Technical Advisor II-Cash & Markets

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. 

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 Market-based programming that includes activities related to Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), food security and livelihoods programming. In line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices, the HRD Cash and Markets TA supports 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. As needed/requested, you will lead or support the development of strategy, resources and tools to build capacity and mainstream market-based programming, including cash and voucher assistance, internally within CRS and with partners. 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: 

• Lead the development of regional efforts 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 linking to Food Security and Livelihoods programming and 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 of market-based programming.
• Lead the technical design for proposals that include market-based programming approaches, including in food security. 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.
• Contribute and lead 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.
• Maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions, participate in forums around Market-Based Programming, including activities related to CVA, food security and livelihoods programming, to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
• Lead 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- as well as food security and livelihoods 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, and food security and livelihoods 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 set