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 and works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs. CRS has been helping poor, vulnerable families improve their lives through orphans and vulnerable children, agriculture, health, microfinance, and WASH programming in Kenya since 1965.

Job Summary:

The Deputy County Head of Office – Marsabit will facilitate the achievement of project objectives through coordinating and reporting on all project activities and providing technical guidance and advice to staff and implementing partner(s) advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. The coordination and relationship management skills of the Deputy County Head of Office will ensure that Nawiri project applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

S/he will work closely with the County Head of Office, and in coordination with Technical Leads and Deputy Chief of Parties, to ensure strong and effective management systems are in place and program implementation is carried out with high quality and efficiency.

Job Responsibilities:

Operation roles and responsibilities 

• Coordinate local project stakeholders and serve as the project liaison between Nawiri technical teams, county officials, local actors at sub county and ward level. Act as alternate PREG (Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth) focal point for the project.
• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned project activities at sub county and ward level as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Work with Head of office in coordination of logistics as per CRS policy and standards.
• Build Capacity and support Nawiri LIP-Caritas in proper tracking of resources used for project activities through periodic activities/budget reviews and effective follow up to track the spending’s against the plans and ensure they are implemented within the budget frame in compliance with financial program requirements.
• Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Plan and coordinate with Head of office to establish a safe environment for sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies.
• Serves as alternate security focal points to ensure implementation of project activities in safe environment.
• Supervise and conduct on boarding  of new hires within the county and sub-county teams.
• Work with all Nawiri Consortium Member staff in ensuring timely procurement process for goods, and services to support various project activities.
• Approval of project expenses in line with CRS policy and  as guided by  CRS country approval matrix.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.

Programmatic roles and responsibilities

• Ensure quality programmatic field level implementation through the county and subcounty teams  sequence, layer  and integrate ( SLI)  project activity implementations and coordinate periodic programmatic focused biweekly, monthly review, and planning session.
• Coordinate project reporting and documentation to ensure it is undertaken as per agency and donor requirements.
• Facilitate program team planning processes and quarterly reflection sessions to ensure learning and accountability accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle .
• Undertake critical analysis of project outcomes and guide teams on key learnings to adopt for quality programming.
• Proactively work hand in hand with Head of office in planning and executing field level visits by donors and/or other partners.
• Contribute to enhanced networking and represent Nawiri at the lower administrative units: sub counties, wards, and community levels.
• Provide program and operational support to project teams based on emerging needs.
• Represent the Head of Office at County level and other external meetings as needed.
  • Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.

Personal Skills 

• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented
• Able to live in an environment where everyday comforts may not be readily available.
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion including gender equality.

Required/Desired Foreign Language

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to draft and edit reports.
• Excellent verbal communication skills in Kiswahili.
• Dialects local to Marsabit County a plus.

Travel Required 50% of the time.

Key Working Relationships: 

• Internal:  Chief of Party Nawiri, Head of Programs, Head of Operations, Head of County Office, DCOP Operations/Programs-Nawiri, System Strengthening Specialist Marsabit, County Research Coordinator, Nawiri Program team, and Nairobi based operations staff.
• External: Local government officials, Local/international NGO offices, and UN agencies operating in the project area.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements: 

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in development studies or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years working experience in a non-profit, development, and/or humanitarian organization with progressive responsibilities.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience working with projects funded by multiple donors, including USAID.
• Experience in stakeholder management and establishing and strengthening community partnerships.
• Knowledge of procurement and general office administrative/management issues
• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information management systems.
• Experience working and or  living in Marsabit County a plus.