Project Manager II – Markets Systems Development Unit

Title: Project Manager II – Markets Systems Development Unit

Department: Programs – Restore Africa

Report to: Technical Unit Manager

Job Location: Kampala/Uganda

Vacancies: One (1)

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

CRS has been working in Uganda since 1965 and has a vibrant portfolio of projects, serving over a million vulnerable Ugandans and refugees each year through the Country Program 2030 Strategy. CRS programs in Uganda currently support five strategic priority areas, including Health and Social Services Systems Strengthening, Resilient Food Systems, Emergency Preparedness and Management, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and Local Leadership. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local organizations, including international and local NGOs, Ugandan government departments and ministries, the Catholic Church, and community-based organizations for maximum impact and sustainability.

Background:

Under the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation strategic priority area, CRS aims to ‘drive uptake and scaling of nature-based solutions and novel financing mechanisms to support national and community level efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change’. Within the Program Management Unit focused on scaling nature-based solutions and novel financing mechanisms, CRS is establishing a Market System Development unit. This will oversee the FCDO-funded project entitled ‘Market Linkages for Livelihoods and Land Restoration (M4LLR)” (2024-2027) but will also provide technical advisory and potentially direct oversight of all dedicated value chain, MSD, BDS and livelihoods staff funded by other initiatives which are linked to CRS’ climate-financed land restoration initiatives.

The specific objective of the M4LLR project is to establish market linkages for smallholder farmers participating in land restoration initiatives in Uganda. The project will strive to facilitate the integration of climate-smart and sustainable land restoration practices within profitable and diversified agroforestry production systems. The M4LLR project will concentrate its efforts on 17 districts located in the Midwest, Rwenzori, and Elgon regions of Uganda, and links closely with the Climate Asset Management funded ‘Restore Africa’ Initiative. These areas present substantial opportunities to involve private sector participants and farmers in both landscape restoration and the development of sustainable and diversified production systems across a variety of value chains, leveraging and building on CRS and consortium partner activities, structures, and partnerships.

Job Summary:

You will manage and provide technical oversight of the development and implementation of M4LLR program, ensuring effective systems and processes are in place that support high-quality programming advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work in serving the poor and vulnerable. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its Market Systems Development programming within Land Restoration Initiatives.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Provide management, guidance, and strategic technical Market Systems Development (MSD) leadership for the Market System Unit, providing expertise and guidance in all results areas in planning, design and field implementation of intervention areas, including inclusive business models and Market Systems Resilience (MSR).
• Lead the project start up, implementation, coordinating, monitoring, reporting and close out of the M4LLR interventions, making sure these are in line with CRS quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices.
• Oversee technical assistance and capacity strengthening activities for staff and partner organizations to enhance program quality and impact. This includes training the M4LLR team and partner staff on SCRF goals/process/timelines to enable effective communication with market actors in M4LLR geographies.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in MSD programming for staff and partner through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of partnerships relevant to M4LLR and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches. You will lead the development of a Smallholder Climate Resilience Fund (SCRF) grants manual with simple application tools and clear processes/guidelines, including eligibility, a selection criteria and simple marketing materials to enable efficient market actor engagement across all three funding categories: Category 1: Formal SMEs/Financial Institutions, Category 2: Existing microenterprises / cooperatives / POs, and Category 3: women/youth groups and startup arbitrageurs; Oversee grant application evaluation (M4LLR internal evaluation committee) and co-design process for potential partners identified from the scoping activity for category 1.
• Effectively manage and supervise talent within the MSD Unit and M4LLR program. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles. Identify opportunities for learning, research, and publications in the area of MSD for land restoration, in consultation with the Learning Technical Advisor.
• Ensure timely and appropriate project expenditures in line with financial plans and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating Gender Equality and Social inclusion (GESI), protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.
• Contribute to the proactive pursuit of opportunities for new funding to ensure growth of the climate change sector portfolio in line with agency, regional, and CP strategic priorities. Serve as the technical lead and technical writer as needed to ensure quality proposals per agency and donor standards. Contribute to budgeting and staffing plans and activities for proposals.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions. Participate in MSD forums to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.

Basic qualifications:

• Relevant degree; master’s degree in agricultural economics, Agribusiness, or related studies with specialized study in Market Systems Development or relevant field. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant field-based experience in coordinating or managing moderately complex projects required, preferably with an international NGO.
• At least 2 years of expert-level experience in analyzing agricultural market systems (identifying opportunities and challenges) and designing and implementing strategies/ interventions that apply globally recognized approaches and tools, including partnering with the private sector, to facilitate inclusive and sustainable market systems improvements.
• Demonstrated experience in creating and maintaining effective working relationships that foster collaborative learning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Good experience in project grants management, including project design, preferably for grants from multiple public donors. FCDO experience an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality technical proposals.
• Experience engaging with partner organisation.
• MEAL skills and experience required.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to make sound judgment and decisions and offer innovative solutions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Good presentation and facilitation skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented.

Required Languages: English fluency, including excellent oral and written skills, required.

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 50 % to project sites with occasional international travel.

Key Working Relationships

• Supervisory: Greening Business Specialist (CRS), Value Chain Specialist, Senior Program Officers (4).
• Internal: Reports to Technical Unit Manager; works closely with technical advisors for agroforestry, FMNR, gender, carbon on Restore Africa, as well as the Implementation managers for Restore Africa and World Bank projects, MEAL staff.
• External: Works closely with the regional VC advisor, partner staff including agribusiness Project officers and Managers.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. 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.

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

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

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding related topics