Chief of Party II - Program Director, Rio Lempa Conservation and Restoration Program

Job Title: Chief of Party II - Program Director, Rio Lempa Conservation and Restoration Program

Salary Grade: 12

Country: El Salvador

About CRS El Salvador

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 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 has been operating in El Salvador for more than 70 years, focusing on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable populations. CRS El Salvador has supported programs in youth workforce development, juvenile justice, food security, climate-smart agriculture and water management, disaster risk reduction, and emergency response. About the Rio Lempa Conservation and Restoration Program The Rio Lempa Conservation and Restoration Program (the Program) is a 20-year, $200 million integrated development program designed to revitalize the Rio Lempa and its watershed. The Program’s twin goals are to: (a) restore ecosystem services, with emphasis on improving water availability and water quality; and (b) foster social and economic development, with emphasis on livelihoods in rural communities. The Program is co-led by Catholic Relief Services, as Technical Lead, and the Environmental Investment Fund of El Salvador (FIAES), as Fund Administrator. The Rio Lempa covers nearly half of the country’s territory (1 million hectares), supplies two-thirds of the country’s water resources, and is crucial to the country’s social, economic, and ecological well-being. The Program is governed by a seven-member Program Supervisory Board, which includes five non-government members (including CRS and FIAES), one representative from the Government of El Salvador, and one representative from the U.S. Government (Mission in El Salvador). The Program coordinates closely with government agencies, including the Salvadoran Water Authority, the Ministry of Environment, the national Water and Sewage Agency, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The Program seeks to address threats including water pollution, water overuse, land degradation, and rural poverty. Its development targets include conserving and restoring at least 90,000 hectares of critical forests and landscapes; promoting regenerative farming on at least 75,000 hectares of farmland in critical areas of the watershed; applying green infrastructure on 5,000 hectares; co-investing in water supply, water treatment, and wastewater treatment infrastructure; and catalyzing investments for complementary projects within the watershed. Key indicators include improved water quality, increased dry-season flows in critical streams, improved access to water and sanitation services in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6, improved farm-based incomes, and stronger participation and capacity for effective water and land governance systems. Job Summary

As Chief of Party II (Program Director), you will provide vision, leadership, and overall management of the Rio Lempa Conservation and Restoration Program, with emphasis on serving the poor and most vulnerable populations in the watershed. Your strategic leadership, management, and technical knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming. You will develop and manage long-term and annual plans and budgets, ensuring all activities align with program goals and standards. You will oversee compliance and reporting, prepare necessary reports and manuals for approval by the Program Supervisory Board (PSB), and ensure application of the Program’s governance and technical documents. You will proactively manage security, mitigate risks, and oversee the development and approval of necessary program manuals. You will also serve as a permanent member of the Grant Review Committee, contributing to the evaluation and approval of grant applications.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Program through its foundational implementation phase, translating the program design, watershed management plan, and 20-year objectives into clear short- and medium-term priorities, sequenced actions, budgets, and measurable results.
• Lead effective coordination among CRS, FIAES (Environmental Investment Fund of El Salvador), the Program Supervisory Board (PSB), and its committees by clarifying roles, preparing decisions, maintaining effective information flows, resolving issues, and ensuring timely follow-through.
• Build and manage trusted relationships with Salvadoran governmental and non-governmental actors, applying strong knowledge of El Salvador’s political and institutional context to anticipate sensitivities, identify emerging risks, and adapt the Program’s approach.
• Establish disciplined management systems that align technical implementation, partner performance, grant-making, and resource use with tangible watershed outcomes, partner growth, long-term sustainability, and accountability for results.
• Lead all aspects of the development, implementation and consolidation of the assigned project, including sharing how the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry. Serve as the primary point of contact with the donor as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
• Ensure the project is designed and implemented to meet donor expectations in terms of timely and quality results and budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability. Lead coordination efforts between program and operations leads to ensure CRS program quality standards are adhered to.
• Effectively lead senior programming and operations talent. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching and mentoring. Strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessments for direct reports. Oversee the development of staffing plans and the recruitment process of senior staff.
• Proactively manage and mitigate risk by monitoring national and regional issues that may impact staff and programming. Ensure all CRS staff’s safety and security policies and plans are regularly updated, and all staff understand and adhere to these policies.
• Promote, uphold and model a commitment to the efficient use of agency and donor resources.
• Ensure compliance with donor grants, including financial tracking and oversight of partner budgets, finance, administration and donor reporting. Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
• Represent CRS programming in international circles, highlighting innovative work. Publish program results and deliver presentations. Oversee the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and CRS branding and marketing requirements and procedures.
• Manage relationships with consortium partner organizations, including organization of review/planning workshops. Coordinate the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations and provide functional leadership across an integrated Program team composed of personnel employed by CRS and consortium partners to ensure implementation is in line with Program objectives and CRS partnership principles.
• Create and maintain proper conditions for learning. Establish a safe environment to share ideas, solutions, and difficulties. Build the internal capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to deficiencies.
• Identify performance gaps and training opportunities for CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high-quality training and technical assistance.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, watershed management, rural development, water resources management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant progressive experience leading complex development, environmental, watershed, or rural development programs, including at least 5 years in senior program management or leadership roles.
• Minimum 7 years of experience managing donor-funded programs, including budgets, grants, contracts, compliance requirements, and reporting.
• Minimum 5 years of staff management experience, including supervising, coaching, and developing senior program staff and multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with government institutions, donors, civil society partners, technical partners, and community stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of El Salvador’s political, institutional, environmental, and rural development context, particularly as it relates to water, land use, watershed management, and public-sector coordination.
• Experience coaching and mentoring senior program staff.
• Demonstrated experience of successful program management, including management of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects, with complicated logistics.
• Established leader in the sector as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field or other advanced specialization in a field related to watershed management, environmental sciences, water resources management, rural development, or institutional governance.
• Senior leadership experience in large-scale, multi-year environmental or integrated development programs, including experience establishing program systems, sequencing priorities, and delivering measurable results.
• Experience managing high-value, multi-partner programs with complex governance structures, grant-making mechanisms, contracts, budgets, and operational requirements.
• Experience building and managing institutional partnerships with government, civil society, donors, technical partners, or private sector actors.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent knowledge of MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Excellent relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Ability to strategically approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse and multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented mindset.
• Ability to represent the Program effectively with senior government, donor, partner, and community stakeholders.

Required Languages

Professional fluency in Spanish and English, written and spoken, is required.

Travel

Must be willing and able to travel up to 50%.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. 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 safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse. The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

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.