SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER

Job Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

ATTRACTIVE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONALS

NATIONAL CANDIDATES ONLY

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.

Catholic Relief Services, Burkina Faso Country Program (CRS), is seeking to hire a Senior Operations Manager.

Please note that we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible, as applications will be screened on a rolling basis.

Job Summary:

As a member of the Program Office’s (PO) Senior Management Team, you will provide leadership and management of the following operational functions – Human Resources (HR), Procurement, Grants & Finance, General Administration/Logistics, Information and Communication Technology and Security – in support of the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. You will promote stewardship of resources, ensure principled compliance, proactively manage risk, and lead operational improvements including from a Climate Action lens. As part of the Senior Management Team, you will collaborate with the Country Manager to proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

• Provide strategic planning and programming by providing input on needed investments in operations capacity – systems, processes and staffing – that meet CRS’ standards, donor requirements, and local regulations and support high-quality programming. Represent CRS, as needed.
• Plan, integrate, coordinate, and monitor day-to-day operations to ensure all support services are delivered with high-quality in an efficient manner. Address issues where operations support needs to be adapted for complex programming.
• Collaborate with programming leads to ensure appropriate pooled project expenditures in line with financial plans and proper stewardship of material sources. Promote effective use of CRS ERP systems for budget management and oversight.
• Monitor day-to-day operations to ensure support services are delivered with high-quality in an efficient manner. Identify and help address challenges that affect the proper stewardship and optimal utilization of program assets and resources (financial, human, and material). Proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports. Monitor and assess performance to ensure adequate capacity for successful support of high-quality programming. Contribute to staffing plans and recruitment process of senior staff.
• Provide guidance of internal processes for approving expenses, monitoring spending, and making budget adjustments in line with operational and programmatic needs and with donor requirements.
• Contribute to effective staffing of CP needs and adherence to HR systems, policies and practices that support a high-performance culture, staff development and retention. Help ensure quality personnel administration and a work environment that truly reflects the agency’s guiding principles.
• Lead compliance with agency and donor requirements and local laws and regulations through periodic systems checks, review and assessment of operations policies and procedures. Coordinate response to issues that emerge from internal and external audits and provide guidance to implement improvements.
• Create and maintain the proper conditions for learning – a safe environment for the sharing of ideas, solutions, and difficulties and the capacity to detect, analyze and respond quickly to small deficiencies. Identify capacity strengthening needs and provide guidance for project teams and partners, which includes cross-departmental learning.
• Promote safeguarding at the country Office level. Ensure quality implementation of CRS safeguarding policy and principles across operations at both CRS and partner level. With support from technical advisors, ensure capacity building efforts and technical guidance to CRS staff and partners, in line with CRS principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. 
• Oversee Health, Safety, and Security management. Ensure all staff understand and adhere to CRS staff safety and security policies and plans and ensure the updating of such plans.  
• Strengthen risk mitigation and enforce robust internal controls in alignment with CRS and donor policies

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Accounting, or another relevant field. Masters preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years work experience in Operations (human resources, logistics, administration, procurement, security, officer/support level position with progressive responsibilities.
• Additional education may substitute for some experience; additional experience may substitute for some education.

Required Languages – Professional proficiency in written and oral English

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel domestically and internationally up to 20 % of time. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Proficient in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.
• Good strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Good relations management abilities. Ability to work collaboratively
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented

Preferred Qualifications 

• Management experience a plus. Experience with an NGO preferred.
• Understanding of financial systems, including budgeting and budget/expense analysis experience preferred. Knowledge of Oracle accounting/ERP software or similar financial reporting software a plus.
• Knowledge of multiple public donors’ regulations, including USG , a plus.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment a preferred.

***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.

Candidate’s commitment to CRS Safeguarding Policy

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. 

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

What we offer

CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and life insurance.  CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.

Application: Qualified candidates should send electronic version of their cover letter, and CV by January 31^st, 2026, to the following mail address: crsbf_recruitment@crs.org.

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

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer