Technical Advisor I– Food Security & Markets, EMPOWER

Job Title: Technical Advisor I – Food Security & Markets, EMPOWER

Reports to: Technical Advisor II, Food Security & Markets

Department: Humanitarian Response Department

Country/Location: HRD/International Telecommuter

Duration: 12-month position

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.

The Humanitarian Response Department (HRD) provides leadership and support to CRS emergency programming. The HRD strengthens CRS’ impact through high quality, innovative programs; improved technical and management capacity at the field level; and active engagement in global efforts to promote excellence and learning in humanitarian response. The HRD has technical staff that supports emergency program planning, rapid response, and capacity strengthening of staff and partners worldwide.

Country/Program Background

The EMPOWER (Empowering Partner Organizations Working on Emergency Responses) project is a joint initiative piloted in FY18 of the CRS Latin American and Caribbean Regional Office and the Humanitarian Response Department (HRD). In 2020, CRS expanded this program to Central America and Mexico and it continues to grow a team of LACRO-based emergency responders whose primary role is to support strengthening the emergency response capacity of local partners response in the Caribbean, South and Central America and Mexico and support them implementing high quality emergency responses.

Through EMPOWER, CRS staff accompany local organizations in institutional capacity self-assessments. Based on self-assessment results, as well as institutional mission, vision, and strategy, participating local organizations develop institutional strengthening plans. In response to expressed priorities and requests, CRS provides participating organizations with demand driven technical resources, support, training and accompaniment, and organizes zonal and regional workshops to facilitate shared learning and strengthening of peer networks among local and national humanitarian response organizations.

Job Summary

The EMPOWER program is currently working with 20 partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen institutional capacities and local leadership in emergency response. Under the supervision of the MBRRR Food Security & Livelihoods Team Lead, the Food Security & Markets Technical Advisor I will provide accompaniment and technical support on food assistance programming activities to CRS EMPOWER partners as part of the EMPOWER LACRO strategy. This position will be part of the Market-Based Rapid Response and Recovery Team (MBRRR), under the Humanitarian Response Department (HRD), and will work with the EMPOWER Team. The Food Security & Markets TA I will be responsible for developing guidance, building capacity, and promoting strategic leadership on food assistance programming, market assessment, and response analysis; and supporting the development and implementation of quality food assistance programs with EMPOWER partners.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Food Security & Livelihoods Team Lead, the HRD EMPOWER Food Security & Markets TA I will carry out the following responsibilities:

• Provide technical support and accompaniment to EMPOWER Partners in the development of food assistance programs in emergency and recovery contexts with 50% focus on ELMA supported countries in the Caribbean.
• Provide technical assistance in implementation of food assistance components of multi-purpose, food security, or other programs.
• Support collaboration efforts in line with the efforts of the CCD, both in the field and remotely.
• Support, train and conduct market assessments to determine the needs for food assistance and the most appropriate food assistance modality, including cash, voucher, and in-kind distributions through local and/or regional purchase.
• Support the development of materials and guidance for food assistance programs in varying contexts.
• Mainstream gender and protection into food assistance tools and guidance; contribute to financial and operational guidance for market-based programming.
• Provide trainings to EMPOWER Partner Staff on food security, market assessment, response analysis, and the design and implementation of food assistance programs
• Support the successful implementation of food assistance programs, in adherence with international accountability standards such as the Sphere Project, the Food Security & Livelihoods Handbook of the global Food Security Cluster, the SEEP Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) and the CaLP Minimum Requirements for Market Analysis in Emergencies.
• Ensure CRS and/or EMPOWER partners’ participation in national food security working groups, food security clusters and cash working groups.
• Provide leadership in representation of CRS to global food security communities in Latin America and other regions.
• Identify, document, and share best practices and lessons learned from food assistance programs with regions and community of practice; develop and contribute to agency knowledge databases and technical libraries
• Publish articles and/or case studies on food assistance programs, independently or in collaboration with research organizations.
• Contribute to increasing CRS’ leadership and recognized portfolio in cash and food assistance programs.
• Establish and maintain regular communication channels with EMPOWER team members to share learning, challenges, successes, and tools among the team.
• Ensure quality partnerships between CRS and target partners in line with CRS and Caritas Internationalis (CI) partnership principles.
• Develop contacts with other humanitarian organizations (local and international) working on protection mainstreaming and PSEA/safeguarding to facilitate new learning, sharing of practices, and collaboration.
• Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.

Required Languages – Oral and written language proficiency; capable of conducting trainings, writing reports and proposals, holding meetings, conducting interviews and communicate with partners in English and Spanish is a requirement.

Knowledge of Portuguese, French or Haitian Kreyol are a plus.

Travel:

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally 50% of time (i.e., 6 months out of the year)
• Willingness and ability to deploy as soon as possible when disasters strike, primarily within Latin American and the Caribbean; may include deployments to other regions, as needed
• Candidates should live in North/Central/South America or the Caribbean

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Extremely flexible and able to cope with stressful situations in emergency environments.
• Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings
• 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 verbal communication skills with ability to write reports
• Proactive, resourceful, results and service-oriented
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills

Emergency Competencies

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff working in emergencies to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Communicates strategically under pressure.
• Manages stress and complexity.
• Actively promotes safety and security.
• Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Candidates from/presently based in the LAC region are highly preferred.
• Experienced trainer/teacher of adults and multi-cultural groups, in both in-person and virtual settings.
• Experienced in establishing and implementing community-based feedback, complaints and response mechanisms is an asset.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to navigate the humanitarian coordination system.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Key Working Relationships

Internal:

• HRD MBRRR Technical Advisor II, Food Security and Markets
• HRD MBRRR Food Security & Livelihoods team members
• EMPOWER TA II
• HRD EMPOWER Team Members
• HRD LACRO Focal Point
• HRD MBRRR Team Members
• Other HRD Team Members – Technical Advisors (Shelter, WASH, Protection Mainstreaming, Emergency Program Quality and Management, Operations)

External: Caritas Partner leadership, staff and volunteers, Other Caritas International Member Organization representatives in country or supporting remotely, Representatives of other NGOs, UN and International Agencies operating in the region.

Qualifications – External

Basic Qualifications:

• Masters’ Degree or equivalent experience in economics, food security, international development or related field.
• 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 food security, cash, and market-based programming. Experience in both emergency and development contexts preferred.
• Confirmed experience with the design of food basket and nutrition values
• Experience in accompanying local partner led programming preferred. Experience in local partner capacity strengthening a plus.
• Experience with market assessment and response analysis.
• Knowledge of food security Standards.
• Basic knowledge of design requirements and regulations of major donors including the United States Government, Caritas, the EU, and UN agencies.
• Experience working CRS Security Level III environments.
• Knowledge of technical principles, concepts, indicators and international standards on Food Security in humanitarian response. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Experience in project design and proposal development and review. Experience in writing content for—and reviewing—proposals.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices and partnership building principles.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society organizations.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams), web conferencing applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

· Integrity

· Continuous Improvement & Innovation

· Builds Relationships

· Develops Talent

· Strategic Mindset

· Accountability & Stewardship

***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