Job Summary
The Technical Advisor II – Emergency Response and Recovery Surge Support for East and Southern Africa (ESRO) is a field-focused emergency response specialist who delivers rapid, high-impact program quality, management, and leadership serge support to CRS country programs across ESRO during both sudden-onset and protracted emergencies. Positioned within HRD’s Emergency Program Response Team (EPR), this role reports directly to the Regional Focal Point for Emergency Response for ESRO, ensuring emergency response and recovery initiatives align with CRS program quality standards, donor mandates, and established humanitarian best practices.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing a range of critical operational tasks, ensuring adherence to established protocols while driving efficiency and productivity. Duties include managing workflow processes, coordinating team efforts, and implementing strategic initiatives to meet organizational objectives. Additionally, the position requires meticulous attention to detail in monitoring performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement, and delivering timely reports to senior leadership. Collaboration with cross-functional teams, adherence to compliance standards, and proactive problem-solving will be essential to achieving departmental goals.
Offer swift surge assistance to ESRO country programs amid humanitarian crises, ensuring robust program quality and expert management guidance.
Collaborate with country programs to fulfill interim emergency program management and leadership responsibilities, while assisting with the establishment and oversight of emergency field offices, teams, and relief operations as needed during deployments.
Deliver tailored technical solutions to country teams—both remotely and on-site—to address emergency program planning, start-up, implementation, and close-out, while ensuring full alignment with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and industry best practices.
Design projects must be executed with exceptional quality, integrating established project management standards with robust MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) methodologies, ensuring alignment with project scope, contextual factors, and technical specifications.
You will support the formulation and execution of regional and country program strategies, standards, tools, and best practices for Emergency Response and Recovery, fostering collaboration among partners, donors, and governments. Additionally, you will help integrate a cross-sectoral perspective that emphasizes gender considerations, safe and dignified programming, and disaster risk reduction initiatives.
Document lessons learned, promising practices, and response innovations from field deployments, and systematically document these insights for sharing with the RFP and key HRD and regional stakeholders to enhance regional knowledge exchange.
The role entails assisting country programs in integrating program design and implementation standards, partnership principles, and MEAL approaches to uphold and enhance the quality of execution.
Support capacity-building efforts in Emergency Response and Recovery programming for staff and partners by collaborating on the design of learning and training strategies, agendas, and curricula, delivering training sessions and workshops, and providing mentoring and coaching to CP staff. These approaches may encompass formal and on-the-job training, the development or refinement of operational policies and systems, and partner accompaniment, as deemed appropriate.
You will play a key role in advancing knowledge management and organizational learning by gathering and analyzing program data, assessing strategic initiatives, supporting impact measurement efforts, documenting and disseminating lessons learned and best practices, as well as conducting research and preparing internal reports.
As requested, serve as the designated representative for CRS and its partners in cluster, donor, and coordination meetings conducted in the field.
Seeking a highly motivated individual with a proven track record in project management and a strong background in technical or engineering disciplines. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of hands-on experience in a similar role, demonstrating expertise in leading cross-functional teams, managing budgets, and delivering projects on schedule. Proficiency in industry-standard software tools, such as Microsoft Project or Primavera, is essential, along with exceptional problem-solving abilities and a commitment to continuous improvement. Excellent communication skills are required to liaise effectively with stakeholders at all levels, ensuring clarity and alignment throughout the project lifecycle. A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is mandatory, and professional certifications, such as PMP or PRINCE2, are highly desirable.
Seeking candidates who meet the following essential criteria: a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a related field, along with three to five years of relevant professional experience. Proficiency in industry-standard software and tools is required, along with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Excellent communication and teamwork skills are also necessary to thrive in a collaborative environment. Additionally, the ideal candidate will demonstrate adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning to stay current with evolving industry trends.
A bachelor’s degree in international development, disaster response, or a closely related field is mandatory.
A minimum of eight years of progressive international experience in advisory or management positions is required, preferably gained within an international NGO. Additionally, candidates must possess at least three years of direct involvement in Emergency Response and Recovery program management.
Required is prior professional experience in delivering technical support and crafting winning proposals for external donor funding.
Proficiency in program monitoring and evaluation, encompassing the application of data collection tools and methodologies, conducting comprehensive data analysis, and synthesizing findings into clear presentations.
Proficiency in business development, project design, and proposal development, specifically within the realm of emergency response, coupled with strong technical writing skills, is required.
Preferred Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, along with three or more years of experience in software development. Familiarity with programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++ is essential, and proficiency in cloud platforms like AWS or Azure is a strong advantage. Candidates should also demonstrate experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and containerization tools such as Docker and Kubernetes. Exceptional problem-solving abilities, strong communication skills, and a collaborative mindset are highly valued.
A master’s degree in international development, disaster response, or a closely related discipline would be considered a significant asset.
Demonstrated expertise in operating within intricate and volatile environments across East and Southern Africa is essential.
Proficiency in humanitarian principles, standards, and systems is required, with a strong preference for familiarity with CRS and Caritas Internationalis emergency programming and standards.
Brings a strong passion for coaching, mentoring, and hands-on on-the-job training, coupled with a proven track record in these areas.
Proficiency in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Information Management principles and practices is required.
Collects, analyzes, and applies comprehensive expertise in specialized areas to perform complex tasks efficiently, requiring a combination of technical proficiency, analytical thinking, and practical experience. Requires strong problem-solving abilities to identify issues, develop solutions, and implement corrective actions. Exhibits excellent communication skills to convey technical information clearly to diverse audiences. Demonstrates adaptability to evolving technologies and methodologies, maintaining a commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. Familiarity with industry-specific tools, software, or frameworks is essential. May involve collaborating across teams, managing multiple priorities, and adhering to strict deadlines while ensuring high standards of accuracy and quality. Strong organizational and time-management skills are necessary to prioritize tasks effectively.
Exhibits a strong grasp of technical principles and concepts essential for Emergency Response and Recovery efforts. Possesses a broad understanding of related disciplines to facilitate an effective cross-sectoral approach.
Proven expertise in implementing and overseeing security protocols and managing emergency programs within high-risk environments.
Proficiency in collaborating with community-based partner organizations is essential.
Possesses a comprehensive understanding of design requirements and regulatory frameworks established by key emergency donors, such as the US Government, EU/ECHO, and UN agencies.
Skilled in leveraging Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), web conferencing platforms, budget and information management systems, as well as collaborative knowledge-sharing networks.
Skilled in providing mentorship, coaching, facilitation, and training, with a strong foundation in adult learning principles and methodologies.
Experienced in cultivating networks and fostering relationships with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners. Demonstrated proficiency in partnership principles and collaborative frameworks.
Demonstrates exceptional ability to cultivate and maintain strong professional relationships, fostering collaboration and securing stakeholder alignment even without direct authority. Proficient in engaging and influencing individuals across varying geographical locations and cultural backgrounds to achieve shared objectives.
Proven capacity to uphold high performance standards and cultivate productive working relationships amid varied cultural settings, as well as under psychologically and physically demanding conditions.
Strong analytical and strategic capabilities are essential, complemented by robust problem-solving and systems thinking abilities to effectively grasp overarching contexts and deliver well-informed decisions.
Proficient in both written and verbal communication, with the ability to articulate ideas clearly and effectively.
Accomplished in delivering compelling presentations, facilitating engaging sessions, and providing effective training, mentoring, and coaching.
Results-driven professional with a proactive mindset and keen resourcefulness, committed to delivering measurable outcomes in dynamic environments.
Proficiency in English is mandatory. Knowledge of French and Portuguese is considered advantageous.
Must be prepared to undertake extensive travel, accounting for up to 50% of the year (approximately six months), with deployments typically lasting between two and eight weeks, subject to the operational requirements of the country program. Should demonstrate the adaptability to reside and operate in demanding or high-pressure environments and fulfill assignments as directed by agency priorities.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
8 years
