Deputy Chief of Party II - Operations

CRS is recruiting in anticipation of an award – recruitment for all candidates is contingent upon successful award of the project.  

Background 

CRS is seeking Deputy Chief of Party II – Operations candidates for an anticipated multi-county child development, care, and protection project. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen national systems that protect vulnerable children, support families, and improve early childhood development through locally led and sustainable approaches. The project will improve outcomes for vulnerable children by strengthening child protection systems, supporting families and caregivers, advancing integrated early childhood health and development, and reducing reliance on residential care.

Job Summary

The Deputy Chief of Party II - Operations will provide strategic operational, financial, administrative, and compliance leadership for a large, complex, multi-country child development, care and protection project to serve vulnerable children, families, and communities. The Deputy Chief of Party II - Operations will oversee project operations across participating countries, ensuring efficient and compliant management of finance, awards, contracts, procurement, human resources, security, information technology, logistics, and administrative functions. Working closely with the Chief of Party, the Deputy Chief of Party II - Operations will ensure effective coordination between programmatic and operational teams, support achievement of project milestones, strengthen partner operational capacity, and promote the efficient stewardship of donor and agency resources. The position will serve as a key liaison with consortium partners and country teams to ensure operational excellence and compliance with donor and CRS requirements, and the timely delivery of project objectives. As a senior project leader, the Deputy Chief of Party II - Operations will proactively manage operational risks.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Under the guidance of the Chief of Party, manage key aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of assigned projects. Serve as a secondary point of contact to the donor as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders. 
• Manage key functions of the project to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results, milestones, and budget. Contribute to ensuring coordination between program and operations leads. Contribute to ensuring the CRS program quality standards are adhered to.
• Provide leadership and oversight for multi-country operational implementation, ensuring effective coordination, accountability, and support across participating countries, consortium partners, and project teams.
• Oversee project operations, including finance, contracts, procurement, administration, human resources, information technology, logistics, and security functions, ensuring compliance with donor and CRS requirements.
• Support achievement, monitoring, and verification of milestone-based deliverables by establishing effective operational systems, processes, and controls.
• Effectively manage and supervise talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. 
• Contribute to the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff. 
• Manage and mitigate risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all CRS safety and security policies and plans  are updated and that staff are aware of and adhere to current plans. 
• Lead operational risk management efforts and strengthen internal controls to ensure efficient, compliant, and accountable project operations across all participating countries.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Help ensure compliance with donor grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and donor reporting. 
• Strengthen partner operational capacity and systems to support compliant and effective implementation of project activities and subawards.
• Maintain relationships with key staff of consortium partner organizations. Contribute to coordination of the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations in implementation in line with CRS partnership principles. 
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies. 
• Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and recommend trainings and technical assistance.
• Oversee all subaward and vendor management functions, including partner due diligence, award administration, procurement, performance monitoring, compliance oversight, and supervision of grants and compliance staff to ensure effective and accountable implementation.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, International Relations or a relevant technical area. 
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant management and technical experience. 
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience managing donor funds, including multi country grants. 
• Recognized technical experience and qualifications in sector as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, conference presentations etc. 
• Experience coaching and mentoring project staff.
• Demonstrated experience of successful management, including management of functions of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects and logistics.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy.
• Experience in managing the operation functions for multi-country opportunities with high profile donors.
• Experience managing complex USG awards in the areas of finance, procurement HR, logistics, information technology, and administration.
• Experience working internationally in Latin America, Africa, or Asia.
• Experience working with and supporting capacity building activities with local governments to strengthen national systems for scale and impact.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. 
• Strong knowledge and experience in budget management. 
• Strong knowledge of MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship. 
• Team leadership abilities with diverse and multi-disciplinary teams. 
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented mindset.

Required Languages: Fluency in English required. Fluency in French or Spanish a plus. 

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 35 %. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions. 
• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

What we offer

CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.  Salary and benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.  CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  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 safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

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

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.