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.

As part of its Vision 2030 agency strategy, CRS is investing in six strategic change platforms to achieve results at scale. One of these key strategic change platforms is Strengthening Families for Thriving Children Strategic Change Platform 5 (SCP5). This Strategic Change Platform is a bold initiative to support vulnerable children to thrive in safe, healthy, and nurturing families, create more resilient and supportive communities, work with our Catholic partners, civil society and governments to establish policies and systems that strengthen families, at scale. SCP5 also aims to influence governments, donors, Catholic actors and other regional and global stakeholders to redirect resources and support to strengthening families.

The platform is implemented across CRS country programs and works around the world to influence other countries, regions and global actors to change practices, policies and resources in support of family strengthening and family care. In addition, Changing the Way We Care℠, the Platform’s flagship initiative, amplifies a global movement to prevent children from entering residential care and to place children currently in residential care in safe and nurturing families. To date, the initiative has been active in five demonstration countries (Kenya, Guatemala, Moldova, Haiti and India).

Job Summary 

As the Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for Child Protection and Care for SCP5, you will provide technical leadership and support in the areas of child protection and care system reform and family strengthening, in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. CRS is defining the care reform process as the changes to the systems and mechanisms that promote and strengthen the capacity of families and communities to care for their children, address the care and protection needs of vulnerable or at-risk children to prevent separation from their families, decrease reliance on residential care and promote reintegration of children, and ensure appropriate family-based alternative care options are available.^[1] You will work in close collaboration with the SCP5 Senior Program Manager and other team members to ensure programming excellence across the platform at the global, regional and country program levels. You will provide thought leadership and representation internally and externally in the areas of child protection and care system reform as well as family strengthening. You will take a lead role in developing strategies and approaches to consolidate SCP5, including, capacity sharing, and establishing a vision for the platform through 2030 and beyond. Finally, you will support resource mobilization efforts throughout the project cycle. Your expertise, leadership, and influence will be key in determining how effective, adaptive and innovative CRS’ child protection and care reform programming is across the globe.

• Lead the development, dissemination, and support the use of child protection and care standards, guidance, tools and other resources that allow country programs and partners to implement quality child protection and care programming focused on children vulnerable to family separation; children in residential care and other forms of alternative care settings such as foster care, supported independent living and kinship care; and residential care providers.
• Support country program teams to develop, plan and implement child protection and care related interventions that effectively engage partners, including government, with a priority focus on children vulnerable to family separation and children in residential care and other forms of alternative care settings such as foster care, supported independent living and kinship care.
  • Ensure an approach that integrates disability inclusion, people with lived experience, gender, protection, and disaster risk reduction/climate change, and other program areas such as health, education and economic strengthening.
  • Support the implementation of best practices across CRS country-level child protection and care system reform programming.
• Liaise and work collaboratively with CRS Regional Technical Advisors and Technical Advisors in other sectors and other Strategic Change Platforms, where there are synergies related to child protection and care programming.
• Liaise and collaborate closely with the Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) team, SCP5 flagship initiative in Kenya, Guatemala, Moldova, India and Haiti supporting knowledge exchange and adoption of key approaches across the entire SCP5 platform.
• Lead child protection and care related capacity strengthening initiatives for staff and partners:
  • Develop and implement capacity strengthening activities
  • Organize and/or facilitate trainings, workshops, small group technical sessions, exchange visits, joint technical support activities, etc.
  • Provide mentoring and coaching to TAs, as well as CP and regional staff
• Contribute to HQ, regional, and country program business development effort in child protection and care.
  • Provide technical guidance in proposal development and project design with a focus on complex projects to ensure innovative programming solutions and technical excellence.
  • Support CPs to appropriately staff and build capacity of project teams.
  • Liaise with CRS Business Development Team members to ensure seamless and comprehensive support to country programs and regions as concerns growth opportunities.
  • Support donor diversification.
• Lead the agency knowledge management and learning agenda in child protection and care through setting conditions for collective learning that ensure the capturing, documenting, and sharing of key successes, promising practices, lessons learned, and evidence-based implementation research, internally and externally, including publications in peer reviewed journals.
  • Foster collaboration, exchanges and joint learning across CRS country programs implementing child protection and care reform activities and with CTWWC country programs (as appropriate).
  • Stay abreast of current developments in quality and innovations related to child protection and care reform and share relevant information as appropriate.
  • Identify, collect and disseminate child protection and care reform programming approaches and technical information, tools, resources and training materials for the field.
  • Contribute to the maintenance of a resource library of these resources.
  • Document and share sound practices and lessons learned from child protection and care projects and activities with CRS regions and relevant communities of practice.
  • Identify and contribute to learning and research initiatives related to child protection and care reform.
  • Support the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) and operations research efforts of country-led child protection and care reform projects.
• Lead on the development of strategic plans for how CRS can position itself and maximize opportunities to expand its influence in the child protection and care sector, particularly within the Catholic space or with Catholic actors
• Strengthen collaboration and partnerships with key global actors and donors, including but not limited to, UNICEF, APCCA, the Better Care Network, Transforming Children’s Care Global Collaborative Platform, Faith to Action, Catholic Church, and other civil society and inter-governmental platforms to strengthen influence, learning and engagement to advance care reform and family care.
• Represent CRS at global forums, UN, Congress, and major donor forums and conferences to present CRS’ work and research in child protection and care system reform and to influence technical partner approaches, future funding opportunities, and policies. Network with relevant organizations to increase CRS’ profile in child protection and care system reform, influence in the global child protection and care reform community.
• Contribute and/or lead agency-wide efforts to improve policies and strengthen the integration of child protection and child safe principles and practices within child-focused programs.
• Effectively manage and supervise consultants and other staff (as appropriate). Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessment for direct reports (as appropriate).

