Technical Advisor II-Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA)

About CRS:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 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 (including Shelter and Settlements), HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Job Summary: 

We are experiencing an unprecedented moment in time. Across the globe, more people are displaced than ever due to climate change, conflict, and natural disasters.  Direct humanitarian support cannot meet the growing needs – most disaster-affected households recover by themselves with government support or through market systems. One of the objectives of CRS’ Vision2030 strategy is to enable the scale-up of good practices and innovations to increase the agency’s indirect impact and serve more people than CRS could serve through its direct implementation. This objective is aligned with CRS’ 10-year strategy Vision2030’s Strategic Change Platform 2 “Building Safe and Dignified Homes and Communities.”  Embedded within the Shelter and Settlements team, The Strategic Platform 2/Homes and Communities (SCP2 H&C) team seeks systems-level change by working together with peer agencies, local responders, governments and private sector actors for improved efficiencies in government, market and humanitarian systems, identifying opportunities to leverage direct shelter construction programming carried out by CRS country programs into systems-level change to collectively benefit 10 million people.

The SCP2/H&C platform currently funds 13 country programs in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America. These SCP2/H&C country programs (CPs) are expected to generate learning and evidence for institutional change within CRS, while contributing towards external systems change and strengthening at the global level. This can be in the form of the adoption of approaches by other humanitarian actors, improved government policies or more effective and inclusive market systems. The SCP2/H&C platform has developed a Learning Framework to guide and inform its work globally. The platform is now looking to operationalize the Learning Framework through collaboration and cross-learning within CRS at various levels (CP, regional, global) and with other stakeholders and partners. The Learning Technical Advisor II position will lead this work, including all activities related to research, dissemination and promotion of approaches and innovations for achieving the H&C platform objectives. 

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

Responsibilities:

Strategic Learning

• Operationalize the SCP2/H&C Learning Framework and transfer learning from CP teams to the platform level, and vice versa.
• Coordinate, facilitate and support thematic cross-learning activities between CPs and global teams for regular evidence-based learning and reflection events.
• Lead SCP2/H&C learning and knowledge management and maintain resources for the platform and its members, including relevant external learning and resources.
• Develop and maintain relationships for external learning collaborations, including with the Global Shelter Cluster working groups, CRS communities of practice, and other relevant sector forums and networks.

Adaptive Management

• Support SCP2/H&C CP and global teams with developing, implementing and maintaining their adaptive management and monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Support SCP2/H&C CP and global teams analyze data collected to inform workplan adaptation.

Documentation

• Assist and coordinate research activities, including exploring synergies between CPs and external research partners.
• Identify and pursue research funding opportunities that align with the SCP2/H&C platform goals.
• In accordance with the SCP2/H&C Learning Framework, facilitate and support the documentation of learning from CPs for diverse internal and external audiences to inform and promote scaling approaches.
• Assist in developing dissemination and communication plans for diverse internal and external audiences to inform and promote scaling approaches.

Personal Skills 

• 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.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to develop succinct, engaging and attractive communication products.
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Required/Desired Foreign Language 

• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French and/or Spanish is desirable.
• Travel Required: Three to four trips a year are expected, to support countries working on catalyzing outcomes at scale within the SCP2/H&C team.

Key Working Relationships: 

• Supervisory: This is not a supervisory position
• Internal: Humanitarian Response Department Technical Advisors; CASCADE project team; Private Sector Engagement Team; global, regional and CP MEAL teams; Strategic Change Platform teams; Regional and CP leadership; Country Program teams
• External: Peer agencies, partners, and networks (i.e. the Global Shelter Cluster, Recovery CoP, Regional Shelter and Housing Fora); relevant research institutions and stakeholders engaged in the humanitarian arena.

Qualifications

• Basic Qualifications
• Master’s degree in International Development, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of five years humanitarian or development work experience.  Knowledge of the Shelter and Settlements sector and its key actors preferred.
• Proven experience with adaptive management and learning.
• Adult Education skill sets (critical analysis).  Excellent presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Expertise in the development and production of facilitation guides, tools, and other products to support institutional capacity building that informs interventions and programming.
• Demonstrated experience in transferring knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring, and other formal and informal methods.
• Demonstrated experience and skills to represent the organization at meetings with donors, government, international NGOs, local partners – faith-based and civil society.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications and strong understanding of information management systems and knowledge-sharing networks.
• Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
• Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. 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.
• 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. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
• 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’s 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