Country Manager

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in more than 100 countries, providing relief and development assistance without regard to race, religion, or nationality. The organization focuses on 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 welcomes individuals from all faiths and secular traditions who share its values and commitment to serving those in need. The agency's work culture is collaborative and mission-driven, aiming to improve the lives of the poor throughout the world. The organization has a strong emphasis on personal accountability, integrity, trust-building, collaboration, and a commitment to learning and development among its staff.

Job Overview:
The Country Manager will oversee the Nepal country program office, managing people, partners, resources, and deliverables in alignment with the objectives and mission of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). This role requires acting as a representative and ambassador for CRS and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (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 improving the impact of CRS’ initiatives. The Country Manager will coordinate activities across various projects from different sectors to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the country program.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Country Manager will develop strategic partnerships with national and international organizations, ensuring strong representation to key stakeholders, including local partners, international organizations, host government, and donors. The role involves championing local leadership development and stewarding capacity strengthening of partners to maximize social impact. Effective workforce planning, team development, and staff well-being management are crucial, reflecting CRS values and principles. The Country Manager will provide coaching and mentoring to staff, ensuring adherence to CRS staff safety and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security-policies" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security policies. Maintaining a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages participation, open communication, and high levels of staff engagement and well-being is essential. The Country Manager will ensure that all projects meet and exceed donor expectations, are designed and implemented for maximum impact, and adhere to CRS program quality standards. This includes establishing effective quality assurance systems and ensuring compliance with donor and regulatory expectations. The role also involves oversight and analysis of monthly expenditures, focusing on the impactful use of financial and human resources. Cultivating effective donor relationships, supporting prepositioning, capture planning, and pursuing opportunities for program expansion are key responsibilities. The Country Manager will promote accountability, learning, and knowledge management by overseeing the application of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) standards. Under the strategic guidance of the India Country Representative, the Country Manager 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. Risk management through monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming is also a critical aspect of this role. The Country Manager will respond to and oversee emergency concerns as needed, develop a strong leadership team, and identify and develop future leaders as part of ongoing workforce and succession planning. Championing safeguarding among CRS and partner staff and ensuring quality implementation of CRS safeguarding policy and principles across all functions is vital.

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. Preferred qualifications include a Master’s degree in international development, International Relations, or a related field, along with experience in complex development settings. Demonstrated experience successfully managing high-value projects from multiple international donors and knowledge of relevant donor regulations is highly desirable. Candidates should have experience in business development and private sector engagement, as well as experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Experience working with Church partners is considered a plus. A proven track record of managing staff and developing leaders 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 the same or a related field is preferred and may enhance the candidate's profile.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of experience managing high-value relief and development programs. Candidates with experience in complex development settings and managing high-value projects from multiple international donors will be given preference.

Languages:
Fluency in Nepali and English, both written and verbal, is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
The position involves supervisory responsibilities and requires the candidate to be willing and able to travel up to 20%. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S. based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan. For successful candidates employed outside the U.S., salary and benefits packages are based on the country of employment. The anticipated duration of the assignment for expatriates is informed by a term limit based on the job type and level, as well as the agency's needs. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff, and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse, and the successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS’ Code of Conduct.