Project Officer

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to serve the poor and vulnerable, CRS operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The organization focuses on various areas including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. With a mission to save, protect, and transform lives, CRS is committed to serving individuals without regard to race, religion, or nationality. The agency emphasizes safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and it welcomes staff from diverse faiths and secular traditions who share its values.

Job Overview:
As a Project Officer for the None Core Graduation project team, you will play a crucial role in facilitating the achievement of project objectives. This involves coordinating and reporting on all project activities while providing technical guidance and advice to staff and implementing partners. Your coordination and relationship management skills will be essential in ensuring that the project adheres to best practices and continuously works towards enhancing the impact of its benefits for those served. You will be responsible for designing and implementing digital data collection systems, maintaining project dashboards, and ensuring data integrity and compliance with organizational and donor requirements. Additionally, you will support accountability through project evaluation activities and guide partners in reflecting on project experiences. Your role will also include analyzing implementation challenges and coordinating relationships with local stakeholders to mobilize local actors and promote project activities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design and implement digital data collection systems, including mobile apps and online forms.
• Develop and maintain project dashboards and databases for real-time monitoring using tools like Power BI, Tableau, or DHIS
• Ensure data integrity, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security, and compliance with organizational and donor requirements.
• Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis using tools such as Excel, SPSS, R, Python, NVIVO, or MQDA.
• Visualize data through interactive dashboards and charts.
• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan.
• Ensure learning accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle.
• Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities.
• Analyze implementation challenges and report inconsistencies to inform adjustments to plans. 1
• Coordinate and oversee working relationships with local project stakeholders. 1
• Supervise and perform inspections of processes and resources at project sites. 1
• Ensure proper tracking of resource use for project activities through budget reviews. 1
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities. 1
• Coordinate logistical and administrative support to staff and partners. 1
• Ensure project documentation is complete and filed per agency and donor requirements. 1
• Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree required, preferably in International Relations, Monitoring & Evaluation, Agriculture, Livelihoods, or Development Studies.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of Monitoring & Evaluation for an NGO.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Strong statistical and qualitative analysis skills.
• Proficiency in Power BI/Tableau, SQL, Python/R, and mobile data collection tools (ODK).
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Good relationship management skills and ability to work closely with local partners.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented with attention to detail.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's Degree is required for this position. A degree in fields such as International Relations, Monitoring & Evaluation, Agriculture, Livelihoods, or Development Studies is preferred. This educational background will provide the necessary foundation for understanding the complexities of project management and evaluation in a humanitarian context.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally within the field of Monitoring & Evaluation for a non-governmental organization (NGO). This experience should include direct involvement in project monitoring, data collection, and analysis, as well as familiarity with the challenges faced in implementing projects in diverse settings. Additional relevant experience may be considered as a substitute for formal educational qualifications.

Languages:
The mandatory language for this position is English, with Chichewa also being required. Proficiency in both languages is essential for effective communication with local partners and stakeholders, as well as for reporting and documentation purposes. Knowledge of additional languages may be considered an asset but is not required.

Additional Notes:
The position may require travel up to 25%. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and pension schemes. The successful candidate will be expected to adhere to CRS's Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies. The agency prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where CRS operates. The anticipated duration of the assignment may be informed by a term limit based on the job type and level, as well as the agency's needs.