Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Nigeria Current Job Vacancies for Graduates

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international Non-Governmental organization supporting Relief and Development work in over 100 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs. Therefore, strengthening and building the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to our approach in every country in which CRS operates.
We are recruiting to fill the positions below:
Job Title: Business Development Specialist
Req Number: I3950
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Position Tupe: Full Time
Position Status: Regular
Primary Function
The Business Development Specialist will support the agency’s positioning for and pursuit of institutional donor resources, with an emphasis on competitive funding mechanisms.
S/he will provide business development expertise and leadership to cross-discipline and cross-functional teams in the development of proposals to ensure the highest quality standards and competitiveness.
S/he will contribute to and support internal learning processes that improve CRS’ business development practice, enhance the agency’s value propositions, and leverage innovative, evidence-based results into new revenue and programming.
Specific Responsibilities
Research, track and analyze new business opportunities, competitive intelligence, and CRS’ competitive positioning within the marketplace.
Maintain accurate business pipeline and performance data through CRS’ online system to inform executive and senior management decisions.
Support senior management’s cultivation and strengthening of institutional relationships with donors, partner organizations, and other collaborators in the international relief/development arena.
Provide BD expertise in positioning, capture planning and proposal preparation for specific opportunities. As appropriate, serve as proposal coordinator or other lead role in proposal team, and participate in bid analysis and proposal review panels.
Coordinate processes and mentor staff to ensure timely submission of high quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards.
Support and guide the identification of partners and negotiation of CRS’ role on proposal consortia, ensuring a competitive position for CRS that adheres to the agency’s partnership principles and strategic directions.
Work with senior managers and advisors to develop effective fundraising strategies involving donor research and intelligence, product development, marketing, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
Work with appropriate staff to maintain data on past performance and corporate capacity, in order to provide timely information for proposal submissions worldwide.
Contribute to, disseminate, and model the use of standardized business development processes and resources (training/capacity-building materials, guidelines, tools and templates, and online information).
Lead and contribute to agency learning, through analysis of proposal successes and failures, analysis of CRS competitiveness and the funding environment, and active participation in CRS’ global BD community of practice.
Assist the Program Quality department with guidance on high-quality project start-up and close-out, including development of relevant GANTT charts and tracking of timelines.
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:
Serves with Integrity
Models Stewardship
Cultivates Constructive Relationships
Promotes Learning
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: Country Program staff; regional office staff; relevant HQ departments, and global BD community.
External: Business development officials of collaborating partner organizations; select donor representatives as appropriate.
Qualifications
Bachelor or Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations, or relevant field preferred; equivalent experience acceptable.
Minimum 5 years of international development experience, including at least 2 years in a developing country.
Ideally at least 3 years in a developing country preferred, including leading teams (in field or headquarters).
Demonstrated experience leading and producing competitive proposals in programming contexts similar to CRS required. Comprehensive familiarity with technical and cost application requirements of USAID RFAs required. Experience with USAID RFPs and with non-USAID and non-USG donors and funding mechanisms highly desirable.
Familiarity with relevant federal regulations and with the agency-specific policies, procedures and priorities of USAID and the United Nations.
Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication and negotiation skills.
Demonstrated experience managing people and processes, leading teams to produce deliverables under tight deadlines and at exceptional quality.
Exceptional writing ability.
Strong analytical skills.
Knowledge of CRS programs, justice agenda and Catholic Social Teaching principles, a plus.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet) required, experience with Access or other data base programs is a plus.
Ability and willingness to travel within the DRC as needed, up to 40% of job time.
Fluency in English required.
Personal/Professional Skills:

  • Experience and proven track record of successful proposal development with USG and other donor agencies
  • Listening, mediation, and facilitation skills
  • Sound judgment, assertiveness, and commitment to the Agency’s mission
  • Self-motivated, with the ability to motivate others and coordinate a large amount of activity
  • Strong organizational and planning skills
  • Knowledge of CRS program quality standards, partnership principles and Catholic Social Teaching principles is preferred.

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply for this Position
 
Job Title: Emergency Coordinator, Northeast
Req Number: I3894
Location: Maiduguri, Borno (with frequent travel to field sites in northeast Nigeria)
Department/Country: Program Management and Quality/Nigeria
Reports To: Emergency Director
Specific Responsibilities
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Program Management and Quality:

  • Ensure high quality project implementation to establish a reputation of CRS as an exceptional responder
  • Ensure the timely implementation of all project activities, in collaboration with geographical Heads of Offices and implementing partners
  • Ensure all emergency CRS and partner grants are managed effectively and within the duration of the agreement
  • Ensure accountability, gender equity, and protection principles are mainstreamed in all steps of the project cycle.
  • Coordinate field visits for staff, visitors, and teams travelling to the affected areas
  • Ensure that all activities strive to attain SPHERE and in-country Clusters’ standards
  • Be responsible for the final content of emergency project reports (review reports from PMs, provide feedback for improvement, support PMs to integrate the feedback, submit final reports to ED for review and submission).
  • Develop and maintain strong collaboration with CRS technical experts in the areas of emergency programs, shelter, Cash & Vouchers and other relevant sectors as needed
  • Ensure there is close coordination of Emergency Response and Recovery activities with other CRS resilience and development programs in NE Nigeria
  • Ensure adherence with CRS guiding principles, program quality statements and standards by promoting the use of CRS Program Quality tools and manuals, including the Project Management Standards (PMS), ProPack III /SMILER for MEAL
  • Coordinate with the MEAL department to ensure quality, timely and relevant monitoring and evaluation, ensuring all emergency programs have quality beneficiary feedback mechanisms
  • Spearhead and mainstream consistent innovation and documentation of lessons learned as well as dissemination of those — both positive and negative — to the humanitarian community and donors
  • Provide support for the operationalization of Information, Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D)
  • Track and manage the budgets for all emergency projects, conducting timely budget maintenance reviews and working with finance on correcting problems as they arise
  • Be responsible for producing and maintaining up to date Past Performance References and Gateway records on all emergency projects.

