Chief of Party, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), Kenya

Job Title:                  Chief of Party, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), Kenya

Requisition Number:            I1926

Area of Interest:      Other

Position Type:         Full Time

Dept. /Location: EARO/Nairobi, Kenya
Position Type:     Full-Time
Reports to:          Country Representative

NOTE:  Position contingent upon USAID approved funding

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.

Background/About the Organization:  Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 99 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality and works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs. CRS has been helping poor, vulnerable families improve their lives through orphans and vulnerable children, agriculture, health, microfinance, and WASH programming in Kenya since 1965.

JOB SUMMARY:  CRS Kenya is seeking a Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated Kenya OVC program. The Chief of Party will provide overall leadership and technical direction for the project, ensuring achievement of project deliverables. The COP will be the primary liaison with USAID and will manage project staff and implementing partners to ensure proper reporting, financial management, and compliance. The COP is expected to coordinate with government and other stakeholders to ensure that activities complement ongoing initiatives and adhere to country and global standards.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for the overall planning, implementation and management of the project as well as the achievement of the goals and objectives of the project in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Serve as the team lead for the project and ensure strong communication and coordination with and between all team members as a means to effectively achieve program objectives. Encourage transparency among and between members to promote coordination and effectiveness.
• Lead the planning of project activities and set high quality performance targets ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines.
• Design strategies, partnerships and interventions to guarantee the project is gender and ability-sensitive and that CRS and implementing partners are accountable to beneficiaries.
• Ensure grant management compliance for the project with donor and CRS regulations.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and collaboration for the team and in-country stakeholders, including USAID, implementation partners, government partners and other key stakeholders.
• Ensure timely, high-quality and complete submission of work plans, quarterly and annual reports, financial reports, and any other reports required by the donor.
• Promote sustainability of project activities with effective networking, linkages to other programs, capacity building of project staff, and institutional strengthening of implementing partners and community-based organizations.

AGENCY-WIDE COMPETENCIES (for all CRS Staff) 
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Supervisory Responsibilities: TDB

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
Internal to CRS: Country Representative, Head of Programming and all program staff, particularly unit managers. Management Quality staff, particularly Head of MQ and finance manager, Headquarters technical staff.

External to CRS: Officials at USAID, government organizations, representatives from for-profit and other non-profit organizations, representatives of non-traditional public donors including UN, World Bank, and others, and OVC stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in public health, international development, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of the health and social service sector in Kenya.
• At least 10 years of experience managing large-scale, multi-year US government-funded proposals, experience in Kenya strongly preferred. Previous COP or DCOP experience strongly preferred.
• Significant technical experience in the areas of orphans and vulnerable children, and/or economic resiliency, nutrition, education, and psychosocial care.
• Demonstrated knowledge of USAID project management including USAID rules and regulation and reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of achieving project targets through applied learning, rigorous knowledge management, and innovation.
• Experience collaborating with host governments and local partners to implement development projects.
• Experience managing teams and building partnerships.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and networking skills required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English required.
• Experience with child welfare and protection programs, systems strengthening, capacity building, service delivery, quality improvement or policy development is desirable.

Kenyan Nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

EOE/M/F/D/V 

For fastest consideration, please create an online profile to apply.