Technical Advisor I– Cash and Markets (Remote)

JOB DESCRIPTION

About CRS

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.

In July 2022, CRS was awarded a 3-year grant for a second phase of a program to increase the institutional and technical capacity of CRS and its partners to implement Cash Transfer Programming at scale, in response to ongoing and future emergencies. The Readiness to Respond (R2R), aims to build the agency’s capacity to respond to emergencies with quality cash-programming. The R2R program works with HQ, Regional Teams, country programs (CPs) and Partners of different technical and operational capacities, to streamline processes for the uptake of cash transfer programming in emergencies, test out different strategies and activities for building cash readiness capacities of CRS and partners. The length of the assignment is 12 months.

To reach scale in country programs and partners implementing cash programming, the agency must build its cash readiness support infrastructure, working through country and regional staff to maximize impact and efficiency, meeting technical support requests, and ensuring quality across the agency.

NOTE: This is a remote position; CRS will give preference to candidates who are based in countries where we have existing offices. CRS does not sponsor visas for remote employees.

Job Summary:

You will provide technical advice and support to a range of program design and implementation issues in Cash and Markets in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to Country Program (CP) teams and partners to advance the delivery of high-quality market-based programming to the poor and vulnerable impacted by humanitarian crises. Your advice, knowledge, and support will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive, and innovative CRS’ Cash and Market-based programming is across the globe, with a particular focus on supporting programs in French-speaking countries.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development and contribute to the implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in relation to Cash and Market Based Programming that effectively engage partners, donors, and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.
• Provide technical solutions to CP teams, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools and M&E, helping to ensure high-quality implementation.
• Contribute to, and in some cases lead, the development of the technical design for proposals. Support the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of project concepts and full-fledged proposals. As needed, act as a technical writer on proposal development teams. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities and technical requirements into CRS’ approach.
• Support capacity strengthening initiatives in relation to Cash and Market based programming for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and coaching.
• Collect and analyze program data, capture, and share lessons learned and best practices for specific projects to facilitate improvements in decision-making and contribute to the Cash and Market Based Programming learning agenda.
• Contribute to maintaining relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions, participate in forums in the area of Cash and Market Based Programming to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
• Support Country Programs and partners in strengthening their cash readiness through targeted technical support, particularly in relation to developing capacities, identifying suitable cash delivery mechanisms and Financial Service Providers (FSPs), developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and tools, and supporting the design and implementation of pilot cash programs.
• Engage proactively within a designated region, at the country and regional level to identify strategic priorities related to CRS and partner cash and markets programming in humanitarian and early recovery settings and support the region to improve the quality and scale of cash programming as part of CRS’ Vision 2030 agency-wide strategy.
• Provide technical backstopping and deployment support on cash programming in French speaking countries in coordination with regional technical leads.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong 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
• Good strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Good technical writing skills
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), data analytics and PowerBi.

Required Languages – English and French required.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 50%, including at short notice and to emergency situations.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: HRD Cash and Markets TAs; HRD Regional Focal Point for Program Quality and Management; other HRD Technical Advisors (e.g. Program Quality and Management, Shelter and Settlement, Safe and Dignified Programming, Operations, and WASH); Regional Technical Advisors including Agriculture and Livelihoods; Country Program staff

External: Partners; donors; peer agencies

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in humanitarian assistance, social policy, economics or related field required.
• Minimum of three years relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of two years relevant field-based experience in cash and market-based programming, including in protracted and rapid onset emergency contexts.
• Knowledge of technical principles and concepts in cash and market-based programming. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Demonstrated experience in designing Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) programs, particularly for BHA, and designing and implementing cash programs related to Food Security, Nutrition, and/or Protection. Experience in other sectoral cash programming, such as Shelter and Settlements, WASH, Nutrition, DRR, and/or Protection, desirable.
• Knowledge of, and experience in, conducting market assessments and response analysis to inform modality decisions across different areas of programming, particularly in humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in project design for cash programming in a diversity of contexts.
• Experience in proposal development. Experience in writing content for proposals.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation and analysis.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Experience supporting cash programming in French-speaking countries strongly preferred.

Agency REDI 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.

***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.

To ensure the safety of our staff, our partners, and the people we serve, CRS requires that staff be vaccinated against Covid-19. CRS complies with all federal and state laws to allow for accommodations, as needed with supporting documentation. However, accommodations may limit the roles that candidates are eligible for based on role requirements (e.g., travel, meetings with staff, partner, donors).

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.