Country Representative, Moldova & Ukraine

CRS Moldova and Ukraine 

The war in Ukraine has triggered a significant humanitarian crisis, leading to millions of refugees fleeing to nearby countries in addition to millions of internally displaced populations. In response, CRS Moldova and the Ukraine Country Office (CO) rapidly expanded their programs, reaching over 500,000 people between 2022 and 2025 through a broad emergency, recovery, and development strategy. This approach covers shelter, infrastructure, winterization, basic needs, education, livelihoods, protection, and care reform. The CO also emphasized building partner capacity and encouraging local leadership to boost their impact and extend aid to even more individuals. Within Ukraine, CRS collaborates closely with Caritas Ukraine (CUA) and Caritas Spes, delivering technical and management support. CRS support and accompany CUA as they lead a U.S. Government Department of State-funded initiative, Multi-Sector Assistance to War-Affected People in Ukraine, which began in February 2024. In Moldova, CRS partners with Caritas and other organizations to support both refugees and host communities.

Job Summary:

As Country Representative, you will lead, manage and advance the programming and operation objectives to support those affected by the war in Ukraine and Moldova. Your strategic leadership will enable you to advance CRS’ reputation and impact while you proactively manage security and mitigate security risks and liabilities. This role involves frequent travel between both countries.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

In Moldova and Ukraine, the Country Representative is responsible for advancing local leadership and catalyzing significant humanitarian and development outcomes by:

• Championing and guiding the vision, mission, and strategic direction of the organization. This includes overseeing the review and design of the 2025-2027 Country Strategy, setting medium and long-term goals, and ensuring program and operational objectives are aligned with the established strategy.
• Ensuring all projects consistently meet and surpass CRS and donor standards, with an emphasis on maximizing impact and reach through effective design and implementation.
• Exercising strong management over senior programming and operations staff, providing high-quality supervision, fostering positive team dynamics, and supporting staff well-being. Direct coaching and mentoring are provided to the Head of Programs, Head of Operations, and other senior personnel, alongside strategic development of individual growth plans and completion of performance assessments for direct reports. The representative also oversees staffing strategies for major projects and leads recruitment processes for senior roles.
• Developing strategic partnerships with national Caritas affiliates, as well as other national and international organizations, in alignment with CRS partnership principles to leverage resources, reputation, and expertise. The role involves ensuring robust representation to key stakeholders including Catholic Church representatives, governmental entities at various levels, US government agencies, UN bodies, and international donors.
• Proactively managing and mitigating risk by monitoring pertinent national and regional developments that could affect staff or programming. The representative ensures all personnel adhere to CRS safety and security protocols and oversees the ongoing review and updating of these plans.
• Promoting and modeling a commitment to efficient use of agency and donor resources, guaranteeing operational compliance, and providing thorough oversight and analysis of monthly expenditures.
• Leading efforts to pursue strategic growth opportunities, facilitating prepositioning and capture planning, and maintaining collaborative relationships with HQ G-REM to maximize stewardship and impact of Leadership Giving awards.
• Creating and sustaining an environment conducive to learning and innovation by fostering open communication, rapid response to deficiencies, and the sharing of ideas and solutions. The representative promotes accountability and knowledge management, overseeing implementation of the MEAL policy and encouraging cross-sectoral and departmental learning.
• Cultivating a workplace culture rooted in respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Supporting the Caritas Country Forum on Ukraine in close collaboration with Caritas partners and networks.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• 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. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching/mentoring skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

Required Languages – English fluency.

Travel – Must be willing to travel up to 40% of the time within the CP’s countries and the region. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: Senior Management Team (Head of Programs and Head of Operations), Chief of Party.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Risk and Compliance Lead, HR Officer, Finance Manager, Deputy Head of Operations, PQ TA, RD, DRDs, RTAs including Regional Security Coordinator, Fellow CRs in EMECA, HRD, Charitable Giving, HRD & HQ Colleagues in all other departments.

External: Local Catholic Church leadership, Caritas and other faith-based partners in both countries; INGO and UN officials, CI member organizations, local Government officials, donor representatives, etc.