Technical Advisor II – Food Security, Livelihoods and Markets – Sudan FNS Plan Lead

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international humanitarian agency dedicated to serving the poor and vulnerable worldwide. It operates with program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to deliver high-quality programming.

This role is part of the Humanitarian Response Department's Market-based Rapid Response and Recovery (MBRRR) Team, which leads the agency's Cash & Market-based Programming and emergency Food Security & Livelihoods sectors, with a direct link to the CRS Sudan program. The advisor will offer technical expertise, guidance, and support for program design and implementation, focusing on large-scale food security, livelihoods, and market projects. This ensures alignment with Catholic Relief Services' program quality standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices, ultimately enhancing programming for vulnerable communities. The position's technical contributions will be crucial in assessing the effectiveness, adaptability, and innovation of CRS's global food security and livelihoods initiatives. Additionally, half of the role involves directly assisting the CRS Sudan team in managing and guiding the execution of Sudan's inaugural FNS Plan, serving as the primary coordinator for the FNS Plan Secretariat and providing leadership to CRS and other humanitarian development partners in its ongoing implementation and improvement.

1. Contribute to developing and implementing agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices for food security and livelihoods, ensuring partner, donor, and government engagement, and integrating gender, protection, and disaster risk reduction.
2. Provide technical solutions to regional and Country Program teams, both remotely and on-site, for strategic planning, applying program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and M&E to ensure high-quality implementation.
3. Support regional and Country Program efforts to position CRS for growth in food security and livelihoods, leading or contributing to the technical design of large proposals, including defining monitoring systems and indicators, and advising on integrating donor strategies.
4. Contribute to capacity strengthening in food security and livelihoods for staff and partners by developing learning strategies, conducting trainings, workshops, and providing mentoring and coaching.
5. Manage the FNS Plan by coordinating its Secretariat, overseeing the budget and activities, maintaining relationships with peers, the World Bank, senior humanitarian and development leaders in Sudan, and other donors, refining activities, administering sub-grants, holding necessary meetings, and ensuring the plan's success if triggered.
6. Contribute to knowledge management and learning through data collection and analysis, evaluating strategic projects, measuring program impact, capturing and sharing lessons learned, and conducting research and internal reporting.
7. Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research, and other institutions, participating in food security and livelihoods forums to share best practices and promote CRS's work.

1. Strong relationship management skills, including influencing and gaining buy-in from those not under direct supervision, and working effectively in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
2. Good strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems thinking skills, with the ability to grasp the big picture and make sound judgments.
3. Excellent written and oral communication skills.
4. Proficient in presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching.
5. Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented.
6. Strong experience in coordination, networking, and building relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners, with an understanding of partnership principles.
7. Demonstrated diplomacy and strong interpersonal skills.
8. Fluency in English is required; Arabic is desirable.
9. Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%, with frequent travel to Sudan; strong preference for candidates based in East Africa.
10. Bachelor’s Degree in international development or related fields such as food security, livelihoods, and market-based response programming.
11. Minimum of eight years of relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with increasing responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO.
12. At least three years of overseas experience in multiple regions as a technical advisor or program manager for a Market-based Program or multi-sectoral project with a Food Security and Livelihoods component.
13. Experience managing in-kind food assistance programs (e.g., USAID Title II) is highly desirable.
14. Proven experience providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding.
15. Strong understanding and application of technical principles and concepts in Food Security and Livelihoods, with good knowledge of related disciplines for a proper cross-sectoral approach; understanding of nutrition technical principles is an advantage.
16. Track record of contributing to successful business development activities, securing public and/or private donor funding in Market-based Programming.
17. Experience in developing and producing curricula, tools, and other resources to support Market-based Programming interventions, with demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through various methods.
18. Knowledge and experience in conducting market assessments and response analysis to inform modality decisions, especially in emergency rapid-onset humanitarian contexts.
19. Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including developing indicators, data collection tools, methodologies, data analysis, and presentation.
20. Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, and understanding of information and budget management systems and knowledge-sharing networks.
21. Master’s Degree in international development or related fields is an advantage.