This post is contingent on donor funding and donor approval of the candidate.

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 regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through agriculture, livelihoods, emergency response, HIV, health, education and peacebuilding programming.

Job Summary: 

CRS is seeking a Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) Lead for the anticipated 5-year USAID Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in Niger. The CLA Lead will promote a culture of coordination, collaboration and continuous learning across all project activities. He/she will provide technical advice, guidance, and support to a wide range of program design and implementation activities, focused on Strategic Learning and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) within a Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, USAID-BHA guidelines, and industry best practices to regional and Country Program (CP) teams to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable.

His/her technical knowledge, advice and guidance will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive, and innovative CRS’s programming is across the globe.  He/She will ensure the activity includes active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across interventions, and will play a critical role in incorporating contextualization activities and learning into implementation. This includes but is not limited to the U.S. Government, Government of Niger (GON), international donors, multilateral organizations, and private sector actors, among others. Additionally, he/she will improve peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing and application, activity-based capacity strengthening, and evidence and data utilization in support of adaptive management.

He/She will ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint planning with other USAID and other donor activities (specifically the USAID food security and resilience and USG portfolio), GON initiatives, and private sector engagement.

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

• Design and manage project learning and adaptation strategy, system, and tools with a focus on promoting knowledge creation, capture, access, application, sharing and learning at multiple levels. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, youth, social protection mainstreaming, social and disability inclusion, resilience, climate change and disaster risk reduction.
• Provide technical solutions to the food security program on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and monitoring and evaluation, ensuring high-quality implementation.
•  Contribute to knowledge management and learning through collecting and analyzing program data, assisting with measuring program impact, capturing, curating and sharing lessons learned and best practices, and research.

• Lead and document active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across activity interventions, incorporate refinement activities and learning into implementation. Include active, intentional, and adaptive learning within and across interventions.
• Ensure that data and experiential learning with a focus on adult learning needs are consistently applied throughout the activity life cycle. Use evidence, activity data, and active learning to better examine the functions, role, and nuance of formal and informal institutions and social dynamics.
• Establish and manage dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences.
• Foster internal and external collaboration across systems, initiatives, teams and/or organizations.
• Lead regular Theory of Change (ToC) assessment, review, and revision exercises, ensuring that multiple levels of CRS and partner staff engage, contribute to, and understand how the ToC guides programming and adaptive management.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions. Ensure appropriate and continued coordination and joint-planning with other USAID and other donor activities (specifically the USAID food security and resilience portfolio), host-government initiatives, and private sector engagement.
• Ensure robust partner engagement and consultative processes with communities, local government, civil society, other donor funded projects, local researchers, and academics.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening of project staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching to CP staff.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in the social sciences, international development or relations, or a relevant field required. PhD is preferred.
• Minimum of seven years relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities managing the monitoring and evaluation (M&E), program evaluation, and/or strategic learning component of multisectoral programs with a minimum of five years relevant field-based experience in similar international humanitarian and development contexts is required.
• Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, qualitative monitoring, implementation, and data analysis is required.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic communication, in facilitating learning and knowledge sharing processes, establishing, and managing dynamic feedback systems to capture experiential learning and unintended consequences, leading participatory learning and action, and facilitating collaborative problem-solving is required.
• Proficiency in ICT4D data visualization tools and platforms such as Microsoft Power BI.
• Familiarity with the CLA approach and adaptive management for program quality preferred.
• Experience working in Niger is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Strong relationship management skills with ability to influence colleagues and partners not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographic and cultural settings
• Good strategic, analytical, results-oriented, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgments
• Excellent written communication skills required, with a demonstrated ability to write reports, technical briefs and learning products in a clear, concise manner.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices is preferred.
• Skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, faith-based and civil society partners and an understanding of partnership principles is preferred.
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

Required Languages: French. Professional proficiency in English an asset

Travel: Position based in Niger. 30-40% travel to project sites anticipated.

Key Working Relationships: 

• Supervisory Responsibilities: Strategic Learning (e.g. Knowledge Management and Learning Specialist, Communications Officer, others)
• Internal: MEAL Manager, Chief of Party, Head of Programming, Deputy Head of Programming, project MEAL staff, Country Program staff (MEAL, accountability, ICT, others), Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Regional Technical Advisors
• External: Local/regional governments, partners, USAID, national and international research and learning/university partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

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.

***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. This position is contingent upon award of the funding opportunity to CRS and USAID’s approval of the proposed candidate.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

CRS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. CRS does not unlawfully discriminate in any aspect of the employment process on the basis of race, color, ancestry or national origin, religion, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability or handicap, medical condition or pregnancy, protected veteran status, or genetic information and any other non-merit-based status protected by Country law. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.