Project Officer – MEAL | Afar, Ethiopia

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 programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia’s most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS’ disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS’s humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes equality and inclusion, and mitigates the impact of COVID-19.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following position.

Job Title:                        Project Officer – MEAL

Band:                              VII

Required number:        One

Department:                 Programing

Employment Term:      Definite term (until Feb 29, 2024)

Reports To:                    Program Manager I – Program Quality

Country/Location:        CRS Ethiopia/Aba’ala, Afar

Job Summary:

As a member of the Responding to the Impacts of the Conflict in Tigray and Surrounding Regions project team, you will monitor and report on all project activities in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your thorough and service-oriented approach will ensure that the project consistently applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Support the coordination and implementation of all assigned MEAL activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Support compliance with agency and donor MEAL requirements
• Monitor and report any challenges and/or gaps identified to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules. Assist partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences.
• Provide input to MEAL system design and review discussions
• Supervise quality data collection and management activities
• Lead simple analyses and reflective discussions on ongoing monitoring data
• Contribute initial findings and field-based insights to project reflections
• Foster respectful relationships with community members and stakeholders
• Train enumerators on the conduct of field-based MEAL activities
• Promote honesty and integrity in work of enumerators
•  Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and assisting partners in their efforts to collect and analyze project data per specified mechanisms and tools. Collaborate with local partner(s) to prepare reports per established reporting schedule.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree Statistics, Economics, or other relevant field is required.
• Minimum of 2 years of work experience in MEAL. Experience in the field of Statistics, Data Analytics or other related fields and for an NGO would be a plus.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.

Required Languages – English and Amharic required. Knowledge of relevant local/regional languages strongly preferred.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Observation, active listening and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners and community members
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented

 Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data preferred.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

 Supervisory Responsibilities: None

 Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Regional Field Manager, MEAL Manager, Project Manager

External: Community members, partner staff, other local stakeholders, MEAL staff from other peer agencies

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

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.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

***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.