CRS Technical Advisor - Shelter & Settlements

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The organization focuses on various sectors including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. With a mission-driven culture, CRS is committed to improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. The organization emphasizes safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and it welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds who share its values.

Job Overview:
The CRS Technical Advisor for Shelter and Settlements will provide essential technical advice and support for design" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">program design and implementation issues related to Shelter and Settlements. This role is crucial in ensuring that the programs adhere to CRS's quality principles, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. The advisor will work closely with Country Program teams to enhance the effectiveness and innovation of Shelter and Settlements programming globally. The position involves developing agency-wide strategies, ensuring a cross-sectoral approach, and providing technical solutions to enhance program quality. The advisor will also contribute to proposal development, capacity strengthening initiatives, and maintaining relationships with donors and peer organizations, thereby promoting best practices in the field.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the development and implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in Shelter and Settlements, engaging partners, donors, and governments effectively.
• Ensure a cross-sectoral approach that integrates gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.
• Provide technical solutions to Country Program teams, both remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and application of standards and best practices.
• Contribute to the technical design of proposals and support the preparation, design, submission, and approval of project concepts and proposals.
• Act as a technical writer on proposal development teams as needed.
• Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies and technical requirements into CRS's approach.
• Support capacity strengthening initiatives for staff and partners through training strategies, workshops, and coaching.
• Collect and analyze program data, share lessons learned, and contribute to the Shelter and Settlements learning agenda.
• Maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, and research institutions, participating in forums to promote CRS's work and share best practices.

Required Qualifications:

• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), web conferencing applications, and information management systems.
• Strong knowledge of technical principles in Shelter and Settlements and related disciplines for a cross-sectoral approach.
• Experience in project design and proposal development, including writing content for proposals.
• Familiarity with capacity-strengthening best practices and program monitoring and evaluation.
• Strong networking skills and ability to build relationships with donors and partners.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems thinking skills.
• Strong technical writing, presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented mindset.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, urban planning, construction management, or related fields is required for this position. This educational background is essential to ensure the advisor has the necessary technical knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to Shelter and Settlements programming.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of five to eight years of relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities, ideally within an international NGO context. At least two years of field-based experience in Shelter and Settlements is required to ensure practical understanding and application of the role's responsibilities.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages such as Arabic, French, Spanish, or Portuguese is considered a plus, enhancing the advisor's ability to communicate effectively in diverse contexts and with various stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is remote, and relocation is not being offered. The anticipated duration of the assignment is from September 2026 to December 31, 202

• The role may require travel up to 50%. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S.-based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a retirement savings plan. For candidates employed outside the U.S., salary and benefits will be based on the country of employment. CRS is committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults, and expects the successful candidate to adhere to its Code of Conduct.