MEAL Program Manager / EMPOWER-Asia

Job Title: Program Manager I, Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) / EMPOWER-Asia Program
Reports to: EMPOWER Asia Coordinator
Department: OverOps-Asia Region
Salary Grade: 9

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.
Background:
In October 2021, the CRS Asia Region launched EMPOWER-Asia, a capacity strengthening program that will support CRS strategic national-NGO partners in the region to improve their capacity to deliver effective emergency assistance and play a leading role in the provision of humanitarian assistance. The EMPOWER-Asia project will employ a flexible approach, with strategic partners, accompanied by CRS Country Programs, completing self-assessments and then developing improvement plans with concrete, measurabl e deliverables.
The EMPOWER-Asia program will fund implementation of improvement plans, with implementation led by strategic partners, accompanied by their CRS Country Program (CP) partners and the EMPOWER-Asia Core Team. In facilitating assessments and improvement plan development and implementation, the project will focus on four major areas: strengthening organizational structures and capacities on emergency response, improving coordination skills, improving resource mobilization, and improving knowledge management. The project will utilize proven capacity strengthening models and will employ a variety of strategies to strengthen capacity based on partner needs and priorities, potentially including trainings, workshops, learning events, peer-to-peer exchanges, simulations, coaching, and short-term deployments to provide on-the-job training.
Job Summary:
You will provide overall MEAL coordination and management for the EMPOWE R Asia program, ensuring effective MEAL processes and procedures are in place that support high-quality programming advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work in serving the poor and vulnerable. Your role with the EMPOWER Asia program includes (but is not limited to) development and oversight of the EMPOWER Asia MEAL system, design and supervision of EMPOWER Asia program evaluations, and design, development and implementation of knowledge management systems and the program’s learning agenda. You will provide technical support and accompaniment for MEAL to CRS country programs and local partner organizations participating in the EMPOWER Asia program. You will contribute to MEAL in proposal development. As a part of the EMPOWER Asia team, your management and accompaniment skills and knowledge will support local and national organizations in achieving their institutional objectives for humanitarian response management. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the E MPOWER program delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of its programming.
Note: This is an international telecommuter position, with a preferred location for the position in the Asia Region.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project management experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning is highly desirable.
• Experience leading MEAL in emergencies strongly preferred.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations.
• Experience in facilitation of MEAL training grounded in adult learning principles
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.
• Experience using Excel to manage, analyze and visualize data, with experience in PowerBI and one or more of the following digital data collection tools: DHIS, CommCare, RedRose preferred.
• Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals, including project design and developing MEAL budgets.
• Experience working in Asia a plus.

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation or in the field of Social Sciences, Statistics, International Development, Economics, Humanitarian Management, Data Science, required. Additional experience, in a field relevant to a MEAL position in an international NGO, may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of two years relevant field-based coordinating or managing light to moderately projects in MEAL required, preferably with an international NGO.

*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.
*Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.*** Note: All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside their home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical examination. CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people – especially children and vulnerable adults – to live free from abuse and harm. CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency. CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer**

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.