Technical Advisor II – Family Strengthening

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 is committed to improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. CRS's work encompasses various sectors, including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. The agency emphasizes a collaborative, mission-driven culture and welcomes individuals from diverse faiths and secular traditions who share its values. CRS is dedicated to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, ensuring that its processes and policies reflect this commitment. The organization prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where it operates, and it is committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people, especially children and vulnerable adults.

Job Overview:
As a Technical Advisor II – Family Strengthening, you will play a pivotal role in providing technical leadership and guidance for a multi-country child development, care, and protection project. This project aims to strengthen national systems that protect vulnerable children, support families, and enhance early childhood development through sustainable, locally led approaches. Your responsibilities will include advising on family strengthening, safe family-based alternative care, safeguarding, case management, and family support services. You will work closely with regional and Country Program teams to ensure high-quality programming for vulnerable children and families, contributing to the effectiveness and innovation of CRS's family strengthening initiatives. Your expertise will be crucial in determining the impact of these programs across participating countries, and you will serve as the lead technical resource for strengthening child protection systems and promoting family-based care.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in family strengthening and safe family-based alternative care, engaging program participants, partners, donors, and governments effectively.
• Ensure a cross-sectoral approach that integrates safeguarding, gender, disability inclusion, social protection, and child protection.
• Provide technical solutions to regional and Country Program teams for strategic planning and design" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">program design, ensuring high-quality implementation of integrated early childhood development interventions.
• Lead the development and refinement of technical approaches, guidance, tools, and frameworks related to family strengthening, gatekeeping, family reintegration, kinship care, foster care, and case management.
• Support countries and partners in strengthening the capacity of government institutions and civil society organizations to provide quality child protection and family care services.
• Contribute to regional efforts to position CRS for growth opportunities in family strengthening and family-based alternative care.
• Lead or contribute to the technical design of complex proposals, defining appropriate monitoring systems and indicators.
• Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies and technical requirements into CRS’s approach.
• Contribute to capacity-strengthening initiatives through the development of learning strategies, training curricula, and mentoring. 1
• Promote cross-country learning and knowledge management, sharing best practices and innovations. 1
• Collect and analyze program data, evaluate projects, and document promising practices. 1
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors and peer organizations, participating in relevant forums to share best practices.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Child Protection, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Human Services, International Development, Social Policy, Public Policy, Education, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight years of relevant international experience in an advisory or management role, ideally with an international NGO, including at least three years in family strengthening, alternative care, or related programming.
• Proven experience in providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is required.
• Preferred: Master's degree in a relevant field such as Social Work, Child Protection, or International Development.
• Demonstrated application of technical principles in family strengthening and safeguarding, with general knowledge of related disciplines for a cross-sectoral approach.
• Proficiency in MS Office and experience with project design and proposal development.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Social Work, Child Protection, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Human Services, International Development, Social Policy, Public Policy, or Education is required. A Master's degree in one of these fields is preferred and may enhance the candidate's qualifications for the role.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of eight years of relevant international working experience, with progressive responsibilities in advisory or management roles. This experience should ideally be with an international NGO, including at least three years focused on family strengthening, alternative care, early childhood development, or related programming. Previous experience in providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is also required.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. Additionally, fluency in Spanish or French is considered a plus, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate effectively in diverse contexts and with various stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position does not have supervisory responsibilities. Candidates must be willing and able to travel up to 35% of the time. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S.-based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan. For candidates employed outside the U.S., salary and benefits packages are based on the country of employment. The anticipated duration of the assignment for expatriates is informed by a term limit based on the job type and level, as well as the agency's needs. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants and community members from all forms of exploitation and abuse, and successful candidates are expected to adhere to CRS's Code of Conduct.