level Food Security Task Forces(K/WFSTF) and Zonal authorities to support their efforts and provide a platform to share learning across Oromia and the nation. The incumbent will lead efforts to prepare PSNP clients to diversify their livelihoods through market-driven value chains, facilitating linkages that will enable households to graduate from the program. The incumbent must have a strong understanding of the underlying causes of food insecurity in Ethiopia. The incumbent must be well-versed in the PSNP methodology, in particular the holistic approach of PSNP IV and its corresponding Program Implementation Manual (PIM), aimed at increasing resilience of its beneficiaries. The incumbent should also be aware of complementary programs including AGP, NNP, HSTP and emergency food distributions. This position reports to the ELRP DCoP Programming.
Key /Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
To ensure program’s strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished on time and meet expected technical quality standards, the PSNP Systems Manager must:
Leadership and Representation:
Under the guidance of the COP and DCOP for programming, provide leadership, supervision, and oversight to improve the performance of all PSNP linkage activities in the program, ensuring efficient and effective project implementation including the timely completion of high-quality work plans, accurate reports, and other mandated deliverables;
Work with the COP, DCOP for Programming and M&E Manager in preparing project work-plans with clear objectives and achievable benchmarks, reflecting strategic long-term and short-term priorities;
Maintain clear, regular and effective lines of communication with regional, zonal, woreda and kebele level food security task force leaders, as well as complementary PSNP-focused implementing partners; and
Ensure ELRP resilience approaches are aligned with the GoE PSNP IV guiding principles and milestones to households achieving graduation from the program.
Represent CRS in relevant technical working groups and meetings specific to assigned program content.
Program Quality and Management:
Oversee design and rollout of training of WFSTFs in multi-year strategic planning, engaging a range of constituents so that community needs are equitably represented and planned;
Work with woreda officials to develop digital case management system allowing PSNP clients to navigate services in more streamlined fashion;
Conduct quarterly joint field visits with woreda officials to look at watershed management plans, infrastructure developed, and public works impact on livelihoods and nutrition; other field visits with implementing partners will occur with greater frequency;
Work with implementing partners, as well as community, kebele and woreda officials to institutionalize gender considerations in government structures, ensuring that PSNP addresses needs of women at all points in their life cycle including soft conditionalities stipulated in PSNP IV.
Engage community, kebele, woreda and zonal officials to standardize tools and processes for selection and graduation;
Facilitate new innovations among PSNP institutions, making services more user-friendly and accessible and providing additional support and follow-up for PSNP clients to ensure their access to services;
Collaborate with woreda officials on quarterly feedback and accountability sessions, and analyze PSNP client-satisfaction surveys annually to understand service satisfaction and identify gaps; flag gaps or discrepancies with ELRP COP, DCoP and donor
Oversee training opportunities for K/WFSTF and development agents in building technical and functional skills related to resilience, nutrition and livelihoods, as well as an introduction to community-managed disaster risk reduction (CM-DRR);
Work with implementing partners to train communities on governance of resources, including orientation to basic GoE guidelines regarding watershed, road and other infrastructure maintenance;
Work with in collaboration with WFSTF will develop food and cash disbursement and transfer schedules, improving communication to clients and effecting transfers in accordance with schedules;
Ensure the quality and appropriateness of activities to achieve the target indicators in a cost-effective, timely, and sustainable manner; and
Perform any other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party.
Supervision:
An advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in a relevant field including agriculture, economics, public health, food security, or international development. An advanced degree can be substituted with an additional 3 years of relevant experience.
Minimum 8 years demonstrated experience with USG or other similar development projects focused on food security (preferably with experience related to engaging food insecure populations and increasing resilience), preferably Ethiopian with understanding of the Ethiopian context
Demonstrated project and budget management experience
Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including national and local government, donors, community-based organizations, and the private sector
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both English and Amharic and other local languages;
Established experience working with PSNP, commodity management, oversight of public works and social infrastructure and woreda-level food security task forces
Experience with USAID project implementation, rules and regulations;
Strong Microsoft Word and Excel skills.
Good organizational skill including the ability to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate programs
Ability to develop and maintain dynamic and productive relationships with staff, government organizations, NGOs, donors
Innovative and flexible appreciation, self-starter with ability to take initiative
Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions
Comprehensive experience in developing and managing budgets
A high level of computer iterance
Ability to develop and deliver effective strategy for growth
Ability to apply cost effective measures in use of resources
Ready to comply and live up to and in accordance with CRS/ET’s ideals and core values
Ability to translate vision to results by developing and providing clear strategic and operational guidance
Emergency Competencies:
Communicates strategically under pressure
Manages stress and complexity
Actively promotes safety and security
Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs