Deputy Chief of Party I Operations- KIDSS Project

Job Title: Deputy Chief of Party, Operations- KIDSS Project


Internal Title: Deputy Chief of Party I


Job Type: Regular, Full Time


Reports To: Chief of Party, KIDSS Project


Country/Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon



About 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\u0027 relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.



Project Summary:


Funded by the President\u0027s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) implements the Key Interventions to Develop Systems and Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (KIDSS) project. The project addresses the challenges of sustainable care and support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) by strengthening the capacities of the Government of the Republic of Cameroon (GRC), civil society, communities and households to provide quality care and support HIV-infected and affected children in Cameroon. KIDSS partners with 24 local implementing partners, the Government of Cameroon and other stakeholders to reach OVC and their families across nine regions of Cameroon. The program consists of prevention and case finding activities for OVC as well as ensuring community support for linkage to care and retention among children and adolescents living with HIV.



Job Summary:


As Deputy Chief of Party -- Operations (DCOP -- Ops) for the KIDSS project, you support the Chief of Party (COP) and by overseeing all contractual, financial, compliance, procurement and administrative management the KIDSS project in accordance with PEPFAR, USAID and CRS rules and regulations. You report directly to the COP and are responsible for ensuring that CRS and USAID requirements for budget planning, monitoring, and reporting are fully met in a timely manner. This requires close liaison with the finance, procurement, administration, OVC technical and MEAL departments of CRS and partner staff. You should have extensive experience working on previous USAID funded projects in the areas of financial management, accounting, procurement, grants and contracting, auditing, human resources, as well as having extensive knowledge and expertise in USAID rules and regulations.



Job Responsibilities:

• Manage all contractual, financial, compliance, human resources, security, logistics, procurement and administrative aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the project, in coordination with the Chief of Party and country program operations and finance leadership. Serve as a point of contact in areas of contracts, finance, compliance, procurement, and administration to USAID as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders and partners, when needed.
• Manage contractual, finance, compliance, procurement, human resources, security, logistics, and administrative functions of the project to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget. Oversee sub-award management, including award development, monitoring, reporting and compliance. Coordinate with the DCOP - Program Quality; Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Director; and Partner Institutional Capacity Strengthening Director. Contribute to ensuring the CRS program quality standards are adhered to per MEAL policy and procedures.
• Encourage and ensure effective communication with the CRS Cameroon operations team, as well as across KIDSS management and in satellite offices; Act as a liaison between the KIDSS central team in Yaounde, the Cameroon country program and KIDSS satellite offices related to contracts, finance, administration, logistics, security, human resources and procurement as requested by COP.
• Effectively manage and supervise KIDSS operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Contribute to the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Manage and mitigate risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources. Help ensure compliance with USAID grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and reporting to USAID and PEPFAR.
• Maintain relationships with key staff of partner organizations in regard to area of responsibility. Contribute to coordination of the roles and activities of staff from partner organizations in implementation in line with CRS partnership principles.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies. Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and recommend trainings and technical assistance.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:


Education and Experience

• Master\u0027s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Commerce, Economics International Development, International Relations or a relevant technical area.
• 5 or more years of relevant management and technical experience in contracts, finance, compliance, procurement, logistics, human resources, security and administration of United States government funds. PEPFAR experience is a plus.
• Knowledge and experience in financial systems, including budgeting and budget/expense analysis.
• Recognized technical experience and qualifications in sector
• Demonstrated experience of successful management, including management of functions of complex, multi-activity projects.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy a plus.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.

Personal Skills

• Very good strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Very good relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

Required/Desired Foreign Language: French and English oral and written proficiency required



Travel Required (include percentage of required travel, if applicable): 35 % travel within Cameroon



Key Working Relationships:


Supervisory: KIDSS Senior Grant and Compliance Officer; KIDSS Senior Finance Officer



Internal: Country Representative, CRS Cameroon Head of Operations, CRS Cameroon Finance Manager, KIDSS Chief of Party, KIDSS Deputy Chief of Party -- Program Quality, KIDSS MEAL Director, KIDSS Partner Institutional Capacity Strengthening Director, KIDSS Finance team, KIDSS Grant and Compliance Team, CARO Management Quality and risk and compliance team, CARO Regional Finance Officer, HQ and CARO regional technical staff.



External: Officials at USAID, Centers for Disease control (CDC), CDC clinical partners, implementing church partners and community-based organizations, Government of the Republic of Cameroon Ministries, and other stakeholders.



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

• **Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS\u0027 processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

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



CRS\u0027 talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.



EOE/M/F/D/V - CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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