Chief of Party (COP)

Exciting Career Opportunities with CRS

CRS is an international NGO based in the United States working in over 100 countries to promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies and dignified lives. In Nepal, CRS strives to improve the livelihood and resilience of marginalized and vulnerable people in Nepal through improved access to safe and dignified housing, improved community resilience to disaster, shocks and stresses, and diversified livelihood opportunities. CRS has been instrumental in implementing multifaceted emergency relief and recovery programs. CRS has played a pivotal role in coordinating reconstruction efforts through the leadership of the National/Nepal Housing and Settlements Resiliency Platform (NHSRP), formerly known as the Housing Recovery and Reconstruction Platform, since March 2017 in responding to the impacts of earthquakes, monsoons, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Building upon proven and new partnerships and expertise, CRS works with local partners and government to create long-term resilience for a brighter future for all.

CRS Nepal Invites applications from eligible and interested candidates for the following position for an upcoming project on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy and Practice. This project is part of the BHA MYAPS: Round 04-Nepal ER4 Activity, funded by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) with estimated budget of USD 9 million for three years.

This position is contingent upon successful bid award.

Chief of Party (COP): (1 position based in Lalitpur):

As Chief of Party, you will provide vision, leadership and overall management upcoming project on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy and Practice. Your strategic leadership, management and technical knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming, ensure proper stewardship of project resources to serve the poor and vulnerable and advance the position of CRS as a leading humanitarian and development agency in Nepal. The COP will also be responsible for building sustainable partnerships across local stakeholders, fostering an inclusive and participatory environment, and guiding the implementation of the project toward the goals.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the project, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Serve as the primary point of contact to BHA as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders. 
• Ensure the project is designed and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability. Ensure coordination between program and operations leads. Ensure that CRS program quality standards are adhered to by MEAL policy and procedures.
• Effectively manage senior programming and operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Manage and mitigate risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans and ensure the updating of such plans.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Ensure compliance with BHA grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and reporting to BHA. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS’ branding and marketing requirements and procedures. Represent CRS programming in various platforms, highlighting innovative work. Publish program results and deliver presentations. 
• Coordinate relationships with consortium partner organizations, including organization of review/planning workshops. Contribute to coordination of the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations in implementation in line with CRS partnership principles. 
• 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. Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in development studies, international relations, or a related field. Three years of applicable experience can substitute for a master’s degree.
• Required minimum of 7 years of progressively increasing management responsibility in international humanitarian and development projects
• 7 or more years’ relevant management and technical experience.
• 5 years experience managing donor funds, including multi country grants. Strong knowledge and experience in budget management.
• 5 years of staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment. Experience coaching senior program staff.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recognized leader in sector as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications, conference presentations etc.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy a plus.
• Ability to represent and present at high levels.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• Candidates with GESI diversity is a plus, including gender (female, other); marginalized groups; persons with disability; and, origin from geographically marginalized location
• Demonstrated experience in adaptive management and learning techniques is highly encouraged. Proven success serving in a leadership role for a project addressing issues related to resilience, emergency response, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction through nexus approach, preferably in South Asia.
• Record of successful USG funded program management, including management of multi-activity projects, complicated logistics and budgets, as well as commodities, proven leadership skills managing projects of a similar size and scope.
• Experience of managing projects involving multiple sub-awardees, and experience of capacity building of the sub-awardees
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff, as well as experience in managing programmatic and financial reporting.
• Prior experience working in South Asia, familiarity with Nepal’s DRR governance, social, political, economic, and cultural landscape, and demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and partners.
• An understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Required Languages - English Fluency required. Proficiency in Nepali is desirable

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%.

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

To apply for above positions, please click on this link https://forms.office.com/r/gbdg0K9vRz

Applications will be accepted until the position are filled and proceed on rolling basis. Thus, we encourage to apply sooner rather than later

NOTE: While uploading any file: please make file name as:  Name_ Resume/ Name- Cover letter

By applying to this job, you as the candidate, understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, you understand that if you are a successful candidate, you will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and your personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate your behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.

CRS is an equal opportunity employer committed to a staff composition that reflects the social and ethnic diversity of Nepali Society. It encourages applicants from marginalized communities and geographically remote areas, persons with disabilities, women and other genders are encouraged to apply. CRS Nepal provides many benefits for its staff members including staff development opportunities, paid maternity and paternity leave, nursing hours for nursing mothers, per diems for the child of the staff when staff travel out of station on official business etc.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Reimbursement for lodging and transportation will be provided for the shortlisted candidates who travel from outside of Kathmandu Valley for written test and interview.