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 and building the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to programs in every country in which CRS operates. CRS has been active in Ghana since 1958 and is currently implementing programs in the areas of Health and Agriculture/Livelihoods.

The Chief of Party (CoP) will be responsible for the technical, representational and managerial leadership of this project, ensuring full achievement of project objectives. In particular, the CoP ensures that all planned activities are executed within the agreed timetable, within the budgetary allocation and that they achieve the expected results, as agreed in collaboration with the donor.

Specific Job Responsibilities:

General Responsibilities

•   Lead a dynamic consortium comprised of local NGOs, CBOs, Religious bodies and government partners.
•   Coordinate all training activities, communication strategies and data collection for the smooth functioning of a multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed team.
•   Lead project stakeholders and other institutions or services involved in health accountability toward common goals.
•   Prepare and /or review all relevant reports.
•   Ensure that data compilation is done correctly and that it is of high quality.
•   Participate in relevant meetings and conferences.
•   Ensure minimization of risks through proper implementation of the sub-recipient risk management plan.
•   Ensure visibility of project progress and results.
Evaluate internal and external challenges to program implementation and take corrective action.

Technical Leadership

•   In collaboration with partners, provide strategic leadership on issues related to accountability in health care.
•   Ensure collaboration and sharing with other regional and international partners (eg, CCM/Global Fund, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, USAID) and other relevant organizations working in the sector.
•   Oversee development and implementation of assessments to measure project impact.
•   Ensure that all best practices and lessons learned are shared within and outside the project.

Coordination of subcontractors

•   Coordinate strategies used by consortium partners to ensure consistency in programming, and monitoring and evaluation systems.
•   Serve as the primary liaison between CRS and sub-recipients.
•   Produce guidelines for sub-recipients on the coordination of activities.
•   Lead processes to develop and integrate annual work plans.
•   Ensure that resources are allocated appropriately to meet the technical requirements of the project.

Budget, Planning and Financial Report

•   Manage budgets and work with programming and operations teams to ensure the appropriate use of project funds.
•   Ensure timely submission of financial reports and that reports are in accordance with the financial procedures of the donor.
•   Produce detailed progress reports and final reports to share internally and externally, as appropriate.
•   Ensure that project fund advances and liquidations are submitted according to the rules established in project agreements.
•   Ensure overall compliance with donor regulations.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

•   Work with project staff to ensure monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) systems are operational and produce regular, high quality reports.
•   Work with the CRS MEAL Coordinator and /or external consultants to effectively plan for data collection and analysis.

Human Resource Management

•   Participate in recruiting staff to create a dynamic project team.
•   Supervise and support staff to meet their professional goals.
•   Coordinate the development of annual performance plans of project staff.
•   Conduct periodic reviews of quarterly work plans.
•   In collaboration with the Health PM and HoP, provide training for staff.
•   Ensure implementation of CRS policies and procedures in the management of human resources.
•   Mentor staff as per the established Performance Management System at CRS.

Integration of Programming

•   Work with CRS Health and Agriculture PMs to learn from relevant experience and integrate programming, as appropriate.

Supervisory Responsibility: 3 direct reports: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Grant Manager, Advocacy Manager

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff): These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

•   Serves with Integrity
•   Models Stewardship
•   Cultivates Constructive Relationships
•   Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships:
Internal:    Head of Programming, Health Program Manager, Country Representative, Operations Manager, Financial Specialist, Project Coordination Unit and consortium, Deputy Regional Director, Regional Technical Advisors, Consultants, and CRS Headquarters.

External: Donor, Sub-recipients, Local government Health focal points, Ministry of Public Health.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Masters in International Development, Public Health, or a related technical field.
•   7-10 years of program/grant management experience in the health sector in sub-Saharan Africa or a similar development context.
•   Strong preference for candidates with at least five years of experience with health advocacy/ accountability systems.
•   Strong preference for candidates with at least 3-5 years’ experience working through partner organizations to accomplish project objectives.
•   Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills in English required.
•   Proficient skills in French a plus.
•   Strong initiative and motivation, with skills in participatory decision making.

Location: Accra and Tamale

How To Apply For The Job

To apply for this position, please submit your CV and letter of interest to:

GH_jobs@global.crs.org

Closing Date: 08 September, 2014

•   Application must be saved with this format:- Application.CV.(Name). Chief of Party I, HAP
•   CRS is an equal opportunity employer.
•   Female candidates meeting position requirements are strongly encouraged to apply

Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. This position is pending the approval of the proposal by the donor.