Job Summary:
You will lead programming for economic development for the Advancing Cross-border Resilience and Opportunities for Safety and Security (ACROSS) Project based in Kebbi. ย You will work collaboratively as a team member with the other sector leaders and MEAL in ACROSS. Under the leadership of the Program Manager, you will support the partnerโs livelihoods team to plan, sequence, and layer all sector interventions to achieve optimal integration and impact for the poor and vulnerable. You will also oversee the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, program quality, and reporting for economic development activities. Your management and facilitation skills and knowledge will ensure that ACROSS delivers high-quality, cost-effective, and locally appropriate programming, and continuously works towards improving the impact of its interventions.ย
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
Prepare annual implementation plans for economic development interventions under the supervision of the Project Manager and conduct regular follow-up and monitoring of economic development interventions to ensure proper and efficient implementation, addressing critical issues as needed. Facilitate and ensure the active involvement of youth and women in all economic development activities, fostering their engagement as primary stakeholders. Mentor and support the partner livelihoods team in the correct use of the appropriate CRS program planning, implementation, and reporting tools, and ensure effective planning and integration of economic livelihood interventions with ACROSS activities in infrastructure sectors. Additionally, support and oversee the planning and implementation of all market-based input activities, including participant identification, validation, training, mobilization, distribution, follow-up up and utilization.ย Represent ACROSS and CRS at all state-level sector-based coordination mechanisms for economic development and livelihoods and facilitate engagement with key ministries for technical support to ACROSS sector implementation and monitoring, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation.ย Effectively manage talent and supervise the ACROSS agriculture and livelihood team in CRS. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports. Champion learning with project staff and partner teams.ย Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy.ย Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.ย Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of NEYIF and lead capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation for agriculture and livelihoods.ยRequired Languages - English and Hausa are essential.
Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 40%.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Project design, planning, and management experience in agriculture and livelihood is essential. Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound judgments. Demonstrable capacities in teamwork and cross-sectoral planning, and implementation. ย Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.ย Experience managing relationships and performance in a consortium with local partners.ย Strong representational capacities and skills in collaborating with government stakeholders. Strong facilitation and communication skills.ย Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write reports and make presentations. Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented. Strong capacities in MEAL and reporting, including capturing learning and adapting interventions based on implementation and feedback. ย Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, and information management systems.ย
Preferred Qualifications
Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals. ย Experience using CommCare and Power BI is an advantage. Experience of using market-based mechanisms and CVA modalities, including the RedRose platform, for the provision of agriculture and livelihood inputs to project participants is desirable.Supervisory Responsibilities: none
Key Working Relationships:
Internal:ย Program Manager, MEAL SPO, other ACROSS sector leads, Admin Office. ย
External โย coordination forums, partner, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture
Basic Qualifications
BSc Agriculture, development economics, international development. Additional experience may substitute for some education. 4 years of work experience in Northern Nigeria in the implementation of similar projects.Safeguarding
CRS is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people who interact with our work. We uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and expect all staff and partners to respect and protect the dignity and rights of everyone from any form of harm, abuse, harassment, or exploitation. All staff are required to follow CRSโs safeguarding policies and procedures and to complete mandatory safeguarding e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
ย Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
Personal Accountability โ Consistently takes responsibility for oneโs own actions.ย Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.ย Is considered honest. Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions. Collaborates with Others โ Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams. Open to Learn โ Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.Agency Leadership Competencies:
Lead Change โ Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation. Develops and Recognizes Others โ Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance. Strategic Mindset โ Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.Safeguarding
CRS is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people who interact with our work. We uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and expect all staff and partners to respect and protect the dignity and rights of everyone from any form of harm, abuse, harassment, or exploitation. All staff are required to follow CRS' safeguarding policies and procedures and to complete mandatory safeguarding e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
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.ย 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.ย CRSยด 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.ย Catholic Relief Servicesย works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. ย Catholic Relief Servicesโย relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.ย 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. CRSโ 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.ย The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRSยด 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:ย This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.ย
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
General Requirements
CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidateโs ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.ย ย 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.