JOB DESCRIPTION

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 consideration of race, religion, or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.

CRS has been operating in Nigeria for over 25 years, with extensive experience across all 36 states. The organization has substantial expertise in building resilient agriculture-led livelihoods, enhancing agricultural value chains, and advancing natural resource management (NRM). CRS has successfully implemented several agriculture and livelihood development projects, including the Feed the Future (FtF) Agriculture and Livelihoods project and the Water for Agriculture initiatives across the Northeast and Northwest regions. Additionally, CRS is leading value chain initiatives such as the BASICS project, which focuses on developing cassava value chains.

Job Summary:

As Agriculture and Livelihoods Officer, you will provide technical leadership and champion field-level implementation of the EU-funded Regreening Africa project’s agriculture, natural resource management, and livelihood development interventions. You will be responsible for the project’s extension and advisory services, including supporting community mobilizers/facilitators in participant mobilization, mounting demonstration plots, field-level training facilitation, and ensuring the quality of activities. You will ensure that project agriculture, NRM, and livelihood results are achieved on time and within budget, including strategies for phase-out and sustainability, and that the budget is consumed as planned. As a senior leader, you will proactively manage security and mitigate security risks.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and implement agriculture, livelihood development, and natural resource management activities with the CRS Program Manager and CARE Nigeria.
• Lead community mobilization efforts, including participant identification, activity demonstrations, training sessions, and routine monitoring, with the support of Community Mobilizers/Facilitators.
• Assist the Program Manager in preparing high-quality monthly, quarterly, and annual program progress reports and other documentation.
• Contribute to the design, organization, and execution of business development, learning, evaluation, and knowledge-sharing activities led by CRS and CARE Nigeria.
• Represent the project in technical working groups and clusters, such as the Food Security Sector (FSS), ensuring continuous visibility and active engagement.
• Foster stakeholder collaboration with key government bodies, including the Agriculture Development Program (ADP) and Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, Trade, and Works.
• Ensure alignment of project activities with program objectives and community needs, providing regular feedback and recommendations for improvement.

Required Languages – English and Hausa

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Team leadership abilities with diverse/multi-disciplinary teams. Coaching skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills; able to develop tailored and persuasive messaging for varied audiences.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recognized leader in the sector as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, etc.
• Recognized leader in systems thinking and development in areas of market systems development, and resilient market systems.
• Demonstrable experience in private sector engagement; locally led development, localization, and partner capacity strengthening.
• Detailed understanding and practical experience in gender, youth, and social inclusion programming in complex projects and fragile environments.
• Demonstrated experience of successful program management, including management of complex, high-value, multi-activity projects, with complicated logistics.
• Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy is a plus.
• Ability to represent and present at high levels.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications, and information and budget management systems.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None.

 Key Working Relationships:

Internal Regreening Africa Program Manager, Emergency Coordinator, Borno Head of Office, Country Program MEAL Coordinator

External MDA representatives, Community Leaders, and other NGO representatives.

Basic Qualifications

• University degree in Social Sciences, NRM, Agriculture or any other relevant equivalent degree
• At least 3 years’ experience in project implementation preferably with an international humanitarian NGO
• Demonstrated experience in data collection
• Experience with or interest in learning ICT4D technology applications for emergency work
• Proven experience in conducting participatory activities for qualitative program monitoring
• Demonstrated commitment to gender-responsive programming
• Excellent organizational, analytical, oral and written communication skills
• Team-oriented and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to organize and prioritize a variety of initiatives
• Willingness to travel within Sokoto and other parts of Nigeria 60% of the time

Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff.  When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals.  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.

• Personal Accountability – consistently takes responsibilities 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.

What we offer

CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.  Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.  CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture 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. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. 

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

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, 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