Award Management Officer II, Regional Contracts – Central Africa Regional Office

Job Title: Award Management Officer II, Regional Contracts- Central Africa Regional Office (CARO)
Department Name: Central Africa Regional Office
Job location: To be determined
Full Time or Part Time: Full Time
Band: D
FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary:
Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

As an organization that takes a holistic approach to relief and development, CRS strives for excellence in all that we do. To reach the scale and quality required by our aspirations, we focus on increasing our effectiveness and influence by deepening our expertise and performing at a world-class level in the following three Strategic Program Areas (SPAs): Emergency Response and Recovery, Agricultural Livelihoods and Health. CRS has further identified the following core competencies for deeper cultivation and strategic investments: 1) Monitoring and Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), 2) ICT4D Solutions for Humanitarian and Development Assistance, 3) Partner Collaboration and Support, 4) Global Brand Management, and 5) Justice and Peacebuilding Integration. Our strategy calls for an organizational culture characterized by a set of attributes that establishes the norms, expectations and ethos of CRS. These include, among others: Operational Excellence and Accountability for Outcomes.

CRS works across Central Africa in the following 9 countries: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Togo, Burundi, Rwanda, Central Africa Republic, Cameroon and Chad.
The TAII Contracts assists the regional and country level management through guidance and support in contracts related matters at the various stages of contracts management, i.e. project design, proposal development, start up, implementation, close-out and after action learning and review.

Support is provided to the Region and Country Programs in preparing for and successfully submitting Request for Proposals (RFPs) and the subsequent implementation of contracts, subcontracts, grants under contracts (GUCs), consultancy and vendor agreements issued under acquisition. Additionally, this position, will work to increase capacity to proactively manage various agency and donor policies and standards related to acquisition.

The AMOII Regional Contracts will work with the TAII Compliance and Risk Management as needed to ensure seamless support at the regional and specific country level. They will also work together on initiatives related to the Contract Administration & Management Communities of Practice.

This position collaborates with HQ’s Institutional Donor Engagement and Advancement (IDEA) department and team to analyze, (co-)develop and implement systems which allow the region to increase contract management efficiency and promote competitiveness in acquisition. At the same time, these efforts will contribute to related agency objectives.

With the support of the HQ-based Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration and Award Management Officers (AMOs) the AMOII Regional Contracts will ensure that agency acquisition policies and procedures are well-understood in the CARO region. Feedback and updates on regional contracting matters will be provided regularly within the region and to HQ. This position will disseminate agency wide contract readiness initiatives and tools within the CARO region to ensure consistency.

Primary Responsibilities include:

Contracts Proposal Development and other New Business Activities
• Support region and CPs to make strategic go/no-go decision on contracts.
• Help to review client (i.e. donor or prime) solicitations, participates in the development of questions to be submitted, as well as the budget strategy for proposals – depending on size or complexity of proposal, may handle these tasks independently or with varying degrees of guidance and oversight.
• Help to develop complex budgets and may do peer review on budgets for other CP and/or regional team members.
• Assist with the development of the full cost/business proposal volume for submission to clients. Ensuring also that local partners’ costs and proposal inputs are aligned with client and CRS’ standards.
• Participate in award reviews, and start-up of new projects, may provide guidance on contract terms and conditions to program teams depending on award type and complexity.
• Supported by the HQ-based Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration and Award Management Officers (AMOs), the AMOII Contracts prepares consultant and vendor agreements, subcontracts, grants under contracts and other general contract administration tasks.
• Help to develop correspondence for submission to the client for approvals, waivers, funding notifications, modification requests, etc.
• Assist in the review and preparation of budgets for contract modifications and client meetings.
Contracts Administration
• Interface with the Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration and Award Management Officers (AMOs) in the IDEA Department and the Senior Contracts Analyst in the Overseas Finance Department.
• Provide guidance, necessary support and training at the various stages of Contracts Management, i.e. proposal development, start up, implementation, close-out and after action learning and review.
• Assist CARO CPs in start-up activities including organizing and facilitating effective kick-of events.
• Serve as the regional lead for the Community of Practice for Project and Operations staff involved in contract administration and management. If applicable, link CARO’s CoP with those established in other regions, as well as with the IDEA team in HQ.
• Develop and share periodic highlights/updates on and lessons learned in Contracts Administration and Management in CARO.

