The Homes and Communities Strategic Change Platform

We are in an unprecedented era of global displacement, with more people displaced than ever before due to climate change, conflict, and natural disasters. Direct humanitarian aid alone cannot address these mounting challenges—most disaster-affected households recover through a combination of government support and local market systems. Through its Vision2030 strategy, CRS aims to scale up proven practices and innovations, extending the agency’s indirect impact to help more people than would be possible through direct implementation.

To achieve this ambition, CRS has established six Strategic Change Platforms (SCPs), including the SCP2 Homes and Communities (H&C). Embedded within the Shelter and Settlements team, the H&C team seeks systems-level change by working together with peer agencies, local responders, governments, and private sector actors for improved efficiencies in government, market and humanitarian systems, identifying opportunities to leverage direct shelter construction programming carried out by CRS country programs into systems-level change to collectively benefit 10 million people.

Over the last five years, the SCP2/H&C platform has invested in a portfolio of 14 country programs in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America. Market Systems Development provides a strategic pathway for CRS to achieve its goals in these countries. An inclusive and efficient housing market system can deliver safe, dignified housing at scale for vulnerable and disaster-prone families.

Job Summary: 

As part of the global SCP2/H&C Core team, you will provide technical advice, guidance, and support on program design, implementation and adaptive management to SCP2/H&C Country Program teams in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards and industry best practices to regional and Country Program (CP) teams to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. Your technical knowledge, advice and guidance will contribute to the effectiveness, adaptability and innovation of CRS’ market systems programming.

You will be responsible for setting the strategic direction of H&C’s market systems development work; ensuring harmonization and consistency; developing technical guidance and tools; documenting learning; building capacity of country and regional teams and providing technical accompaniment to country programs as they conduct market systems analysis, strategy design, intervention start-up, negotiation and management of partnerships, and measure results and learning in line with the SCP2/H&C Adaptive Management Framework.

Note: This is a global remote position; CRS considers candidates who are based in countries where we have existing offices. CRS does not sponsor visas for remote employees.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to CRS’ thinking and practice of working systemically across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus, to achieve impact at scale.
• Contribute to agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices for market systems development—focusing on shelter, housing and potentially other sectors.
• Support CP teams with market systems analysis, strategy design, partnership development, and adaptive management, adjusting frameworks and approaches to the local context.
• Contribute to the SCP2/H&C Adaptive Management and Learning Framework through collecting and analyzing program data, evaluating key questions, assisting with measuring program impact, capturing and sharing lessons learned and best practices, and conducting research.
• Be a sounding board and mentor to CP teams on technical areas relating to housing market systems, including but not limited to housing finance, materials, sanitation and construction skills.
• Support CP teams in integrating climate change, gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction considerations in programming.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in market systems development for staff and partners through trainings, workshops and accompaniment.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, private sector, research partners and other institutions.
• Participate in forums in the areas of housing and market systems development to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
• Collaborate with other teams at CRS on systemic approaches, tools and learning.

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 – English required, French or Spanish preferred.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 25%.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Consultants 

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal: Homes and Communities Core Team Members, Humanitarian Cash and Markets Technical Advisors, Private Sector Engagement Technical Advisors, Country Program management and program staff

External: Peer organizations, donors, partner organizations, private and public sector partners, research institutes

Basic Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Economic Development or other relevant field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years’ relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, with minimum of three years implementing the market systems development approach.
• Previous experience providing technical assistance and implementing successful projects.
• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in inclusive market systems development. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure cross-sectoral approach.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
• Experience with adaptive management, program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• Excellent analytical skills and experience conducting economic or market systems analysis, ideally in the housing sector.
• Proven ability to negotiate, design and assess strategic, sustainable and systemic activities
• Experience in negotiating and building win-win partnerships with the private sector.
• Experience and skills in networking and building relationships with donors, peer organizations, private sector actors, and civil society partners.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

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.

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.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements