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.

Job Summary:

As the GESI Senior Project Officer for the STaR project Nigeria, you will provide technical analysis and project support in gender and protection in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to STaR Project technical staff to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. Working closely with the Program manager, Nigeria CP Deputy Country Representative – Programs and the Regional Technical Advisor for Gender Equality, your skills and knowledge will ensure that the STaR Project and its projects apply innovative and best practices in gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming and constantly work towards improving its benefits to those we serve.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct gender analyses, risk analyses, and/or other relevant studies to support STaR teams in achieving technical excellence in gender and protection programming and gender integration in ongoing programs/projects.
• Provide remote and on-site support to STaR teams with technical solutions for strategic planning and how best to apply standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and M&E to help ensure successful and high-quality implementation in gender and protection.
• Support business development, including project design and proposal review, to ensure the integration of gender-responsive and gender-transformative approaches and activities and protection mainstreaming in programs and projects.
• Develop program/project documents and tools, as well as technical manuals or guidance, training materials, and quality improvement and assessment guidelines.
• Support capacity-building initiatives in programming that include protection and gender as a cross-cutting aspect for employees and partners by helping to develop learning and training strategies, agendas, and curricula, conducting training and workshops, and providing some mentorship.
• Prepare presentations and coordinate project communication needs through writing and editing communication resources, such as case studies, brochures, briefs, peer-reviewed articles, or reports, for both internal and external audiences.
• Coordinate and/or perform various activities supporting program/project design and implementation, including but not limited to needs assessment, strategic planning, program design and proposal writing, monitoring and evaluation, and technological solutions.
• Collect and disseminate gender and protection-related information and resources to CRS staff and partners. Assist with organizing, designing, coordinating, and delivering training workshops to support capacity-building efforts. Identify new approaches and methods for online learning.
• Contribute to the learning agenda by researching and analyzing information, conducting literature reviews, mappings, or information gathering from various internal and external sources on assigned topics. Coordinate maintenance of virtual resource and documentation databases.
• Document gender and protection success stories and lessons learned and organize periodic learning events to share lessons with consortium members and other partners.
• Lead CP events/celebrations to advance knowledge and impact related to gender and protection.
• Lead the CP in gender mainstreaming according to agency minimum standards through gender audits and gender action planning, including, but not limited to, training workshops for new and existing staff and local partners on unconscious gender bias, gender-based violence first response, and gender in human resources.
• Participate in gender community of practice for West Africa, and other gender-related learning events and training workshops.

Required Languages – English is required. Knowledge of Hausa as a second language is appreciated.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 50%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good relationship management skills with the ability to work collaboratively as part of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams
• Strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems thinking capacity and skills
• Good writing skills
• Strong data collection and research skills and ability to interpret and analyze data
• Proactive, resourceful and results oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, knowledge-sharing networks.
• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Strong group process design and facilitation skills, including developing and leading workshops.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender-responsive programming.
• Staff supervision experience a plus.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.

 Supervisory Responsibilities – None.

 Key Working Relationships:

Internal

Program Manager II, Deputy Country Representative – Programs, Regional Technical Advisor for Gender Equality, Chief of Party, Project Technical Leads, MEAL Manger, Project Officers, Operation staff.

External 

Government officials, donors, international and local partners and other key stakeholders

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s in international development, gender studies, social sciences, or a field(s) related to gender and/or protection required.
• Minimum of three years of relevant work experience with an international NGO, with at least one year of field-based programming experience.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• General knowledge of technical principles and concepts in gender and protection
• Knowledge of program design requirements and regulations of major donors.
• Knowledge of project design and proposal development.
• Knowledge of latest technological tools that have the potential to be applied in gender and protection.
• Strong English writing skills.

Safeguarding

CRS is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people who interact with our work. We uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and expect all staff and partners to respect and protect the dignity and rights of everyone from any form of harm, abuse, harassment, or exploitation. All staff are required to follow CRS’s safeguarding policies and procedures and to complete mandatory safeguarding e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

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.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

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.

***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.

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' 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.

EOE/M/F/D/V – CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. (For all US and International positions)

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.

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.

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