Sub-contract/award Administration
• Develop subcontract and sub-grant award documents compliant with donor requirements and CRS standard templates and work closely with the IDEA team to execute quality sub-contracts and sub-awards.
• Administer the full cycle of sub-contract/award management activities beginning from solicitation through selection, pre-award assessments, negotiation, monitoring/compliance visits, and closeout.
• Utilize CRS’s Gateway (Salesforce) and accounting system (SUN and JDE) for sub-contract/award issuance and management. Ensure that all required documentation is available and stored as per CRS policies.
• In collaboration with the RFO, oversee budget management of projects’ sub-contract/award pools. Work closely with the RFO and CPs Finance Manager to ensure accurate and timely disbursement and liquidation of sub-contract/award expenses.
• Ensure timely training of grantees (partners) and CRS staff to understand and comply fully with client standards. Develop training materials and carry out regular trainings with grantee partners.
• Ensure that office systems for grants and contracts administration are maintained and that required reports, both narratives as well as financials, are provided to the IDEA department at CRS HQ for submission to client (i.e. donor or prime).
• Support local programs and projects with awarding and administering sub-contract(s) and consultant agreements under acquisition.
• Support closeout of sub-contracts/awards and vendor agreements under acquisition mechanisms.

After Action Learning and Review
• Initiate after action reviews with project staff as well as any partners to gather information on best practices and lessons learned.
• In Gateway, maintain:
– general learning on the implementation of acquisition mechanisms;
– a record of lessons learned on each subcontractor;
– past performance reports (PPRs) of all contracts.

Other Responsibilities
• Develop and use tools to assess on an ongoing basis the level of contract readiness in CARO CPs (and for relevant partners). Recommend actions to address identified gaps and weaknesses. Ensuring also this kind of learning is widely shared within the region and beyond.
• Identify issues or potential risks and make informed decisions on how to address the situation, communicating when appropriate with the DRD-Ops and the Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration.
• Perform other budgeting or analytical tasks, as assigned.
• Foster and demonstrate a workplace inclusive of creating opportunity, serving others, building trust, innovation, and exceeding expectations.
• Coordinate and perform finance and compliance review and closeout assignments, drafts reports, and provide recommendations and best practices to project teams.
• Track the status of recommendations presented to project teams from various assignments, including start-up assignments.
• Propose and develop innovative tools or processes to streamline activities or fill gaps to support the Finance team and/or project team compliance.
• Act as the Alternate Point of Contact for the HQ-based Sr. Advisor for Contract Administration and Award Management Officers (AMOs).
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his/her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships
Internal: Regional Director, Deputy Regional Directors, RFO, CARO regional staff, Country Representatives, Country Program and Operations Staff, HQ Departments notably IDEA, Finance, OPEX Unit, Human Resource Department, other regional and Headquarters Ops staff.
External: Donors, Consultants (in coordination with RD, DRD-Ops, RFO and CRs)

Qualifications
• Master’s degree or equivalent experience required in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, or international business preferred.
• Minimum of seven years’ experience in financial compliance for USAID/Federal government contracts, and well-versed in the FAR, AIDAR, ADS and 2 CFR 200.
• Minimum of five years’ experience with USG contract management, audit or accounting preferred, as well as some experience in working with multilateral organizations.
• Minimum of three years of award management experience, with new business pricing and budget management experience
• Strong analytical skills and ability to work with finance and accounting systems and staff, HR staff and policies, etc.
• Knowledge of audit or accounting software and/or statistical sampling methodologies preferred.
• Prior knowledge of JD Edwards, Sun Systems, etc. preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to follow standard practices and procedures, receive general instruction and supervision on work progress, and make significant contributions to end results.
• Applies effective adult learning principles and practices into training design and delivery.
• Able to multitask and manage time effectively.
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability in building capacity and providing training and technical assistance, and experience working with church partners.
• Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills.

Physical Requirements/Environment
The position requires 50% travel within the CARO region in areas with limited amenities, as well as attendance at internal and external conferences and workshops, when requested.

Foreign Language Required
Excellent English and French language oral and written communication skills required.

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

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.