Technical Advisor II - Child Protection and Care System Strengthening

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

Background 

CRS is seeking Technical Advisor candidates for an anticipated multi-country 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 Technical Advisor II - Child Protection and Care Systems Strengthening, you will provide technical leadership, advice, guidance, and support to a wide range of program design and implementation issues with a focus on child protection and care systems strengthening. These will all be in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and global best practices. You will support regional and Country Program (CP) teams to advance the delivery of high-quality programming for vulnerable children and families. Your technical expertise will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive, evidence-based, and innovative CRS' child protection and care system strengthening programming is across participating countries. The Technical Advisor will serve as the project's lead technical resource for strengthening child protection and care systems, promoting safe and nurturing family-based care, supporting government-led reform efforts, and ensuring technical excellence across all project interventions in diverse contexts.

Roles and Key Responsibilities 

• Contribute to the development and implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in child protection and care system strengthening that effectively engage program participants, partners, donors and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, safeguarding, protection mainstreaming, disability inclusion, and early childhood development.
• Provide technical solutions to regional and CP teams, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and M&E, ensuring high-quality implementation of child protection system strengthening and care reform interventions including key elements such as governance/policies, social service workforce, financing/resources, child protection management information systems.
• Lead the development and refinement of technical approaches, guidance, tools, and implementation frameworks related to child protection system strengthening, care system strengthening, family care reform, deinstitutionalization, gatekeeping, case management, social service workforce strengthening, and safeguarding systems.
• Support participating countries and partners to strengthen the capacity of government institutions, faith actors and networks, civil society organizations, and social service workforces to provide quality child protection and family care services.
• Contribute to regional and CP efforts to pre-position CRS for growth opportunities in child protection and care system strengthening. Lead or contribute to the development of the technical design for large and/or complex proposals, including defining appropriate monitoring systems and indicators. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities and technical requirements into CRS’ approach.
• Contribute to capacity-strengthening initiatives for CRS and partner staff through development of learning strategies, training curricula, technical guidance, workshops, mentoring, and coaching. Promote cross-country learning, knowledge management, and the exchange of best practices, lessons learned, and innovations across participating countries and partners
• Contribute to knowledge management and learning through collecting and analyzing program data, evaluating strategic projects, assisting with measuring program impact, documenting promising and best practices, and producing technical reports and learning products. Support achievement and technical verification of milestone-based deliverables and assist project teams in applying adaptive management approaches to strengthen performance and results
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, partners, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Participate in forums related to child protection, family care reform, safeguarding, and care system strengthening to share evidence-based best practices and promote CRS’ work.
• Liaise with the Family Strengthening Technical Advisor II to coordinate technical support to regions, country programs and the broader initiative

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Child Protection, International Development, Social Policy, Public Policy, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Human Services, Education, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years supporting child protection systems strengthening, family care reform, alternative care, safeguarding, or related programming.

• Previous experience providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is required.

   

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's degree in Social Work, Child Protection, Social Policy, Public Administration, International Development, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Human Services, Education, or a related field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in child protection systems strengthening, family-based care reform, safeguarding, alternative care, and social service workforce strengthening. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure a proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
• Experience in business development, project design and proposal development in child protection system strengthening, family-based care reform, safeguarding, social protection, or related fields, including technical writing.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis,  data presentation, and data use for decision-making.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Excellent 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.
• Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Required Languages: Fluency in English required. Fluency in Spanish or French a plus.

Travel: include percentage of required travel, if applicable. Could be stated as Must be willing and able to travel up to 35%. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: No.

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.  Salary and 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.

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.