Senior Emergency Response Officer – Cash Transfer Programming 386 views0 applications

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is an international development charity and the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales that stand beside people living in poverty. Through local Church partners, we help people directly in their own communities, and campaign for global justice, so that everyone can reach their full potential.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Emergency Response Officer – Cash Transfer Programming

Location: Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe or Zambia
Contract: 2 Years Fixed Term Contract (with possibility of extension)
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week

Job Profile
The Senior Emergency Response Officer – Cash Transfer Programming (SERO-CTP) will provide surge capacity globally as part of CAFOD’s Emergency Response Team (ERT)/surge team, and will also provide support to Caritas Norway priority programmes in Africa (in particular but not exclusively where both CAFOD and Caritas Norway operate i.e. in South Sudan, Nigeria and Niger. CAFOD and Caritas Norway, both members of the Caritas Internationalis confederation, have established a strategic partnership since 2014 whose primary goal is to achieve greater programme impact and operational efficiencies. As part of the collaboration, a joint surge team is being developed further by CAFOD and Caritas Norway in partnership.

The surge capacity provided by members of CAFOD ERT is usually in the form of field deployments or remote support for short-term leadership, management, coordination or technical support to a wide range of new and ongoing humanitarian crises. Deployments and support may focus on specific areas such as assessments, response options analysis, proposal development, project design and implementation, and evaluations.

The SERO-CTP will take a leading role in strengthening CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s organization-wide systems and skills to support partners in their cash-based and market-based responses and analysis, and help increase and improve the global cash programming capacity and portfolio size of CAFOD, Caritas Norway, and their partners.

This position requires a strong technical knowledge and experience of cash transfer programming, as well as emergency food security and livelihoods.  Inherent in the SERO-CTP role is the need for flexibility and an ability to travel at short notice to potentially insecure and remote locations.

Job Scope
The SERO-CTP will work as a member of the ERT and in close cooperation with colleagues from across the Emergency Response Group (ERG) and with sister agencies from the Caritas network and partner organisations.

While the SERO-CTP may be requested to work with teams and partners (including Caritas sister agencies) in support of their humanitarian interventions at large, covering a number of sectoral areas (CTP, Food security and Livelihoods in particular) and programme management aspects, a strong emphasis for the position is placed on Cash Transfer Programming / Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA). In the specific CTP thematic area, the post-holder will support capacity strengthening efforts, lead and advise on the design and implementation of Cash Transfer Programmes and on most appropriate tools to use at each stage of the programme cycle.

The post holder will also take a leading role in developing Cash Transfer Programming strategies for CAFOD and Caritas Norway, and in the integration and uptake of CTP approaches, standards and processes into wider organizational policies and practice. To that effect, the post holder will establish and sustain a CAFOD/Caritas Norway-wide (including partners) internal Cash Working Group/Community of Practice in  support of the roll out of partners /country teams “cash-readiness” processes with in-country trainings, guidance and mentorship.

Accountability

• The post holder is line managed by the Humanitarian Response and Technical Team Leader (HRTTL). During specific deployments task management may come from other managers within CAFOD, Caritas Norway or their partner organisations
• The role has no permanent management nor budget responsibilities. However, the post-holder may have line management and budget responsibilities during specific deployments.

Key Responsibilities

• This role will be required to undertake frequent travel worldwide. This could be for up to twelve weeks at a time, for up to six months per year (possibly more in exceptional circumstances), sometimes at very short notice and to insecure environments
• Any travel exceeding six months per year will be mutually agreed by post holder and Line Manager.

Emergency Response and Technical Support (65%):

• Support the delivery of high-quality humanitarian programming by providing surge capacity, training, and technical expertise – particularly in relation to CTP/CVA – to CAFOD and Caritas Norway programme staff and partners.
• Provide technical support to CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s CTP and emergency food security and livelihoods programmes.
• Lead and advise on the design and implementation of Cash Transfer Programmes and on most appropriate tools to use at each stage of the programme cycle.
• Support managers in developing systems, staff and capacity strengthening for cash transfer programming and market assessments.
• Work with the HRTTL to support the development of new CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s surge models.
• Where required, function as the budget holder for projects, ensuring expenditures are appropriately authorised and allocated.

