Junior Professionals 

Job Description

CRS JOB ADVERT – INTERNAL/EXTERNAL

CRS is recruiting for X1 Position:  Junior Professionals

If you are interested and your profile matches the requirements, please read the below job descriptions, and follow the instructions to submit your application package. 

As the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion, or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work are accomplished through integrated programming in emergency response, health, agriculture/livelihoods, education, peacebuilding and more. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. 

Job Title: Junior Professionals

Department: Programs/Operations

Reports To:        Communications Manager

Country:             Catholic Relief Services Sierra Leone Program

Duty Location: CRS Freetown, with travel when applicable

Program Summary

The Junior Professionals Program (JPP) is a unique career-building opportunity for women who are passionate about relief and development work and have the skills, attitude and approach to grow into managerial positions with CRS. This structured and intentional field-based learning program is designed to prepare Junior Professionals for positions of greater responsibility with CRS.

Under the supervision of experienced staff, Junior Professionals actively support CRS’ relief and/or development projects while building foundational skills in programming and operations. During the 12-month program, Junior Professionals gain experience in project management (including monitoring and evaluation), project design and proposal development, partnership and capacity building, budget and resource management, supply chain, logistics, human resources and more. With this practical training and the support of strong mentors, graduates of the JPP are strong candidates for onward positions with CRS. 

Primary Responsibilities

Under the supervision of an experienced staff member, the Junior Professional will support CRS’ programming and operations as follows:

Project Management

• Support implementation of current projects (e.g. participate in planning/review workshops, support development of capacity building/awareness raising materials)
• Support monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning activities (review/develop survey instruments, oversee periodic collection of monitoring data, train data collectors, support evaluations, document lessons learned, etc).
• Support appropriate management of cash and in-kind resources (monitor/analyze spending on project budgets, prepare cash forecasts, participate in financial reporting to donors, study & support commodity management, etc).
• Support timely and accurate reporting (review/synthesize data to report on project indicators, draft/edit narrative reports in collaboration with CRS staff and partners, etc).

Project Design and Proposal Development

• Support research & analysis to inform project design (primary & secondary data collection, needs assessments, problem identification, stakeholder analysis, gender analysis, gap analysis, theory of change, etc).
• Support proposal development for CRS and partners (draft sections of technical narratives and budget, package/edit proposals for submission). 

Partnership & Capacity Building

• • Support CRS partners with activity planning & implementation, project design, monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning. 

• Support partnership strengthening and capacity building (e.g., participate in partnership reflection workshops, partner assessments and monitoring visits). 

Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Compliance

• Support strong financial management by analyzing budgets, monitoring & forecasting spending, reviewing supporting documentation for financial transactions by CRS and sub-recipients.
• Support supply chain management by reviewing systems for delivery, storage, and distribution of goods, assisting with inventory counts, data collection, analysis & verification.  
• Support procurement by assisting with bid analysis and vendor selection, contracting, receipt and warehousing of goods.
• Support human resources by preparing job descriptions, reviewing applications/shortlisting candidates.
• Support audit and compliance by reviewing internal controls, systems for fraud prevention, studying CRS policies and donor regulations.
• Support security by reviewing security protocols and manuals, updating as needed.

Key Working Relationships

Internal: CRS Country Representative, Head of Programming, Head of Operations, Program Managers, Finance, Supply Chain and HR staff

External: CRS partner organizations

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in related field or Bac + 5 equivalent (e.g., International Development, Agriculture, Health, Business, Public Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain) Graduated within 18 months of October 2021
• At least 6 months of relevant work experience (includes internships, volunteer, or paid work experience)
• Excellent speaking and writing skills in English.
• Citizen of Sierra Leone
• Desire to work in development and humanitarian field. 
• Works well in teams and multicultural environment. 
• Willingness to travel (up to 10-15% of the time) 

Preferred qualifications:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, strong research skills, sound judgement 
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented
• Strong relation management abilities (ability to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds) 
• Good presentation and facilitation skills
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Web Conferencing Applications

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff) 

Based on the mission, values, and guiding principles of the agency, CRS competencies are to be exemplified by all staff in fulfillment of his or her respective roles and responsibilities. 

• Integrity

• Accountability and Stewardship

• Builds Relationships

• Develops Talent

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Strategic Mindset

***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. 

By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to safeguarding-related topics. 

Also send a copy of your application package to the desk Officers, Ministry of Employment and Social Security, New England, and Extension Offices in Applicants’ Locations 

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

Please click on the link below and follow the instruction to apply:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=jDAMuI3QB0uRXBGpLZzGvY-ZheYq5TxHnAkrXNby2jJUOElGUDdLMVBRTjlDMDJEQ1FTRkdGRURITS4u

Closing Date for the receipt of application packages is 30th April 2024.