Project Manager – Food Security and Livelihoods (FS & L) – Catholic Relief Services 427 views

Job Summary

CRS has been supporting program activities in Zimbabwe since 1989 and has long-standing relationships with Church and non-Church partners and communities throughout the country. Zimbabwe program implements projects through 14 partner organizations in 30 districts in the areas of health, OVC, education, food security and agricultural livelihoods, and peacebuilding.

You will manage, coordinate, and monitor project activities and relationships with partners and other project stakeholders to assist the achievement of the FS & L projects’ objectives advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your project management skills and knowledge of the program area will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of this project.

Duties And Responsibilities

PROGRAMMING
•Ensure the smooth implementation of Food Security and Livelihoods projects through support to the project teams, ensuring adherence to CRS and donor guidelines and standards.
• Lead evidence collection for best and promising approaches and identify opportunities for growing the AgLivelihoods and Food Security portfolio for the Country Program.
• Lead the team to contribute to achieving results as set out in the country, regional and agency strategies.
• In emergency situations or where recovery is required, the Food Security and Livelihoods Program Manager is responsible for activities that can improve people’s food situation (access, availability and usage) and strengthen their ability to withstand crises.
• Over the long term, promote more resilient livelihoods in order to increase people’s autonomy, enabling them to generate income that meets their basic needs, even in times of crisis.
• Leading or conceptualization of climate initiatives for the CP, among other emerging initiatives.
• Lead technical, budget management, monitoring and reporting activities through most of the project cycle – start-up, implementation, and close-out – in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Lead interventions where smallholder farmers and their communities adopt improved practices to restore and protect land, soils and water for viable livelihoods and future generations.
• Ensure smallholder farm families access information, training, services, and opportunities that increase productivity, income and assets
• Lead interventions that ensure resilient, healthy, productive, and cohesive households and communities recover more readily from shocks and stressors, advancing steadily along a pathway to prosperity.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle.
• Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities following MEAL Policy. Proactively identify issues, report them to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Engage and strengthen partnerships relevant to FS & L Projects applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Represent the organization with donors, INGO working groups, UN, relevant local partners and relevant local government and community actors for Agricultural livelihoods

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION
• Coordinate activities required for ensuring the financial, material, and human resources for the quality implementation of the project. Conduct periodic budget reviews and follow-up with partners on timely submission of financial reports.
• Effectively manage talent by providing coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Identify staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and contribute to capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and disseminate results. Review project documentation to ensure project file is complete with all required documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree Agriculture, Development Studies or any relevant field. Master’s Degree in Agriculture or any relevant field would be a plus.
  • Minimum of 5 years of work experience in project management, ideally in the field of agriculture and for an NGO.
  • Technical skills and experience in the areas of agriculture (climate change adaptation and mitigation, among others) agribusiness and/or economic growth, food distribution, money transfers, agriculture/livestock. Agriculture background is highly desired.
  • Additional experience may substitute for some education.
  • Relevant grant management experience, especially for USG or other public donors, a plus.
  • Staff supervision experience.
  • Experience working with stakeholders at various levels and strengthening community partnerships.
  • Ability to contribute to the development of technical proposals, a plus.
  • Experience analyzing data and contributing to evaluation reports.
  • Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).