Technical Advisor I, Cash & Markets at Catholic Relief

Job Summary:  

• This position is embedded in the Humanitarian Response Department (HRD) Market-based Rapid Response and Recovery (MBRRR) Team. The HRD MBRRR Team is the agency lead for Cash & Market-based Programming and the emergency Food Security & Livelihoods Sectors. As part of this team, you will provide technical advice and support to a range of program design and implementation issues in Cash & Markets as well as Food Security & Livelihoods, in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to Country Program (CP) teams and partners to advance the delivery of high-quality humanitarian assistance programming to the poor and vulnerable impacted by crises. Your advice, knowledge, and support will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive, and innovative CRS’ Cash and Market-based programming is across the agency. 

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

• Support the development and contribute to the implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in relation to Cash and Market Based Programming that effectively engage partners, donors, and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.
• Provide programmatic and operational (including administrative and finance) technical solutions to CP teams, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools and M&E, helping to ensure high-quality implementation. 
• Contribute to, and in some cases lead, the development of the technical design for proposals.  Support the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of project concepts and full-fledged proposals. As needed, act as a technical writer on proposal development teams. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities and technical requirements into CRS’ approach.
• Support capacity strengthening initiatives in relation to Cash and Market based programming for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and coaching.
• Collect and analyze program data, capture, and share lessons learned and best practices for specific projects to facilitate improvements in decision-making and contribute to the Cash and Market Based Programming learning agenda.
• Contribute to maintaining relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions, participate in forums in the area of Cash and Market Based Programming to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
• Support Country Programs and partners in strengthening their cash readiness through targeted technical support, particularly in relation to developing capacities, identifying suitable cash delivery mechanisms and Financial Service Providers (FSPs), developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and tools, and supporting the design and implementation of pilot cash programs.

 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Strong 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
• Good strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Good technical writing skills
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Key Working Relationships:  

• Internal: HRD Cash and Markets TAs; HRD Regional Focal Point for Program Quality and Management; other HRD Technical Advisors (e.g. Program Quality and Management, Shelter and Settlement, Safe and Dignified Programming, Operations, and WASH); Regional Technical Advisors including Agriculture and Livelihoods; Country Program staff
• External: Partners; donors; peer agencies

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor's Degree in humanitarian assistance, social policy, economics or related field required.
• Minimum of five-eight  years relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of two years relevant emergency response and field-based experience in cash and market-based programming, including in protracted and rapid onset crisis contexts.
• Experienced trainer in CVA Programming. Knowledge of technical principles and concepts in cash and market-based programming, including experience with multiple CVA delivery mechanisms. 
• Demonstrated experience in designing CVA Programs, particularly for US Government funding, and designing and implementing Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) or sectoral cash and voucher programs related to Food Security, Livelihoods, Shelter or WASH sectors. Experience in other sectoral cash programming, such as Nutrition, DRR, and/or Protection, desirable. Experience with e-voucher platforms highly desirable.
• Knowledge of, and experience in, conducting market assessments and response analysis to inform modality decisions across different areas of programming, particularly in emergency rapid-onset humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in innovative project design for rapid response with market-based programming in a diversity of contexts. 
• Experience in proposal development, for government and/or private donors. 
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening and technical accompaniment best practices, with a focus on collaboration and supporting partner-led responses.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.