Nigeria Emergency Programs Leadership:

  • Support the Emergency Director (ED), the Deputy Country Representative for North East Nigeria (DRC/NE) to operationalize the Emergency Response, and Recovery (ERR) Strategy for CRS Nigeria.
  • Support cohesive leadership to CRS programming in NE Nigeria, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with ERR Strategy and goals
  • Ensure operating and other standards in the NE align and are integrated into the overall CP standards of operation, ensuring strong and collaborative working relationships with the Abuja operations and program teams
  • Ensure the emergency programs receives appropriate operational support for achievement of program outcomes
  • Lead emergency response teams, engaging them regarding their development plans, their professional aspirations, and managing/coaching them towards development objectives
  • Identify and manage talent by providing high quality mentoring and coaching of staff and partners
  • Address poor performance promptly and constructively, ensuring fair treatment of staff by identifying, documenting and providing adequate support to address performance and behavioral issues
  • Promote a work culture in line with CRS values: promotion of international and national talents, collaboration, and uniform adherence to CRS programming principles

Capacity Building and Supervision:

  • Oversee project managers/officers and/or other CRS staff for emergency operations
  • Engage direct reports regarding their development plans, determine their professional aspirations, and manage/coach them towards development objectives
  • Provide high quality mentoring and coaching of staff and partners
  • Address poor performance promptly and constructively, ensuring fair treatment of staff by identifying, documenting and providing adequate support to address performance and behavioral issues
  • Promote a work culture in line with CRS values: promotion of international and national talents, collaboration, and uniform adherence to CRS programming principles
  • Whenever appropriate, organize CRS and Caritas combined responses to promote cross learning
  • Ensure that adequate staff (CRS and partner organizations’) are allocated to emergency activities to ensure quality implementation and follow up
  • Facilitate the necessary trainings (i.e. SPHERE standards, voucher methodology, etc.) for staff to implement quality programs.

New Programming:

  • Ensure new programming is in line with the ERR strategy
  • Lead the development of evidence-based, quality ERR proposals as opportunities arise. Perform as technical lead and/or lead writer as needed
  • Work with senior Nigeria staff to strategically use CP, regional private allocation funds to position CRS for further donor funding
  • Ensure needed project documents (such as proposal, SMILER, DIP) are in place for each new initiative and update as needed
  • Ensure Caritas and other partners’ capacities and visions are reflected in all activities

Representation:

  • Develop contacts and partnerships with other humanitarian organizations in Nigeria
  • Coordinate with implementing partners through regular communication
  • Collaborate with key individuals, relevant Government Ministries, the local Catholic Church, counterpart institutions and NGOs, foreign and local NGOs, and UN agencies
  • Ensure CRS Nigeria is an influential and relevant actor in the NE humanitarian coordination structures
  • Promote the implementation of local area coordination in the NE response

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

Program Manager Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results:

  • Sets clear goals and manages toward them.
  • Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders.
  • Manages financial resources with integrity.
  • Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

Emergency Competencies

  • These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff working in emergencies to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
  • Communicates strategically under pressure.
  • Manages stress and complexity.
  • Actively promotes safety and security.
  • Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs.

Qualifications

  • Significant (minimum 5 years) experience in managing programs and human and financial resources, preferably in complex emergency situations
  • Possess a graduate degree in a development related field, or its equivalent
  • Sound management skills including a minimum of 5 years of field management experience in a development agency
  • Proven experience in establishing and maintaining effective partnerships
  • Proven track record of developing winning proposals for the US government, EU, UN, and/or other funding opportunities
  • Commitment to and understanding of gender sensitive approaches to programming and operations management
  • Excellent professional communications skills, both oral and written English
  • Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently
  • Extremely flexible, and have the ability to cope with stressful situations in emergency environments
  • Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in strategic planning initiatives
  • Ability to work both as a motivating member and a leader of a diverse team
  • Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to navigate the humanitarian coordination system
  • Proven expertise in coordinating management and technical skill training programs to support the development of emergency response staff
  • Knowledge of CRS programming, Integral Human Development, SPHERE standards and Catholic Social Teaching principles preferred
  • Demonstrated knowledge/experience of integrating cross-cutting themes such as capacity building, gender, good governance, and peacebuilding
  • Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills
  • Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point) necessary; familiarity with the application of ICT and GIS products in emergency preparedness and response an asset
  • Experience with staff care in emergency settings

Working Relationships
Internal:

  • Deputy Country Representative, Deputy Country Representatives (DCR/Operations, DCR/Agriculture, DCR/Northeast, DCR/Health), Heads of Operations (HoOPs/SCM, HoOPs/Finance, HoOPs/Northeast), Business Development, Emergency teams, Global and Regional Technical Assistants (including the Humanitarian Response Department),

External:

  • Caritas Internationalis, Local Partners, Cluster leads and members, Emergency PVO Community, UN agencies, Donor agencies

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to Apply for this Position
Application Deadline  29th December, 2017.