• Master’s degree in social work, public health, social sciences or related field. PhD a plus.
• Minimum of ten years of work experience in child protection and care reform with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with five years in multiple countries or regions as a technical advisor and/or program manager of a child protection and care reform project and/or multi-sectoral project with a child protection and care reform component.
• Experience designing, implementing, and technically supporting country-level initiatives in child protection, care reform, family strengthening, alternative care, and/or social service workforce strengthening in low resource contexts/countries.
• Deep understanding and application of technical principles and concepts in child protection, care reform, family strengthening, alternative care, factors influencing residential care (e.g., US and European donor funding), etc. Good knowledge of related disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Track record of contributing significantly to successful business development activities capturing public and/or private donor funding in child protection and care reform.
• Experience in developing curricula, guidance, tools, and other products to support child protection and care reform interventions and programming.
• Demonstrated experience in strengthening the capacity of others and transferring knowledge to diverse audiences through training, coaching, mentoring, and other formal and informal methods.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation including development of indicators, data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• Demonstrated experience and skills to represent the organization at the highest levels at meetings with donors, government, international NGOs, local partners – faith-based and civil society. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), Web Conferencing Applications and strong understanding of information and budget management systems and knowledge-sharing networks.

Required Languages – Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French or Spanish is desirable/preferred.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel approximately 30% of time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Strong relationship management skills with ability to influence and gain the cooperation of CRS staff at the regional and country program level
• Strong supportive supervision skills and the ability to work well with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
• Proven strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to use sound judgment and make sound decisions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Ability to be proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Preferred Qualifications 

• Technical and/or academic publications highly desirable
• Knowledge of CRS Partnership strategy and Partner management experience, an advantage
• Prior experience working in Eastern and Southern Africa, preferred.
• Excellent report writing skills

Agency REDI 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 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.

Supervisory Responsibilities (if none, state none)- Supervise one or more Technical Advisor IIIs

Key Working Relationships  

Internal:  Strengthening Families, Thriving Children SCP5 internal and core team, Social Services team, Program Impact and Quality Assurance Department (PIQA), PIQA Technical Advisors, Humanitarian Response Department (HRD)- Safe and Dignified Programming and MHPSS teams, Country Program and Regional Office staff working on SCP5 initiatives, Overseas Operations and other relevant departments in headquarters, as necessary.

External: Relevant local and national governments, peer agencies, universities, local research institutions, partners, donors/foundations, and stakeholders engaged in child protection and care reform programming

***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. 

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer