Background

CRS is recruiting in anticipation of an award – recruitment for all candidates is contingent upon successful award of the project.

CRS is seeking Senior Project Officer candidates for an anticipated multi-county child development, care, and protection project. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen national systems that protect vulnerable children, support families, and improve early childhood development through locally led and sustainable approaches. The project will improve outcomes for vulnerable children by strengthening child protection systems, supporting families and caregivers, advancing integrated early childhood health and development, and reducing reliance on residential care.

Job Summary

As a member of the project team, the Senior Project Officer will lead implementation of Districts Project’s activities in collaboration with government counterparts, local partners, community structures, and faith-based networks. The incumbent will support child protection systems strengthening, ECD services, family strengthening, referrals, family-based care, case management, monitoring, and reporting advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. The Senior Project Officer’s coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that the project applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Coordinate and oversee working relationships with all local project stakeholders and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact.
• Oversee and perform ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures. Ensure proper tracking of resource use for project activities through periodic budget/milestone reviews and follow-up with and assistance to implementing partner.
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities to ensure assigned project activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
• Coordinate provision of any logistical and administrative support to staff and partners.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of Child Protection and in an NGO.
• Required Languages – English and Chichewa

Travel – 25 %.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgments.
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners.
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented mindset.
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international relations, a field of Child Protection, or a related field.
• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.

Supervisory Responsibilities (if none, state none)

None

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Project Director, Technical Advisors, MEAL Finance
• External: Government Staff, CSOs

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Degree in International Relations or in the field of would be a plus.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of and for an NGO.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.

Agency 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 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.

• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Coordinate and oversee working relationships with all local project stakeholders and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact.
• Oversee and perform ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures. Ensure proper tracking of resource use for project activities through periodic budget/milestone reviews and follow-up with and assistance to implementing partner.
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities to ensure assigned project activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
• Coordinate provision of any logistical and administrative support to staff and partners.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices

• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgments.
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners.
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented mindset.
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of Child Protection and in an NGO.
• Required Languages – English and Chichewa
• Master’s degree in international relations, a field of Child Protection, or a related field.
• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
• Bachelor’s Degree required. Degree in International Relations or in the field of would be a plus.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of and for an NGO.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.