Job Description
CRS has been operational in Malawi since 1997 beginning with addressing food security, collaborating with USAID on the country’s first food aid programs. For over two decades, CRS program has expanded to include food security, agroforestry, land restoration, emergency response, livelihoods, education, health, nutrition, early childhood development, microfinance, WASH, and private-sector engagement. All CRS programs integrate gender, youth, people living with disability, safeguarding, and partners’ capacity strengthening to address the evolving needs of the Malawian people. CRS’ expertise allows it to tailor projects that foster long-term resilience through a multi-sectoral approach. CRS implements its programs through partnerships with the Church, local organizations, and community entities for maximum impact and sustainability.
CRS Malawi is preparing a response an upcoming USAID/BHA Malawi ER4 Graduation Activity. The proposed activity will apply a Graduation Approach with a gender focus to increase food and economic security of vulnerable households in Chikwawa and/or Nsanje districts in southern Malawi, enabling them to better manage shocks and stresses. The activity design will prioritize psychosocial wellbeing, market integration, and linkages to complementary programs and resources.
Job Summary: The Graduation Technical Advisor will provide overall technical leadership and oversight for the design and implementation of the graduation approach and guide learning and adaptation for the Southern Malawi context while ensuring fidelity to the key graduation principles. The Advisor will support staff and partners to implement all graduation components and ensure multiplier effects across and between components. The Advisor will design transparent, equitable and inclusive targeting processes and systems, and support linkages and alignment with local social protection systems, and adaptive safety and productive safety nets. The Advisor will ensure that the social dimensions of food and economic security, community resilience and ability to manage stresses and shocks are effectively addressed across all activity components. The Advisor will ensure that the approach addresses marginalized populations, gender inequality, youth integration prioritize psychosocial wellbeing of vulnerable groups. Finally, the Advisor is encouraged to apply and promote systems thinking to catalyze outcomes at scale.
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the Chief of Party (COP) and Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Technical Advisor oversees periodic programmatic and technical reviews, manage changes in program direction and focus.
- Ensure technical interventions are sequenced, layered and integrated (SLI) appropriately at all levels of implementation within the activity and with USAID investments, the private sector, other donors, and the Government of Malawi (GOM), particularly social protection programming.
- Participate in the collection, analysis, and utilization of information from a broad range of sources in close collaboration with the MEAL Technical Advisor and other key staff to contextualize the graduation approach.
- Coordinate and integrate inputs from sectoral specialists (Gender/Psychosocial Youth Social Inclusion (GYSI), Health & Nutrition, Agriculture Livelihoods, Social Behavior Change (SBC), Resilience) to strengthen the economic and social impact of the graduation approach.
- Oversee the contextualization of the five-components of a risk-informed graduation approach that considers cultural norms, and gender dynamics and is conflict sensitive.
- Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for a contextualized graduation approach in collaboration with the GOM’s social protection programming and local stakeholders. The SOPs will set out the, at minimum: the:
- Process for targeting graduation participant households.
- Amount, timing, duration, modalities and sequencing of consumption support
- Coaching and mentoring model
- Financial inclusion approach
- Training on business-related and other skills
- Amount, timing, duration and modality of productive asset transfers
- Develop and oversee the training approach across the training cascade; ensuring the curriculum and training tools are participant-aligned and appropriate. Lead quality assurance and quality improvement efforts for implementation.
- In collaboration with the Chief of Party (COP), MEAL Manager and other key staff, use a Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) approach to optimize an effective and efficient graduation approach for improved resilience and food security at scale. Document and disseminate learning.
- In collaboration with the Chief of Party, participate in coordination meetings with GOM, social protection actors and other key stakeholders.
- Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Participate in forums in the area of Graduation and Social Protection to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- 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.
- 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 oral communication skills.
- Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills.
- Proactive, resourceful and results oriented.
Required Languages – Fluency in English is required.
Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% with most of the travel in program field sites.
Key Working Relationships
Supervisory: To be decided by the final program design
Internal: CoP, MEAL Team; CRS MEAL Manager and Information, Communications, and Technology for Development (ICT4D) unit, CRS Malawi/Regional/HQ MEAL, Learning and Sector Technical Advisors.
External: Local/regional governments, partners, USAID, national and international research and learning/university partners, private sector and other relevant stakeholders.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Economics, International Development or related field required
- Minimum of five years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working in the design and implementation of programming using the graduation approach.
- Demonstrated capacity to collect, analyze, present and use information from a broad range of sources.
- Experience in business development, project design and proposal development in including technical writing.
- Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation, and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
- Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, governments, international and peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
- 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.
What we offer
CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, generous retirement savings plan and the opportunity to work in a collaborative, mission-driven culture that is committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.
About Us
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. 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 safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
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 committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse. The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.
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.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
General Requirements
CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements. All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.
CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.