EMPACT Project Manager

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Project Manager

(Work Location – Vientiane Capital or Kaison/Savannakhet Province)

This position is available to LAO nationals only

About CRS

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

Job Summary:

Empowering to Act for Circular Transition in Plastics in Lao PDR (EMP-ACT) is a four-year project (2025-2028) funded by the EU and CRS, in partnership with MONRE, under the EU SWITCH-Asia program, that will support Lao PDR’s efforts to reduce single-use plastic consumption and prevent plastic pollution, in line with national strategies like the National Plastic Action Plan 2024-2030.

The project will be implemented in Savannakhet and Khammuane provinces. It seeks to enhance awareness and participation of consumers in reducing single-use plastic use, increase availability of sustainable plastic alternatives, and strengthen public sector support for plastic transition through policy dialogue.

Your project management skills and knowledge of the program area will ensure that the CP delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving sustainable consumption and production practices in the plastic sector.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• You will lead technical, budget management, monitoring and reporting activities through most of the project cycle – start-up, implementation and close-out – in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage EMPACT 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.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and supporting the project MEAL officer to carry out MEAL Policy. Proactively identify issues and report them to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Engage and strengthen partnerships relevant to the plastic and recycling sector, including businesses adopting plastic-free practices, waste facilities improving their recycling capacity, education institutions including schools and universities, and government partners, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Manage project activities to engage consumers and businesses to change their behaviors around single-use plastics to reduce the amount of plastics used, improve the availability and use of plastic alternatives, and strengthen plastic platform collaboration and evidence.
• Represent as EMPACT point focal person the organization with MONRE, development partners, working groups, relevant local partners, and relevant local government and community actors for topics related to recycling, environmental sustainability, and the reduction of single-use plastics.
• Coordinate activities required for ensuring the financial, material, and human resources for the quality implementation of the project. Conduct periodic budget reviews and follow-up with partners on timely submission of financial reports to facilitate proper tracking of resource use.
• Identify staff capacity needs and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and contribute to capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and disseminate results. Review project documentation to ensure project file is complete with all required documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Master’s Degree related to environment studies, development studies, project management, sustainability, waste management, or a related field would be a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in project management.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Previous experience working with NGOs is a plus.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.

Required Languages – Fluency in written and spoken Lao is required. Excellent proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in English.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Previous experience working with MONRE or in the environmental sector.
• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders. Representation abilities.
• Ability to lead a team of supervisees to drive results in a collaborative manner.
• Ability to contribute to written reports in English.
• Proactive, takes initiative, self-motivated, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience working with recycling, single-use plastics, environmental sustainability, or other related field.
• Knowledge of plastic and waste systems in Laos.
• Comfortability analyzing data and conducting comprehensive assessments to understand behavior, and formulate recommendations for how to change behaviors based on assessment results
• Relevant grant management experience, especially for EU or other public donors is a plus.
• Experience working with stakeholders, specifically government partners, at various levels and strengthening community partnerships.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Agency REDI 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.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Behavior Change Communication Coordinator, Youth and Gender Environmental Education Officer, Circular Economy Technical Officer, MEAL Officer

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Program Manager II Program Quality, MEAL Manager, Marketing & Communications team

External: Government partners, NGO partners, medium and small business, waste management facilities, education institutions (including schools and universities)

APPLICATION INFORMATION: To apply for this position, please submit an application letter stating your expression of interest along with your most current CV by emails to: LA_HR@crs.org.

Closing date for applications: January 31, 2025, Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.

CRS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.