Program Manager I - Nutrition and Protection at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Summary:

You will manage programming for nutrition and protection for the THRIVE consortium based in Maiduguri.  You will directly supervise the CRS THRIVE nutrition and protection team and budget. You will work collaboratively  as a team member with the other CRS sector leads and MEAL in THRIVE,  under the leadership of the DCoP, to plan, sequence  and layer all sector interventions to achieve optimal integration and impact for the poor and vulnerable.  You will also oversee the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, program quality  and reporting for nutrition and protection  by the THRIVE consortium partners. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that THRIVE delivers high-quality, cost effective and  locally appropriate  programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its interventions. 

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and implement all nutrition activities, specifically CMAM and MICYN programs, 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 tools.
• Ensure effective and collegial  planning and  integration of nutrition and protection interventions  with THRIVE’s other sector  activities in food assistance, shelter, WASH,  youth skills and  livelihoods and economic recovery.  Work collaboratively with THRIVE sector leads to optimize program resources and impact of interventions on project participants;
• Provide leadership to consortium partners to ensure main-streaming of THRIVE’s gender and protection approach using women’s and girl’s safe spaced into all programming.
• Represent THRIVE and CRS at all state level  sector based coordination mechanisms for protection and nutrition
• Effectively manage talent and supervise the THRIVE nutrition and protection team in CRS. 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.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy. 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 nutrition and protection, 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

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Project and team  management experience in community nutrition interventions   is  essential.
• Program supervision experience in gender and protection is essential;
• Experience of leading program interventions in nutrition and protection in communities with strong Islamic culture and traditions;
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong skills in collaboration, consultation and cross sector team  planning;
• Demonstrable capacities in team leadership and the delivery of time-bound results;
•  Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups
• Experience  in managing relationships and performance with partner organizations and  representing  programs to   local stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports  and make presentations;
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Program management experience in Northeast Nigeria is desirable;
• Experience of women’s and girl’s safe spaces for gender and protection programming;
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals.
• MEAL skills and experience preferred. Experience using CommCare and Power BI is an advantage.
• Experience of using market based mechanisms and  CVA  modalities, including the RedRose platform, for nutrition program inputs and beneficiary registration  is desirable

Closing: 05/22/2023