CRS Job Opportunity for Techical Program Director

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in partnership with the Catholic Caritas Federation of Nigeria (CCFN), the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Mercy Corps, Making Cents International and 8 Civil Society Organization (CSOs), is implementing the Feed the Future Nigeria Livelihoods Project. It is a 5 year program with $15 million support from USAID and $5 million cost share from CRS and partners. It is an agriculture-led project based in rural communities in Northern Nigeria’s Sokoto state, Kebbi State and in Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Techical Program Director
Band: E-2
Location: Abuja
Department: Feed the Future Nigeria Livelihoods Project.
Reports To: Chief of Party, Feed the Future Nigeria Livelihoods Projects

Primary Duty
The Technical Program Director will work with the technical teams leads and senior program manager(SPM) to oversee all technical aspects of the project and ensure that activities are effectively and efficiently implemented according to proposal objective and donor requirement

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics Rural Development, Business, International Development and/or Food Security related field
• At least ten (10) years of working experience in agriculture, nutrition, WASH, food security or governance program; Experience in a combination of these is preferred
• Understanding of U.S Government grant provisions, policies, procedures, guideliness and priorties, including reporting requirements.
• Excellent situational leadership style, strategic, analytical, participatory, supportive and monitoring
• Excellent partnership skills and the ability to interact effectively with donors, collaborating agencies and local partners demonstrated through close work experience with international organisations.
• Experience in management of large projects required
• Effective negatiated and representation skills in order to mentor program teams to follow quality standard and facilitate learning from each other.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonistrated capacity to understand the current best practices and challenges while coordinating the implementation of program straregies through a participatory approach
• Flexibility, persistemce and ability to work well with people through cross skills
• Demonstrated commitment to improving gender equality and gender responsiveness in programming and operations.
• Ability to tarvel nationally and internationally as required
• Knowledge of Northern Nigeria is an added advantage
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including word, Excel and Outlook required
• Willingness and ability to travel atleast 50% of time

Specific Responsibility

• Program quality through technical service provision
• Provide technical direction on agriculture, income generation, nutrition/WASH education, social protection and governance
• Manage a team of technical staff in various sectors(Agriculture production, nutrition/WASH savings led microfinance and governance)
• Ensure all sectorial strategies are aligned with Government of Nigeria priorites and CRS “Pathway to Prosperity” intervention models as well as other CRS technial and program quality stardard.
• Address bottlenecks and scale up best practices to achieve high quality program implementation.
• Develop systems of planning reporting, targeting and monitoring in consultation with the consortium organisations and monitoring and evaluation director
• Develop and manage the review of interventions to ensure synergy between sectorial interventions.
• Coordinate the involvement of technical assistance via advanced planning and discussions; managing consultants or technical assistance by developing and enforcing clear scopes of work and consistent engagement.
• Ensure the delivery of quality training and technical assistance on a timely basis
• Lead capacity building of sub-grantees (CSO’s) and oversee learning in community of practice and peer exchange activities
• Coordinate with grants manager, technical lads and SPM in CSO budget developement and oversight
• Oversee periodic technical reviews and implement evidance-based changes in program implementation and focus
• Mainstream gender sensitive project interventions through support and promotion f gender throughout all aea of the project

Program quality through promotion of innovation in technical program areas:

• Identify innovation in the respective technical aea from elsewhere and facilitate its adaptation and application with the context of the situtation in project locations with all implementation partners
• Regularly review the project sector strategies to ensure relevance and enhance program impact by suggesting appropriate alternative stratrgies and changes to the proram
• Promote and facilitate innoation through capacity building and motivation of implementing staff
• Along with the chief of party. Periodically review progree and direction of the project and identify appropriate actions to archieve planned outputs.

Program quality through facilitation of learning across program technical areas:

• Support M&E Director in developing a “learning agenda/Knowledge database” for the technical areas and coordinate the technical implementation these learning agendas
• Enhance cross-learning within program technical area through regular field visits, exchange of staff and other practical ways
• Support M&E director to record lessons learned and document success stories within the technical areas exchange and facilitate its effective use to improve program quality and disseminate key achievements.
• With support from learn leads, develop mechanisms for regular feedback on the quality on ground activities and targeting of supervisory support
• Provide technical support to M&E Director in developing and conducting survey and studies
• Provide inout into developing communication and networking systems(newletter, website, events with government & stakeholders)

Representation and Accuracy:

• In collaboration with the chief of party, serve as primary tecnical program contact to donor and other and other local and international stakeholders responsible for addressing all technical program matters.
• Support chief of party to liaise with other stakeholders from givernment, international agencies and NGOs
• Leading in establishing linkages with technical persons from the relevant ministries
• Support CSOs to develop strong working relationships with commuinity and village district administrations, local government institutions and other existing projects wuthin project locations
• Support chief of party to represent project in programming areas especially with relevant government ministries
• In collaboration with chief of party. Strengthen linkages with existing and potential partner agencies and other donor found programs
• In collaboration with the chief of party, oversee program communication strategies, including compilance with donor’s branding and marking requirement, as well as CRS marketing and communication procedures
• Contributes as a member of the project senior management team

Human Resource Management:

• Lead, manage and supervise all technical staff (including SPM) of the project meet program objectives.
• Conduct periodic reviews of technical program staff and SPM performance in keeping with CRS’s performace management system and mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, dedication, commitment, capacity and teamwork
• Manage recruitment portfolio of technical staff, in collaboration with the chief of party, Human Resources and CRS country program management to ensure optimum service delivery through recruitment of competent and qualified staff

Supervisory Responsibilities
Manage a team of technical staff: Agriculture, Imcome Generation, Nutrition/WASH, Saving-led Microfinance, Cash Transfers and Governance




How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below and send with a detailed Resume (maximum of 3 pages) in a one word document to:NG_HR@global.crs.org state the desired position as the subject of email.

Click here to download the Application Form

Note: Application sent in the required format will be considered and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please note that interviews will be conducted on a rolling bases. 


Deadline: 15th December, 2015.