Program Manager I - RAPID Disaster Risk Reduction and Anticipatory Action

Job Title: Program Manager I - RAPID Disaster Risk Reduction and Anticipatory Action

Reports to: Head of Programming 

Department: Uganda, Programming

Location: Kampala

Deadline: September 18, 2026 no later than 5pm

Job Summary

As the Program Manager for Disaster Risk Reduction and Anticipatory Action (DRR/AA) under the RAPID program, you will lead the management and technical oversight of RAPID DRR/AA programming in Uganda, including disaster preparedness, anticipatory action, and emergency response activities following sudden-onset disasters and other humanitarian shocks. You will ensure effective systems and processes are in place to support high-quality programming that advances Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) mission of serving poor and vulnerable populations.

The Program Manager will be responsible for the overall planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of project activities in line with the project scope of work, results framework, and M&E plan. The successful candidate will provide technical guidance and capacity strengthening support to local partners and stakeholders and oversee project implementation across assigned geographic areas, ensuring quality, accountability, and timely delivery of results. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the CRS Uganda delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its emergency response and recovery programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight of all RAPID DRR/AA activities throughout the project cycle to ensure project design, start-up, implementation and close-out are in line with CRS quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. 
• Effectively manage talent for emergency response and recovery programs and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailored individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports. 
• Oversee technical assistance and capacity strengthening activities in DRR/AA for CRS staff, local partner organizations, government counterparts, and other relevant stakeholders to enhance preparedness, response capacity, program quality, and impact.
• Provide technical leadership and assistance to strengthen DRR and AA systems, policies, standards, and practices in Uganda. Support government, civil society, faith-based, and community actors to develop and operationalize frameworks, standard operating procedures, tools, and guidance at national and subnational levels. Collaborate with DMS, OPM, technical experts, and other stakeholders to establish hazard triggers, strengthen risk forecasting and monitoring, and develop evidence-based early action frameworks for drought, flood, and other climate-related risks.
• Collaborate with the RAPID global team and CRS Uganda Programming leadership to identify, document, and disseminate lessons learned, promising practices, and innovations from DRR/AA and emergency response programming. Support knowledge management, adaptive management, and the integration of evidence and learning into program design and implementation.
• Contribute to the growth of CRS's DRR/AA and humanitarian portfolio by proactively identifying funding opportunities and supporting proposal development. Serve as a technical lead and/or writer for DRR/AA, anticipatory action, preparedness, and emergency response proposals, ensuring quality design, budgeting, staffing plans, and alignment with CRS and donor requirements.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of partnerships relevant to DRR/AA and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Ensure timely and appropriate project expenditures in line with financial plans and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• Represent CRS in relevant coordination forums, clusters, and technical working groups, engaging effectively with government counterparts, donors, UN agencies, local partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and advance humanitarian and DRR/AA objectives.
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor, consistent with the scope and level of the position, to support evolving programmatic priorities and advance the broader CRS Uganda humanitarian, DRR/AA, and resilience portfolio.

Required Languages - Fluent English is required. Working proficiency in local language is a plus

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

 Key Working Relationships:

Internal: CRS Country Representative, Head of Programs, Head of Operations, Uganda-based technical experts for MEAL, Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) and Partner Capacity Strengthening (PCS), Regional and Headquarters technical staff. 

External: Local partner staff, representatives from for-profit and other non-profit organizations and relevant national, district, sub-county, parish and other government stakeholders, community leaders.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in International Development, International Relations, Community Development, or in the field of disaster management, climate adaptation or resilience required.

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in relevant field-based project management experience. 

• Strong knowledge of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Anticipatory Action (AA), Uganda's coordination mechanisms, and protection principles to support safe, dignified, and effective planning, coordination, and implementation of resilience and emergency response interventions. 

• Experience in managing moderately complex projects.

• Experience in an international NGO. 

• Experience working closely with local partner organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations, Community Development, or in the field of disaster management, climate adaptation or resilience. 

• Demonstrated ability to convene, coordinate, and facilitate complex multi-stakeholder consultations and partnerships involving government, development partners, technical agencies, academia, and community stakeholders.

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Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.

• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.

• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

• Good experience in project grants management, including project design, preferably for grants from multiple public donors, including US government and UN.

• Demonstrated ability to write high quality technical proposals and reports.

• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.

• Strong presentation and facilitation skills.

• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

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.

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.