Country Manager

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is a humanitarian organization that has been working to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries. Established in 1943, CRS has a mission to assist the poor and vulnerable, regardless of their race, religion, or nationality. The organization employs thousands of staff members worldwide and operates in various sectors including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. CRS is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and it emphasizes a collaborative, mission-driven culture that focuses on improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.

Job Overview:
The Country Manager will oversee the Yemen country program office, managing people, partners, resources, and deliverables in alignment with the objectives and mission of CRS. This role requires acting as a representative and ambassador for CRS and the USCCB to key stakeholders, including local government, partners, and donors. The Country Manager will identify funding opportunities to advance CRS’ strategy and raise critical resources to ensure the continuation of its work serving the poor and marginalized. The position demands ensuring high-quality programming and continuously working towards improving the impact of its programming. The Country Manager will coordinate activities across various projects from different sectors to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation, while also developing strategic partnerships with national and international organizations.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Country Manager will collaborate with the Country Representative to develop strategic partnerships with national and international organizations. They will ensure strong representation to key stakeholders, including local partners, international organizations, host government, and donors. The role involves cultivating effective donor relationships, enabling lead generation, and identifying strategic growth opportunities. The Country Manager will support prepositioning, capture planning, and the pursuit of opportunities for appropriate expansion and growth of programs. They will ensure that all projects meet and exceed donor expectations and are designed and implemented for maximum impact and reach. The Country Manager will also ensure adherence to CRS program quality standards and that effective quality assurance systems are in place. They will promote accountability, learning, and knowledge management by overseeing the application of MEAL standards. Additionally, the Country Manager will effectively manage workforce planning, team development, and staff well-being, providing coaching and mentoring while ensuring all staff understand and adhere to CRS policies. They will maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages participation, open communication, and high levels of staff engagement and well-being. The Country Manager will develop a strong leadership team and identify and develop future leaders as part of ongoing workforce and succession planning. Under the strategic guidance of the Country Representative, they will manage the annual planning process and provide medium to long-term direction for the country program in line with regional and agency strategic priorities. The role also includes ensuring operations compliance in alignment with donor expectations and guidelines, providing oversight and analysis regarding monthly expenditures, and managing and mitigating risk through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. The Country Manager will champion safeguarding amongst CRS and partner staff, ensuring quality implementation of CRS safeguarding policy and principles across all functions, and supporting compliance with CRS safeguarding allegation management policy and fraud prevention guidelines.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in International Development, International Relations, or a related field. A minimum of 5 years’ experience managing high-value relief and development programs is essential. Candidates should have work experience in a non-profit, development, and/or humanitarian organization with progressive responsibilities in project management, project design and development, budget management, and team leadership. A Master’s degree in business administration, International Relations, or a relevant field is required, although additional experience may substitute for some education. Candidates should also have experience in complex development settings and demonstrated experience successfully managing high-value projects from multiple international donors, along with knowledge of relevant donor regulations. Experience in business development and private sector engagement is also required.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in International Development, International Relations, or a related field. A Master’s degree in business administration, International Relations, or a relevant field is preferred, with additional experience potentially substituting for some educational requirements.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of experience managing high-value relief and development programs. Candidates should have progressive responsibilities in project management, project design and development, budget management, and team leadership, particularly in complex development settings.

Languages:
Fluency in English, both written and verbal, is mandatory. Proficiency in Arabic is considered a plus, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate effectively in the local context.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Yemen and involves travel up to 50% of the time within Yemen and 10-20% outside of Yemen. The Country Manager will have supervisory responsibilities and is expected to adhere to CRS’ Code of Conduct. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S.-based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan. Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment. The anticipated duration of the assignment for expatriates is informed by a term limit based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency. CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where CRS offices are located.