Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 99 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 the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to our approach in every country in which CRS operates. CRS re-established its presence in Nigeria in 2000 and currently focuses on agriculture, health and emergency programming.

POSITION : Emergency Coordinator, Nigeria 

Job description

Job Summary:

The Emergency Coordinator will be responsible for managing emergency response programming activities in food security and livelihoods, WASH, nutrition, NFI distributions, and other potential activities such as cash-for-work and shelter. He/she will provide technical and management support to the program team and partners, in addition to ad-hoc technical consultants. Strengthening the technical and management capacity of emergency program staff and partner organizations will also be an important part of this role. The PM will help to ensure consistency, quality, efficiency, and accountability of emergency activities implemented.  He/she will also ensure strong coordination with other actors and CRS’ active participation in multiple coordination forums and working groups. In addition, the PMII Emergency Coordinator will help grow our emergency portfolio, and will work in collaboration with colleagues to identify opportunities and submit proposals.

Background:

In May 2013, the Government of Nigeria (GON) declared a State of Emergency (SOE) in the northeastern (NE) states of Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa in response to ongoing militant attacks by Boko Haram. The economic system of the NE region has been severely disrupted, with serious impact on agricultural and income generating activities, resulting in reduced purchasing power at the household (HH) level. In the NE states, an estimated 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently living with host families or in camps. Ongoing sector needs include, among others, food security, livelihoods, and WASH. 

Job Responsibility:

Program Management:

1.      Lead and manage emergency programming in northeast Nigeria in close collaboration with the DCR and country team. 
2.      Keep abreast of emergency needs and mobilize support and resources. 
3.      Adjust strategies for recovery and rehabilitation programming as needed. 
4.      Contribute to preparing concept papers and grant proposals for submission to major donors. This will include working closely with program staff, resource agencies, partners and communities to do participatory needs assessments, project design and proposal writing. 
5.      Ensure program quality through development and implementation of monthly or quarterly emergency project reviews, comprehensive M&E systems and partner capacity enhancement. 
6.      Closely manage emergency program budgets and ensure spending is consistent with resources available.  With the finance department ensure budget holders are trained on budget management and meet budgetary cycle deadlines. 
7.      Prepare or assist staff to prepare regular program and financial reports for CRS donors and partners as required. 
8.      Enhance field office and partner capacity in needs assessment, program planning and monitoring. 
9.      With Administration and Finance departments, ensure program compliance with all CRS and donor administrative and financial requirements. 
10.  Develop and maintain strong collaboration with CRS technical experts in multiple sectors, including Food Security, WASH and Livelihoods. 
11.  Identify emergency capacity building needs for staff and partners involved in the response.  Take the lead on coordinating any formal or informal emergency training events organized by CRS for staff and partners. 
12.  Support Program Managers/Officers and M&E staff to effectively implement and improve, as needed, the M&E systems across all projects. 
13.  Promote the appropriate use of information and communication technology for development or emergency programming. 
14.  Facilitate Real-Time Evaluations. Promoting project reviews and other learning events 
15.  Lead any effort to document best practices and lessons learned from the response. 
16.  Prepare regular updates on emergency program activities for SitReps. 
17.  Work with program staff to promote CRS partnership principles and strengthen partnerships. 
18.  Ensure active participation in coordination forums, including the UN sectoral clusters.

Staff Management:

1.      Supervise 5 staff members to support the response. 
2.      Support staff through close attention to staff care, mentoring, and development and monitoring of CRS Performance Plans through coaching sessions and appraisals. 
3.      Promote appropriate staff behavior in the field and a Do No Harm approach for a better understanding of local communities and the local working environment. 
4.      Ensure to integrate security management into program activities with a particular attention to the strategy of acceptance and compliance of staff with security procedures

Representation:

1.      Maintain contact with donor agencies, the UN cluster system, and other NGOs to ensure that interventions are coordinated with those of other agencies, and meet local requirements. 
2.      Represent CRS and share information regularly with local authorities, local partners, the UN, other NGOs and other appropriate networks. 
3.      Identify/negotiate funding opportunities and pursue strategic partnerships for ongoing emergency activities.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: CR, DCR, HoOps, Security Manager, Senior Business Development Manager and other senior CRS programming and operational staff in Nigeria; DRD, PQ; STA Health, HRD; STA WASH, HRD; STA Food Security & Livelihoods, HRD.
External: Appropriate cluster leads, UN-OCHA, state and local government offices, local and international NGOs, UN agencies, Caritas partners, and donors.

Desired Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

1.      Masters Degree in related field or equivalent experience 
2.      Minimum of five years of relevant field-based project management experience required.  Extensive experience in managing moderately complex projects. 
3.      Five years of experience working in emergency, development or recovery programming with an international NGO. 
4.      Experience in emergencies and program planning and management. 
5.      Demonstrated application of Emergency Standards. 
6.      Demonstrated ability to work in partnership with local communities and NGOs as appropriate. 
7.      Ability to represent CRS at high level coordination meetings with donors, local government, UN, and other international NGOs. 
8.      Demonstrated leadership ability in strategic planning initiatives. 
9.      Proven ability to develop proposals and write reports meeting donor requirements. 
10.  Excellent analytical, management, communication and negotiation skills. 
11.  Must be able to prioritize multiple work demands and work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision.
12.  Familiarity with policies, procedures, and priorities of USAID, UN agencies and Caritas agencies preferred. 
13.  Experience in staff development and partner capacity strengthening. 
14.  Knowledge of CRS program quality standards preferred. 
15.  Advanced computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office (MS Word, Excel, etc.). 
16.  Experience working in security compromised zones 
17.  Excellent inter-cultural sensitivity and interpersonal skills necessary in insecure environment

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

CRS Emergency Competencies:

Each CRS staff member working in emergencies is expected to have the following competencies 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

Required Foreign Language:

Working language – English

Required Travel:

Travel within Nigeria

Work Environment:

To live in Hadejia, Jigawa LGA, and work in the NE. Frequent travel to Abuja.  
CRS has an office and accommodation

Disclaimer:

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

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.