Head of Programs - Venezuela Earthquake Response

1. Job Summary

The Head of Programs leads all implementation activities for CORE's Venezuela Earthquake Response, with a focus on shelter repair, demolition, and debris removal. The role is accountable for delivering program targets on time, within budget, and to agreed technical and humanitarian standards across all funding sources, including IOM and other current and prospective donors.

Reporting to the Venezuela Country Representative, the Head of Programs oversees the full participant case lifecycle — from intake and selection through works, verification, close-out, and post-distribution monitoring — and ensures field teams, contractors, and partners work from consistent tools and processes.

The role holds country-level financial oversight alongside the Country Representative, including budget-versus-actual (BVA) monitoring, program approvals, and approval of payments to vendors and participants. The Head of Programs also manages community and government relationships as they relate to implementation and serves as a primary program counterpart to donors and the Shelter Cluster.

2. Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Implementation

• Lead implementation of shelter repair, demolition, and debris removal activities, ensuring delivery against program targets and timelines.

• Translate grant commitments into workplans, targets, and weekly delivery plans for field teams.

• Oversee the full case lifecycle, from intake and scoring through Task Orders, works, verification, close-out, and post-distribution monitoring.

• Ensure consistent use of standard program tools, including BOQs, Task Orders, Goods Received Notes, and Survey123 and Kobo forms.

• Track progress against targets and adjust plans, staffing, and resources to close delivery gaps.

Donor & Grant Management

• Serve as program lead for IOM and other donors, ensuring implementation complies with each donor's requirements, eligibility criteria, and reporting obligations.

• Prepare and contribute to donor reports and grant modification requests.

• Represent CORE in Shelter Cluster coordination and with other humanitarian partners on program implementation.

• Support new funding opportunities by contributing to concept notes, proposals, and budgets.

Financial Oversight

• Manage program budgets in coordination with Finance, leading regular budget-versus-actual (BVA) reviews and acting on variances.

• Provide country-level program and financial approvals, alongside the Country Representative, in line with CORE's delegation of authority.

• Monitor spend across grants and recommend budget reallocations as program needs shift.

• Approve payments to vendors and contractors, and cash transfers to participants (such as Cash for Rent), processed through CORE's financial service provider (FSP), Coala Pay.

• Ensure every payment is supported by complete documentation and, for participant transfers, verified eligibility before approval.

Community & Government Relations

• Manage relationships with community leaders and local and national government authorities as they relate to implementation.

• Coordinate with government and security counterparts involved in site validation, demolition, and access to work sites.

• Ensure communities are informed about program criteria, timelines, and works affecting their neighborhoods, and that feedback mechanisms are in place and acted on.

Contractor & Partner Management

• Oversee the performance of contractors onboarded under the Master Services Agreement and of implementing partners and subgrantees, including Cash for Work partners.

• Work with Procurement to ensure contractors complete onboarding requirements, including background checks, before receiving Task Orders.

• Resolve contractor and partner performance issues, disputes, and delays.

Quality, Safety & Accountability

• Ensure works meet technical and safety standards, working with the Senior Engineer on structural assessment and sign-off.

• Oversee quality assurance, including senior spot checks of completed homes and follow-through on corrective actions before final payment.

• Ensure safeguarding and PSEA standards are applied across all activities.

• Ensure participant data is collected, stored, and shared in line with CORE's data protection requirements.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and manage the program team, setting clear priorities and expectations.

• Partner with HR on recruitment, onboarding, and performance management for program positions.

• Deputize for the Country Representative as required.

3. Required Skills & Qualifications

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, architecture, international development, disaster management, or a related field; significant, directly relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of formal education requirements.

Required Experience:

• Eight (8) years of experience in humanitarian or development program management, including at least three (3) years in a senior management role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience leading shelter, housing repair, construction, or debris management programs.

• Experience managing grants from UN agencies or other institutional donors, including budgets and donor reporting.

• Experience managing contractors or implementing partners through formal procurement processes.

• Experience leading multidisciplinary field teams.

Required Skills & Competencies:

• Strong program management skills, with the ability to plan and prioritize across multiple workstreams.

• Sound financial judgment, including budget monitoring and approval decisions.

• Working knowledge of Sphere and Shelter Cluster standards.

• Ability to use program data to monitor progress and make decisions.

• Strong stakeholder management skills with donors, government authorities, and communities.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including report writing.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel.

• Ability to deliver high-volume results within short grant periods and make sound decisions under pressure in a fast-changing environment.

• Commitment to integrity, accountability, and humanitarian principles.

Required Language:

• Fluency in English and Spanish (spoken and written).

4. Preferred Skills & Qualifications

Preferred Education:

• Master's degree in civil engineering, architecture, international development, disaster management, or a related field.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in earthquake or other post-disaster recovery responses.

• Experience working in Venezuela or elsewhere in Latin America.

• Experience implementing IOM-funded programs.

• Experience with cash and voucher assistance (CVA), including Cash for Work and rental assistance.

• Experience working with financial service providers (FSPs) to deliver cash transfers.

• Experience with ERP-based procurement and approval systems, such as Sage Intacct.

Preferred Skills & Competencies:

• Familiarity with digital data collection tools such as Survey123 and KoboToolbox.

• Strong cross-cultural communication skills.

Scope and Travel

This position is based in Caracas and works primarily in La Guaira, requiring frequent travel between the two and regular visits to program sites in affected communities to monitor progress, quality, and safety. Other travel within Venezuela may be required as response activities require.

The role is open to national and international candidates.