Senior Emergency Response Officer at Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)

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 and Voucher Assistance

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Contract: 2 years Fixed Term Contract
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week

Job Profile

• The Senior Emergency Response Officer (SERO) - Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) has a global remit to contribute to the delivery of effective and high-quality humanitarian assistance to new and ongoing humanitarian crises, in relation to CVA and food security as part of CAFOD’s Emergency Response and Support Team (ERST).
• As part of the global emergency response surge capacity - the post will provide immediate, usually short-term support to our humanitarian response teams through deployment in country, as well as remote support.
• This can involve frequent travel at short notice.  The SERO will also support the implementation and maintenance of systems and procedures for ensuring good practice and meeting sectoral standards on accountability and programme quality.
• Working with partners is central to CAFOD’s humanitarian responses and the SERO will play an important role in improving and developing the capacity of partners to prepare for, mitigate the impact of, and respond to disasters, by providing CVA (primarily) and food security technical support, knowledge as well as the building of capacity in these areas. 
• This post is part of a collaboration between CAFOD and Caritas Norway (CN), both members of the Caritas Internationalis confederation, to strengthen a strategic partnership (in existence since 2014) whose primary goal is to achieve greater programme impact and operational efficiencies.
• As part of this collaboration, the post holder will be part of a surge team being developed jointly by CAFOD and Caritas Norway. This will involve working as part of CAFOD’s ERST but also supporting Caritas Norway priority programmes in Africa.
• The SERO-CVA will take a leading role in strengthening CAFOD’s and CN’s CVA and emergency food security work and approaches by providing support to teams and partners in their emergency cash and market-based responses.
• This will include support to partners to analyse disaster-struck and food insecure contexts, as well as help to increase and improve the global cash programming capacity and portfolio size of CAFOD, Caritas Norway, and their partners.
• All roles undertaken by the SERO will have the aim of achieving peace, security and recovery in accordance with CAFOD’s mission and values. 

Accountability

• The post holder is line managed by the Senior Emergency Programme Manager - Africa.
• During specific emergency responses, task management may come from other managers within CAFOD or its partner organisations. The role does not have permanent line management or budget responsibilities.

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 CVA - to CAFOD and Caritas Norway programme staff and partners.
• Provide technical support to CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s CVA and emergency food security and livelihoods programmes.
• Lead and advise on the design and implementation of Cash and Voucher Assistance 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 CVA programming and market assessments.
• Work with the Emergency Response and Support Team Leader 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 CVA (20%)

• Support the development and implementation of CAFOD’s and Caritas Norway’s guidance and policies for ensuring good practice and meeting sectoral standards.
• 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.
• 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 CVA approaches, standards and processes into wider CAFOD and Caritas Norway organizational policies and practice.

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.

Other responsibilities (5%):

• Leading or supporting project work to support the International Programmes 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 ERS

 People Management (5%)

• Where required, especially during emergency deployments, 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.

Person Specification
Essential Criteria:

Job Specific Competencies:

• 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.
• Experience in strengthening CVA 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.
• 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 CVA, market systems approaches and food security.

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.

Understanding Our Context:

• Understanding Catholic identity: I recognise the intrinsic dignity of every person and the importance of contributing to the common good
• Understanding CAFOD: I understand, demonstrate and actively support CAFOD’s vision, mission and values and what we aim to achieve
• Understanding international development I have an understanding of the nature and causes of world poverty and how it affects different individuals, groups and communities.

Working together:

• Managing ourselves: I am aware of my own development needs and take steps to address them
• Working with others: I embrace the culture of those we are working with to better understand their needs and perspectives
• Communicating: I actively listen to others; I keep colleagues informed of developments that may affect them
• Looking outwards: I focus on how CAFOD can make a real difference to the lives of those in poor or marginalised communities

Making change happen:

• Managing resources: I am clear about available resources and how they can be best used. I am careful in the use of resources, including other people’s time
• Taking the lead: I take the lead in identifying solutions and making change happen
• Achieving results: I have a clear sense of priorities. I keep focused on the work to be done.
• Managing our performance: I provide and seek regular constructive feedback on my performance

Desirable Criteria:

• Fluent in written and spoken English and as a desirable, 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
N15,342,844 - N18,794,983 anually (depending on experience)

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Deadline  2nd November, 2022.

Note

• The candidate must have the right to work in Nigeria.
• Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
• CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults