Job Summary
The Technical Advisor II – Emergency Response and Recovery Surge Support for East and Southern Africa (ESRO) serves as a field-focused emergency response expert, delivering immediate program quality, management, and leadership serge support to CRS country programs across ESRO during both sudden-onset and prolonged crises. Positioned within HRD’s Emergency Program Response Team (EPR), this role operates under the supervision of the Regional Focal Point for Emergency Response for ESRO, ensuring high-caliber emergency response and recovery initiatives align with CRS program quality standards, donor specifications, and established humanitarian protocols.
We are seeking a dynamic professional to join our team, where your primary focus will involve executing key duties aligned with the position’s core objectives. Your responsibilities will include overseeing critical processes, ensuring adherence to established protocols, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve organizational goals. Additionally, you will be expected to analyze performance metrics, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategic solutions to enhance efficiency and productivity. Proficiency in relevant tools and technologies, along with strong problem-solving and communication skills, will be essential for success in this role.
Offer immediate surge assistance to ESRO country programs amid humanitarian crises, ensuring high-quality program implementation and expert guidance in program management.
Collaborate with country programs to fulfill interim emergency program management and leadership responsibilities, while assisting in the establishment and oversight of emergency field offices, teams, and relief operations as needed during deployments.
Develop and deliver technical solutions to both remote and onsite country teams to support emergency program planning, start-up, implementation, and close-out, while ensuring full alignment with CRS program quality principles and standards, as well as donor guidelines and established best practices.
Design and deliver high-caliber project plans that align with established project management principles and MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) methodologies, ensuring full compliance with project scope, contextual factors, and technical specifications.
Collaborate in shaping and executing regional/CP strategies, standards, tools, and best practices for Emergency Response and Recovery, with a focus on fostering effective partnerships among partners, donors, and governments. Assist in maintaining a cross-sectoral methodology that incorporates gender considerations, safe and dignified programming, and disaster risk reduction.
Assist in fostering regional knowledge exchange by compiling documented insights, including lessons learned, effective practices, and innovative response strategies derived from deployments, and disseminate them to the RFP as well as key HRD and regional stakeholders.
Provide technical assistance to country programs to uphold program design and implementation standards, partnership principles, and MEAL methodologies, thereby guaranteeing excellence in execution.
Support capacity-building efforts in Emergency Response and Recovery programming by collaborating on the design of learning and training strategies and agendas or curricula, delivering trainings and workshops, and providing mentorship and coaching to CP staff. These efforts may encompass formal and on-the-job training, as well as the development or refinement of operational policies and systems, and may involve partner accompaniment where appropriate.
Your role involves enhancing 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 needed, serve as CRS and partner representative at cluster, donor, and coordination meetings in the field.
Qualifications
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The position requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, along with at least three years of professional experience in a similar role. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in industry-standard software and tools, as well as strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication abilities, both written and verbal, are essential for collaborating with cross-functional teams and stakeholders. Familiarity with regulatory compliance and project management methodologies is also required.
A bachelor’s degree in fields such as international development, disaster response, or a related discipline is required.
Requires a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible international experience in advisory or management roles, preferably within an international NGO. Additionally, candidates must possess at least three years of hands-on involvement in programming interventions, specifically within Emergency Response and Recovery program management.
Proficiency in delivering technical support and crafting winning proposals for external donor funding is essential.
Proficiency in program monitoring and evaluation is required, encompassing the application of data collection tools and methodologies, comprehensive data analysis, and effective data presentation.
Professional candidates must possess experience in business development, project design, and proposal development within emergency response contexts, with a strong background in technical writing.
Preferred Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, prior experience in a similar role, and proficiency with industry-specific software or tools. Candidates should demonstrate strong analytical skills, the ability to work independently, and effective communication abilities. Familiarity with project management methodologies and a track record of meeting deadlines are advantageous. Additional beneficial qualifications may include certifications or advanced training in specialized areas.
A master’s degree in international development, disaster response, or a relevant discipline is preferred.
Proven track record of working in complex and conflict-affected environments across East and Southern Africa.
Proficiency in humanitarian principles, standards, and frameworks is essential, with a strong preference for expertise in CRS and Caritas Internationalis emergency programming and standards.
Experienced in coaching, mentoring, and delivering on-the-job training, with a strong passion for developing others.
Proficient in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Information Management, with hands-on expertise and practical application.
Proven expertise across critical knowledge areas, functional abilities, and specialized skills is essential for success in this role. Candidates must demonstrate a robust proficiency in relevant technical and professional competencies, ensuring they can effectively execute all required duties. Key responsibilities include managing complex projects, analyzing intricate data sets, and maintaining compliance with established standards. Strong problem-solving aptitude, meticulous attention to detail, and the capacity to work collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams are also required. Additional qualifications may include advanced certifications, relevant educational credentials, or hands-on experience in specialized domains to enhance performance and contribute to organizational objectives.
Applies technical principles and concepts effectively within Emergency Response and Recovery contexts. Possesses a broad understanding of related disciplines to facilitate a well-integrated, cross-sectoral approach.
Demonstrates exceptional expertise in implementing and maintaining robust security protocols and effectively managing emergency programs, even within high-risk or unstable conditions.
Proven capability to collaborate effectively with regional partner organizations.
Proficiency in design requirements and regulatory standards set by key emergency donors, such as the US Government, EU/ECHO, and UN agencies, is required.
Requires expertise in Microsoft Office Suite (including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), proficiency in web conferencing applications, strong capabilities in information and budget management systems, as well as familiarity with knowledge-sharing networks.
Mentoring, coaching, facilitation, and training experience grounded in adult learning principles and practices.
Skilled in cultivating networking relationships and engaging with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners. Proficient in applying partnership principles to foster collaboration and strategic alliances.
Demonstrates exceptional relationship-building capabilities, enabling the cultivation of strong connections and securing agreement from stakeholders beyond one’s direct reporting line while effectively collaborating with individuals across varied geographical and cultural backgrounds.
Proven capability to uphold performance standards and foster robust professional relationships in culturally diverse, psychologically demanding, and physically challenging settings.
Accomplishes tasks with exceptional strategic acumen, analytical precision, and problem-solving expertise, complemented by robust systems thinking. Demonstrates an inherent capacity to grasp overarching objectives while exercising discernment to render informed, astute decisions.
Exceptional proficiency in both written and verbal communication is essential.
Accomplished in delivering compelling presentations, leading interactive sessions, and providing tailored training, mentoring, and coaching to enhance individual and team performance.
Proactive, highly resourceful, and driven by tangible results, the ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong ability to take initiative and adapt swiftly to challenges while consistently delivering measurable outcomes.
Fluency in English is mandatory, with proficiency in French and Portuguese 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, contingent upon the specific requirements of the country program. Should demonstrate the ability to thrive in challenging and high-pressure environments while remaining adaptable to assignments dictated by agency priorities.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
8 years
