Job Summary
The Technical Advisor II – Emergency Response and Recovery for East and Southern Africa (ESARO) is a field-oriented emergency response generalist who provides rapid deployment program quality, management, and leadership support to CRS country programs within ESARO during sudden-onset and protracted emergencies. The role is embedded in HRD’s Emergency Program Response Team (EPRT) and reports to the Regional Focal Point for Emergency Response for ESARO, contributing to high-quality emergency response and recovery programming in line with CRS program quality principles, donor requirements, and humanitarian best practices.
Roles and Key Responsibilities
- Provide rapid deployment surge support to ESARO country programs during humanitarian responses, delivering practical program quality and management accompaniment.
- Work with the country programs to provide acting emergency program management/leadership roles and support set-up/management of emergency field offices, teams, and relief operations as requested during deployments.
- Provide technical solutions to country teams (remote and onsite) for emergency program planning, start-up, implementation, and close-out, ensuring alignment with CRS program quality principles/standards, donor guidelines, and good practices.
- Lead high-quality project design incorporating project management standards and MEAL methods, appropriate to scope, context and technical requirements of projects.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of regional/CP strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in Emergency Response and Recovery that effectively engage partners, donors and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, safe and dignified programming, and disaster risk reduction.
- Contribute to regional knowledge sharing by documenting lessons learned, promising practices, and response innovations from deployments and sharing with the RFP and relevant HRD and regional stakeholders.
- Support country programs to apply program design and implementation standards, partnership principles, and MEAL approaches to ensure high-quality implementation.
- Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in Emergency Response and Recovery programming for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curricula, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching to CP staff. Capacity strengthening approaches may include formal and on-the-job training; development/streamlining of operational policies/systems; accompaniment of partners, etc. as appropriate.
- Contribute to knowledge management and learning through collecting and analyzing program data, evaluating strategic projects, assisting with measuring program impact, capturing and sharing lessons learned and best practices, and research and internal reports.
- Represent CRS and partners at cluster, donor and coordination meetings in the field as requested.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in international development, Disaster Response or a related field required.
- Minimum of eight years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working for programming interventions in Emergency Response and Recovery program management.
- Previous experience providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is required.
- Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
- Experience in business development, project design and proposal development in emergency response, including technical writing.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in international development, disaster response, or a related field is an advantage.
- Experience in complex/conflict-affected contexts in East and Southern Africa.
- Knowledge of Humanitarian principles, standards and system, with specific knowledge of CRS and Caritas Internationalis emergency programming and standards a plus.
- Experience with and enthusiasm for coaching, mentoring and on the job training.
- Practical knowledge/skills in Information and Community Technology (ICT) and Information Management.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in Emergency Response and Recovery. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure a proper cross-sectoral approach.
- Highly proficient in security protocols and management of emergency programs in insecure environments.
- Ability to work with local partner organizations.
- Knowledge of design requirements and regulations of major emergency donors, including the US Government, EU/ECHO and UN agencies.
- Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
- Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
- Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
- Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
- Ability to maintain performance expectations and strong working relationships in diverse cultural contexts, psychologically and physically stressful environments.
- Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
- Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented
Required Languages: English required. French and Portuguese preferred.
Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% (i.e., 6 months out of the year); duration of a deployment will generally be from 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the needs of the country program. Should have the capacity to live and work in difficult/stressful environments and serve wherever agency needs dictate.
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
- 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.
Agency Leadership Competencies:
- Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
- Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
- Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.
What we offer
CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan. Salary and benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role. CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.
Organization context
General Requirements
CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements. All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.
CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.
