Technical Advisor II, MEAL in Emergencies

Catholic Relief Services; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Catholic Relief Services is seeking a MEAL advisor to provide technical advice and support on humanitarian response programs. The role emphasizes data collection, indicators, and real-time evaluation across global operations, with deployments for emergency responses as needed.

The candidate will guide data visualization, learning, and reporting while helping strengthen monitoring, accountability, and learning in CRS projects, in line with donor guidelines and best practices.

Qualifications

• Experience with digital data collection systems and data quality assurance.
• Applied knowledge of humanitarian response principles and cross-sectoral approaches.
• Ability to design MEAL indicators, data collection tools, and data visualization.
• Experience in mentoring, training, and coaching CRS or partner staff.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to development and implementation of agency-wide MEAL strategies and tools.
• Deploy rapidly in emergencies to support data collection, indicators, and real time evaluations.
• Provide remote and on-site MEAL support to regional and country teams.
• Support proposal development and emergency response design with monitoring systems and indicators.
• Strengthen country MEAL systems, digital data collection, and data use for decisions.

Skills

Data collection

Data visualization

Training and mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Written and oral communication

Analytical skills

Networking with donors

Cross-cultural collaboration

MS Office

Tools

MS Office (Excel/Word/PowerPoint)

Web conferencing tools

Budget management systems

Job description

NOTE: This is a remote position; CRS will only consider candidates who are based in countries where we have existing offices.

Job Summary

You will provide technical advice, guidance, and supportto a wide range of program design and implementation issues with a focus on larger projectsin the area of Humanitarian Response in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to regional and Country Program (CP) teams to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. Your technical knowledge, advice and guidancewill contribute to determining how effective, adaptive and innovative MEAL activities in CRS emergency response programming are across the globe.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in Humanitarian Response that effectively engage partners, donors and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.
• Deploy rapidly as part of emergency responses to support funding proposals, design and implementation of MEAL systems, identification and definition of indicators, data collection tools, data visualization, learning, reporting, real time evaluations, after action reviews, and other MEAL activities. As needed, serve as MEAL lead during emergency responses.
• Provide technical support to regional and country program teams, remotely and on-site, in the design and implementation of MEAL systems, tools, and processes that support high-quality emergency responses.
• Support proposal development and emergency response design, including defining monitoring systems, indicators, and data collection approaches. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities and technical requirements into CRS’ approach.
• Support country teams in the design, implementation and improvement of Emergency MEAL systems, digital data collection and reporting tools, and data use approaches that strengthen monitoring, accountability, decision making, and applied learning in emergency responses.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives inHumanitarian Response programming forstaff and partner through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching to CPand partner staff.
• Contribute knowledge management and applied learning by analyzing program data, documenting lessons learned and best practices, supporting reviews and evaluations, and preparing internal and external reports.

• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Participate in forums in Humanitarian Response to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience working with digital data collection systems, data quality assurance, data management, and visualization in humanitarian settings.
• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in Humanitarian Response. 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 Humanitarian Response, including technical writing.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices, to support and mentor both CRS and partner staff.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• 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 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: English, French

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 50%, i.e., 6 months out of the year. Duration of deployments will generally be 1-3 months. Candidates should have the capacity to live and work in difficult environments.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Some supervisory responsibilities may be assigned as needed during deployments