Head of Operations

About CRS:

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

Job Summary:

As a member of the Country Program’s (CP) Senior Management Team, you will provide leadership and management of the operational functions - Finance, Human Resources (HR), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Administration, Information and Communication Technology, Security and Audit - in support of CRS’ mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. You will promote stewardship of resources, ensure principled compliance, proactively manage risk, and lead operational improvements. As part of the Senior Management Team your strategic management and relationship skills will enable you to advance CRS’ programming objectives, reputation, and impact while you proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Together with the Senior Management Team guide the vision and strategy of the country program. Contribute to the design of new programming and country program strategic planning. Provide input on needed investments in systems, processes and staffing that meet CRS’ standards, donor requirements, and local regulations and support high-quality programming.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports. Monitor and assess performance to ensure adequate capacity for successful support of high-quality programming. Contribute to staffing plans and recruitment process of senior staff.
• With the Country Representative and in close coordination with the regional team, champion workforce planning to ensure a strong pipeline of local talent for multiple leadership areas.
• Plan, integrate, coordinate, and monitor day-to-day operations to ensure all support services are delivered with high-quality in an efficient manner. Address issues where operations support needs to be adapted for complex programming. Oversee the piloting of new operations initiatives that require the setting of new standards and systems.
• Collaborate with programming leads to ensure appropriate project expenditures in line with financial plans and proper stewardship of material sources. Anticipate, identify and address challenges that affect the proper stewardship, risk, and optimal utilization of program assets and resources (financial, human, and material).
• Support strategic partnerships with national and international organizations in line with CRS partnership principles. Ensure strong representation with key stakeholders, including the El Salvador Church and partners, local and national government, US government and international donors. Champion local leadership and the development of strong local partners.
• Manage and mitigate risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans and ensure the updating of such plans.
• With the Country Representative oversee the preparation of annual budget plans and grant/project budgets to ensure they reflect maximum operational efficiency and budgetary compliance and mitigate risks. Set and provide technical oversight of internal processes for approving expenses, monitoring spending, and making budget adjustments in line with operational and programmatic needs and with donor requirements.
• Ensure the program is adequately staffed to meet CP needs and HR systems, policies and practices support a high-performance culture, staff development and retention. Assure quality personnel administration and a work environment that truly reflects the agency’s guiding principles.
• Oversee compliance with agency and donor requirements and local laws and regulations through periodic systems checks, review and assessment of CP’s operations policies and procedures. Act as lead contact and responder to issues that emerge from internal and external audits and provide recommendations and guidance to implement improvements.
• Create and maintain the proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment for the sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to small deficiencies. Provide capacity strengthening guidance for project teams and partners, which includes cross-departmental learning.

Education, experience and Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, Business Administration, Finance or relevant field required.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in a management position with progressive responsibilities. Experience with an international NGO and experience outside country of origin preferred.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education; additional education may substitute for some experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of multiple public donors’ regulations, including USAID, highly preferred.
• Experience leading workforce planning activities including talent mapping and succession planning.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Knowledge of procurement and office administration/management issues.
• Ability to represent the agency at high levels.
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the capacity to see the big picture and the ability to make sound judgments and decisions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to work collaboratively.
• Team leadership abilities
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented

Required Languages – Advanced English and Spanish

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 25%.

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory Responsibilities: Finance and Supply Chain Manager; HR, Admin, Security, and Logistics Manager, Other senior leaders per need of country program.

Internal: Head of Programs, Members of the Senior Management Team, Chiefs of Party and Program Managers, Regional Technical Advisors, Deputy Regional Director for Management Quality, Regional HOOP community of practice

External: Implementing Partners, Local technical private service providers, National/Regional/local government representatives, Local private sector, UN Cluster members, Donor agency representatives

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. The length of employment for this position is subject to the duration of project and/or country program funding, as well as other internal processes based on local law. When applying for this job, it is understood and acknowledged that CRS requires its staff to treat all persons with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. It is further understood that, if you are a successful candidate, you will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and your personal/professional references will be requested to assess behaviors related to the above safeguarding issues.