Deputy Head of Programs / DRR Coordinator / Project Engineer

Exciting Career Opportunities with CRS

CRS is an international NGO based in the United States that works in over 100 countries to promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting diseases, poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies. CRS Nepal has been implementing emergency multi-sector response and recovery (earthquake, monsoon and COVID) programs in Gorkha, Okuldunga, Kavre, Lamjung, Makwanpur, Tanahu, Chitwan, and Palpa districts. CRS is also implementing a USAID-financed livelihood technical assistance program, Farmer to Farmer (F2F), in Bagmati Province, Province 5, Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Province. Since March 2017, CRS-led Housing Recovery and Reconstruction Platform (HRRP) provides technical and information management support to relevant national, provincial and local governments across 32 earthquake-affected districts.

CRS Nepal Invites applications from eligible and interested candidates for the following positions:

1. Deputy Head of Programs (1 position- Based in Kathmandu):

You will contribute to providing strategic direction and management of the Country Program’s (CP’s) programming complementing the Head of Programming (HOP) efforts at ensuring the establishment and successful implementation of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. Your management and programming skills will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Complement the HOP in providing strategic direction for the design of CP strategic frameworks and plans, including resource mobilization strategies to optimize the impact of programming interventions in line with regional and agency strategic priorities.
• Lead where appropriate and contribute to high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context and technical requirements of projects. Coordinate planning of activities for particular projects to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
• Supervise select Project/Program Managers/Directors. 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.
• Identify events and fora to position CRS and / or key stakeholder as thought leader. 
• Represent the CP with local and national GoN officials, donors, INGO key sectoral working groups, the UN, and relevant community actors to keep abreast of changing needs and opportunities on the ground, to develop synergies, and to identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Contribute to creating and maintaining the proper conditions for learning. Help establish a safe environment for the sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to small deficiencies. Promote accountability, learning and knowledge management as part of the implementation of the MEAL policy.
• Coordinate with CP operations staff to ensure appropriate project budgeting and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• Coordinate the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Contribute where needed in the business development cycle to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards. 
• Coordinate technical assistance and capacity strengthening for project teams and partners in project management standards and related MEAL, business development and operational activities. Help identify training opportunities, develop training curriculums and deliver trainings.

Basic Qualifications

• Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations or relevant field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive work experience in a program and/or program quality management position with responsibilities for an international NGO. Minimum of 1-2 years of work experience as a program and/or program quality management position is required.
• At least 3 years of supervisory experience, including performance evaluation, coaching and mentoring.
• Experience with CRS programming and partners is preferred.
• Experience with CRS MEAL, project design and project management practices and tools preferred.
• Good 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent English writing skills.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Experience working with Church partners a plus.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Some experience and abilities in capacity strengthening - developing curricula and facilitating trainings.
• Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks.
• Candidates with GESI diversity is a plus, including gender (female, other); marginalized groups; persons with disability; and origin from geographic marginalized location
• Local expertise w/ permanent address in project district and local language competency is a plus (excluding KTM Valley)

2. DRR Coordinator (1 Position- Based in Lamjung), for Lamjung Earthquake Response Project:

As a member of the Lamjung Earthquake Recovery Project, you will assist program implementation by working directly with local partners to provide capacity building and backstopping support to the counterparts and relevant stakeholders at the local level. Your inputs in systems strengthening will support the CRS’ work to serve the poor and the vulnerable. Your technical support, service and relationships will ensure that the local partners and communities benefit from the project that consistently applies the highest technical and accountability standards and best practices, and continuously works towards improving its impact.

Job Responsibilities: 

• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned DRR related project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies DRR project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules. 
• Coordinate and oversee working relationships with all local project stakeholders, district, provincial and national level disaster management bodies/committees and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote disaster risk reduction project activities and impact ensuring the target achievements and cross learning.
• Supervise and perform ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely DRR project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures. Ensure proper tracking of resource use for DRR project activities through periodic budget reviews and follow-up with and assistance to implementing partner.
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities to ensure assigned DRR project activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
• Coordinate provision of any logistical and administrative support to staff and partners.
• Ensure project documentation for DRR activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices

Basic Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in disaster risk management, environmental science, engineering or related field from an accredited academic institution. Master’s in disaster risk management, environmental science or related field is preferred.
• Minimum four years of experience in DRR. Minimum of one year of DRR experience in this same position. 
• Experience in ’disaster risk management, trainings, information management, GIS and coordination.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of QGIS, Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), Software development tools.
• Advanced knowledge in MS Office especially Advanced Excel and access.
• Knowledge in graphic design and infographics
• Understanding of accountability towards beneficiary privacy and data protection.
• Experience in relationship management with partner organizations and other key players, including government officials at provincial and local levels.
• Experience in identifying and supporting volunteers

3. Project Engineer ( 1 Position- Based in Tanhun, ReCOVER Project):

As a member of the ReCoVER project team, you will assist project start-up and implementation by working directly with local partners and community members, coordinating and contributing mainly to rebuilding shelter and related activities in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work to serve the poor and vulnerable. Your service and community relations skills ensure that the local partners and communities feed their ideas into and benefit from the project that consistently applies best practices and continuously works towards improving its impact.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Support the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of shelter construction and retrofitting related project activities at the field level, ensuring implementation schedules are met as per the detailed implementation plan. Ensure systems for quality project implementation are adhered to and strengthened, including shelter technical design specifications, site safety standards and compliance with all applicable Nepal government design and construction codes.
• Build and maintain relationships, coordinate communication and facilitate information sharing among the project team, technical institutes, implementing partners, local authorities and project beneficiaries at the community level to assist local partners in strengthening the community interest, involvement, and support networks and ensure project stakeholders have the capacity to yield high-quality results.
• Liaise with various community stakeholders and mobilize them to ensure full involvement of community leaders, community representatives, and local government representatives in the overall implementation and improvement of project activities. Ensure that any concerns raised are communicated timely for decision-making.
• In coordination with the project team, provide technical support to the partner technical team in design, drawing, technical surveys, preliminary estimations, bill of quantities, construction proposal of all infrastructure and support capacity building events for partner technical staff, community representatives, skilled and unskilled laborers, and beneficiaries.
• Coordinate, monitor, and report on activities performed by the partners and service providers to support with ensuring construction quality and safety. Evaluate performance and process payments.
• Compile data provided at the community level and maintain a filing system for project documentation as per project requirements. Prepare field and other reports, as required to contribute to the preparation of project reports and learning.

Basic Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible civil engineering experience preferably in post-earthquake housing reconstruction, including supervisory experience, or, an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Additional education may substitute for some experience.
• Knowledge of Nepal building codes, government structures, and their operational mechanics and of standard and prevailing civil engineering principles and practices.
• Experience in using MS Office packages and AutoCAD, supervising detail drawings and their presentations.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data preferred.
• Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement 
• Experience with humanitarian recovery and reconstruction programs and with coordinating and liaising with the local government a plus.

To apply for above positions, please click on this link http://bit.ly/crsnepal-jobs by 07 March 2022.

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. Until further notice CRS will be following COVID-19 prevention protocols outlined in CRS global guidance, including limiting travel to mission-critical movement only, and using all WHO and Gov’t of Nepal- suggested prevention measures for travel and in-person meetings.