Manager II - Project Director, Farmer-to-Farmer, Baltimore,USA

post:Manager II - Project Director, Farmer-to-Farmer, Baltimore

Catholic Relief Services
228 W. Lexington St.
Baltimore, Maryland

Tel: 21201-3443
877-435-7277


Job Title:Manager II - Project Director, Farmer-to-Farmer

Requisition Number:D1295

Area of Interest:Agriculture

Position Type:Full Time

Location:United States/Baltimore
Job Description:

Note: This position is contingent on the awarding of funding by the donor.

Background/Summary:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) seeks a Project Director to coordinate and manage a range of activities for a proposed five-year multimillion dollars Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Volunteer Project for the East Africa region.

The US government's F2F Program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1985 to provide for the transfer of knowledge and expertise from U.S. agricultural producers and businesses on a voluntary basis to middle-income countries and emerging democracies. Since 1986, F2F has used short-term volunteer technical assistance to promote agricultural sector development, people-to-people exchanges, and wider public understanding of development issues and objectives.

This is a 5 year program aims to use volunteers to increase sustainable private sector agricultural growth; improve productivity, trade and competitiveness; and develop market opportunities in various countries throughout East Africa. Programs will: increase farm and enterprise profitability; increase institutional capacities; improve financial services; or improve natural and environmental resource management. The underlying approach will concentrate on the agricultural value chains that offer the greatest potential for expansion and economic impact on small and medium scale agricultural producers. In addition, the F2F programs enhance U.S. public knowledge of the developing world through the volunteer's experience and his/her dissemination of information on assignments to the general public following return to the U.S. They also promote better host country understanding of U.S. foreign assistance programs through volunteers work with and interaction with people of the host country.

CRS' proposed F2F project will be implemented in East Africa. The Project Director will be responsible for meeting the project's objectives and managing all aspects of the project. Project Director responsibilities will include representation, providing leadership in the project design and strategy and implementation plans, supervising project staff, managing the M&E system, and providing reports to the donor.

Specific Job Responsibilities:
    Serve as the F2F representative to the donor and other related parties and stakeholders. This will include representation at various meetings, functions, and events to promote the work of the project and meeting with the USAID/F2F office as necessary.

    Assist with representation, relationship building, and problem solving. Through regular travel, provide senior level representation to host government officials and local partners.

    Manage relationships with local volunteer network, and source partners. Monitor volunteer experiences and incorporate feedback to improve the overall program.

    Provide strategic leadership to the project, including defining overall project and country-specific design and strategies and guiding the development of annual implementation plans. Develop new proposals for associate awards, and related proposals.for new business

    Lead the positioning of CRS to access additional funding to expand this program.

    Hire recruiters, help establish CRS' volunteer database, make initial contact with potential volunteer sources.

    Supervise the daily work of the Recruiters. Ensure clarity of functions and delineation of responsibilities and authority between the US- and field-based staff, and the East Africa Regional Office. Conduct periodic reviews of staff performance to ensure ongoing high levels of motivation, commitment and teamwork.

    Ensure communication and collaboration between the CRS headquarters and the participating field offices, as well as between relevant departments within CRS headquarters.

    Oversee the approval, and use of volunteer assignments.

    Oversee the management of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for the project. Manage the use of volunteers upon their return to the United States.

    Compile, review and submit all reports to the donor, ensuring financial, M&E, and narrative reporting obligations are met on time.

CRS Agency-Wide Competencies

These competencies apply to all CRS staff and are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of Catholic Relief Services.

    Serves with Integrity

    Models Stewardship

    Develops Constructive Relationships

    Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships:
Internal: F2F project staff (including US-based recruiters, country-level F2F Project Managers and Assistants, and support staff), Country Representatives, East Africa Regional Director, East Africa Deputy Regional Directors for Program and Management Quality, and headquarters and Africa-based Technical Agriculture Advisors.

External: F2F USAID staff, F2F project partner agencies, F2F project host organizations, and host governments (together with CRS Country Representatives).

Qualifications:

•     Master Degree in an agricultural science or related field.
•     A minimum of ten years demonstrated professional experience in the field of agricultural science with at least seven years work experience in developing countries.
•     Experience in designing, implementing and managing large, complex overseas agriculture and/or volunteer projects.
•     Experience interacting with US government donor agencies, other international donor agencies, and host country governments.
•     Experience managing large, US donor-funded programs and complying with donor regulations, preferred.
•     Highly motivated and proactive.
•     Consistency in high-quality work.
•     Excellent presentation skills with a wide audience of diverse experts.
•     Strong representation and engagement skills
•     Proven leadership, strategic planning/execution, and representation at high levels.
•     Proven ability to recruit, build, and motivate teams of diverse and talented personnel.
•     Proven experience to build, strengthen, and sustain institutional linkages.
•     Proven analytical ability and ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholder groups.
•     Excellent English language oral and written communication skills. Proficiency in French desired.
•     Ability to travel nationally and internationally as required.
•     Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook required.
• Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

NOTE: All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of their application.

EOE/M/F/D/V
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1368304114142
Closing Date: Wednesday, 10 July 2013