Programme Quality, Systems and Standards, With Focus on CTP (20%):

• Support the development and implementation of CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s guidance and policies for ensuring good practice and meeting sectoral standards.
• Lead on the strengthening of CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s organization-wide systems and skills to support partners in their cash-based and market-based responses and analysis.
• Lead on the integration and uptake of CTP approaches, standards and processes into wider CAFOD and Caritas Norway organizational policies and practice.
• Establish and sustain a CAFOD/Caritas Norway-wide (including partners) Cash Working Group/Community of Practice in support of the roll out of partners/country teams of “cash-readiness” processes, including in-country trainings, guidance and mentorship.
• Ensure that key cross-cutting themes such as protection, accountability, gender and inclusion are appropriately incorporated into our humanitarian responses.
• Support accountability obligations through accompanying staff and partners, undertaking monitoring visits, and contributing to donor reporting and management responsibilities.

Representation and Communication (5%):

• Represent CAFOD and Caritas Norway at interagency fora and strengthen relationships with Caritas Internationalis sister agencies to promote and aid coordinated humanitarian
• Develop supporter communications in conjunction with CAFOD and Caritas Norway’s external communication.

People Management (5%):

• Where required, manage assigned staff in accordance with CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s people framework and support their continual learning to ensure effective responses to emergencies.

Other Responsibilities (5%):

• Leading or supporting project work to support ERG strategic priorities.
• Conducting research/analysis and participating in working groups, learning reviews and evaluations; support dissemination and follow-up of findings and recommendations.
• Support the recruitment, selection of appropriately skilled staff for the ERT.

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Person Specification
Technical skills and Experience:

• University Degree in a relevant subject area (or equivalent professional experience).
• Extensive experience of international humanitarian response, demonstrating the ability to make sound decisions under pressure, plan and implement complex projects, report and communicate effectively, and work as a team.
• Knowledge and experience of relief response and resilience building strategies, particularly in protracted crisis and fragile and conflict affected contexts, through the various stages of emergency programming.
• Strong technical knowledge and proven experience of providing technical support on market systems approaches and cash transfer programming.
• Experience in strengthening CTP approaches, standards and processes and integrating these into wider organizational policies and practice.
• Experience of participatory assessment, design, implementation, monitoring, accountability, evaluation and learning in humanitarian and/or development contexts.
• Extensive knowledge of proposal-writing, budgeting and financial management.
• Experience in working with community-based organisations and local partners in the delivery of humanitarian programmes and capacity building.

Humanitarian Leadership and Coordination:

• High-level interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to effectively influence and liaise with key stakeholders in line with organizational principles.
• The ability to work autonomously, be proactive and proven ability to work creatively, innovatively and effectively to make decisions with limited direct supervision.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Operating Safely in a Pressured and Changing Environment:

• Proven experience in implementing or applying security policy/protocols and ability to provide appropriate direction and support to team members in the event of a critical incident.
• Demonstrated ability at being flexible and adaptable to changing situations.
• The ability to remain calm while dealing with conflicting priorities and working under pressure.

People Management:

• Experience in managing and leading a team, coaching and holding staff to account for high performance.

Other:

• Understanding Catholic identity: supports CAFOD’s vision, mission and values and what we aim to achieve.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and a second language, preferably French.
• Financial and budget management skills.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks and implementing systems and procedures.

Starting Salary

• Kenya: Salary of 5,479,824 – 6,164,804 (KSH)
• Nigeria: Salary of 11,809,101 – 13,285,241 (Naira)
• Zambia: Salary of 417,874 – 470,109 (Kwacha)
• Zimbabwe: Salary of 44,571.00 – 50,141.00 (USD).