Head of Programming, Honduras

Job Title: Head of Programming I, Honduras

Reports to: Country Representative

Department: Programming-CRS Honduras

Salary Grade: 11

About CRS:

Catholic Relief Services 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 is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS Honduras leads and implements programs in education, water-smart agriculture, emergency response, disaster risk resilience, youth development, peacebuilding, local partner capacity strengthening, and water. In 2022, CRS´ programs benefited more than 400,000 men, women, and children in 8 departments. CRS partners with the USAID, USDA, UNICEF, WFP, Private Foundations, the Government of Honduras and 12 local organizations to create transformational and lasting change in the lives of Honduras´ most vulnerable families.

Job Summary:

As a member of the Country Program (CP) Senior Management Team, you will provide strategic direction, leadership, and management of the CP’s programming to ensure the design, development, and successful implementation of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. Your leadership, management and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of CRS programs and interventions. As part of the Senior Management Team you will proactively manage security, mitigate risk, and ensure safe and dignified programming for all participants.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the Country Representative (CR) provide strategic direction for the design of the CP strategic frameworks and plans, including the development of resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities.
• Lead high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context and technical requirements of projects. Coordinate planning of activities across various projects from different sectors to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessment for direct reports. Contribute to developing staffing plans for projects and to the recruitment process of senior project staff.
• Build and maintain collaborative and synergistic relationships between the country program and CRS regional programmatic platforms to further the goals of impact at scale and enhanced local leadership.
• Support CRS country program staff to identify and build relationships with the Honduran government, private sector and civil society actors to further mutual objectives.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies. Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management overseeing implementation of the MEAL policy, as well as cross-sectoral and cross-department learning.
• Coordinate with CP operations leads to ensure appropriate project budgeting and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• In coordination with resource mobilization staff oversee the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Ensure technical assistance and capacity strengthening for project teams and partners in project management standards and related MEAL, business development and operational activities. Identify training opportunities, develop training curriculums and deliver trainings.

Required Languages – Written and oral fluency in English and Spanish.

Travel– Must be willing and able to travel up to 25% within Honduras.

Supervisory Responsibilities: MEAL Manager, Communications Specialist, Senior Advisors, Program Managers and Business Development Coordinators.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal:Country Representative, Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Sr Technical Advisors, Platform Focal Points, Head of Operations, Finance Manager, among others.

External**:** Local partners, local government official, national government officials, donors, private sector leaders, international NGO partners, among others.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong staff and team management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic relationship management capacity.
• Team leadership abilities
• Presentation and facilitation skills
• Proactive, resourceful, results-oriented
• Dynamic, solutions-oriented, and self-motivated.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent English and Spanish writing and editing skills.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to an environment focused on continuous learning and improvement.
• Experience and abilities in capacity strengthening – especially for staff and local partners.
• Strong understanding of the Honduran national context.

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field.
• Minimum of five years of relevant field-based program management, at least three years of middle/senior management experience.
• Experience in the development of successful proposals, reports, strategic alliances, project design, project management, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience in partner capacity strengthening, staff development, training, and mentoring, as well as in team building and strategic planning initiatives. Experience working with Church partners a plus
• Experience in community development, community mobilization, or similar grassroots, self-help initiatives.
• Experience in project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, etc., preferably for projects funded by multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Experience with successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding.

Agency REDI 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.

• Personal Accountability
• Acts with Integrity
• Collaborates with Others
• Builds and Maintains Trust
• Open to Learn
• Strategic Mindset
• Develops and Recognizes Others
• Leads Change

***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. 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.

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

Note: All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside their home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical examination.

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.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, 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 an Equal Opportunity Employer