Project Manager I - Infrastructure at Catholic Relief Services (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 are accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS has been supporting program activities in Nigeria for over 30 years and has long-standing relationships with Church and non-Church partners and communities throughout the country. The Nigeria country program has a diverse funding base with projects in health, nutrition, food security and agricultural livelihoods, microfinance (SILC), emergency response and peacebuilding. CRS/Nigeria currently has over 210 national and 8 international staff. With an FY22 annual budget of over USD $100 million, coupled with strong donor interest in supporting CRS’ work in the country, significant growth opportunities exist for the CP. The CP has been supporting emergency activities in the NE states since 2015 with offices in Damaturu, Maiduguri and Yola.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Manager I - Infrastructure

Job ID: 22000046
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Job Type: Full-time
Shift: Standard
Schedule: Regular
Job Level: Day Job
Travel: Yes, 20 % of the Time
Job: Program Management
Employee Status: Individual Contributor

Job Summary

• The Program Manager I - Infrastructure will oversee THRIVE WASH and Shelter Infrastructure programming.
• S/he will line manage a team of Field Engineers and will be responsible for building their technical design and construction supervision capacity as needed.
• S/he will be responsible for both technical quality and compliance with project management standards as part of the day-to-day operations of CRS’ Shelter and WASH activities.
• Her/his management skills and knowledge will ensure that the THRIVE delivers high quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Manage and implement all activities throughout relevant project cycles - project design, start-up, implementation, and close-out - to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices. Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and management tools.
• Effectively manage talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Ensure Shelter and WASH engineers respect CRS protocols and follow best practices during all Shelter and WASH programming activities.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development in respective programming area, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed.
• Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Help identify, assess, and strengthen partnerships relevant to emergency projects, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to project needs. Through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resources.
• Support donor reporting, if needed.
• In coordination with the Sector Advisor and the Procurement Team, and as per CRS standard procedures, 1) identify and assess contractors, construction suppliers, vendors of Shelter and WASH NFI’s. 2) prepare and review contracts and documentation for works, 3) Assist and contribute to bid committees.
• Lead all assessments for Shelter and WASH together with the Hygiene Promotion PM.
• Support the Hygiene Promotion PM as necessary to analyze data from base line surveys, OSMs, PDMS, and learning workshops, and community feedback reports before launching interventions.
• In close coordination with the Hygiene Promotion PM, develop designs and BOQs for WASH infrastructure including but not limited to latrines, bathing areas, drainages and water points. Ensure that these are sound from a qualitative, quantitative, and culturally appropriate point of view and follows SPHERE standards.
• Lead the management of contractors and support Field Engineers to push for high-quality implementation. Monitor field engineers to ensure on time quality construction.
• Liaise with CRS Procurement and Logistics teams to ensure material procurement and construction contracts are delivered according to program needs and on schedule to sites.
• Ensure regular contact with key community stakeholders ensuring that all construction activities have been approved and appropriate agreements are in place.
• Plan all construction activities in close coordination with the Hygiene Promotion PM and manage works to schedules. Provide regular updates to the master Shelter and WASH programming detailed implementation plan.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development in respective programming area, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed.
• Support the Sector Advisor to prepare plans, proposals, and budgets for project extensions and new program opportunities
• Ensure the development and implementation strong MEAL systems using appropriate CRS tools and resources to maximize Shelter and WASH impact on beneficiaries.
• Ensure Field Engineers engage stakeholders in both host communities and IDP’s in consultation, mobilization, and construction activities.
• Ensure Field Engineers monitor community construction supervisors and contractors for adherence to Health and Safety standards during construction activities.
• Review and highlight opportunities for Protection, safeguarding and Gender mainstreaming in the proposed sector activities and follow up to ensure, protection principles are integrated during activity design and implementation.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervise all WASH Field Engineers
• Ensure timely and quality adherence to CRS Performance Management System for all staff under his/her supervision.

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Program Managers, Emergency Coordinator, Liaison officer, Head of Office, Procurement Officers, Finance Manager, Administration Manager.
• External: INGOs, UN, community actors, vendors.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Hydrogeology or Construction Engineering.
• 7 to 9 years experience working with INGOs in the field of WASH and implementation experience of water supply, sanitation, construction, or infrastructure projects.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with RedRose platform.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
• MEAL skills and experience preferred.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Required Languages:

• English Fluency, Hausa and Kanuri is an added value.

Travel:

• Must be willing and able to travel up to 20%.

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:

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Application Closing Date
1st March, 2022.