Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia's most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS' disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS's humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs and promotes equality and inclusion. 

An emergency food assistance program will be achieved through inclusive global and local societies that protect and care for the wellbeing of all people especially the most vulnerable and marginalized. For CRS, Gender, Protection and Safeguarding are key elements crosscutting all projects and programs.  CRS strongly believes that Project activities must be implemented in impartial and non-discriminatory ways to promote the equality, protection, safety, dignity and integrity of girls, boys, women, and men. 

Gender and Protection Senior Officer will be a passionate and self-motivated individual to take role of Gender and Protection role in JEOP program in Ethiopia. The main role of this position is coordinate and provide guidance to the overall implementation and monitoring of JEOP Project with regards to Gender and Protection Mainstreaming. 

The Senior Officer will maintain regular communication on gender and protection issues and related tasks with JEOP partners to ensure that gender and protection -related issues are looked at and are addressed in JEOP programming, processes and implementation. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance for different CRS Project staff and partners on Gender and protection mainstreaming as needed.

• Contribute to the development, testing, and dissemination of IEC materials on gender and protection.

• Organize Gender-related events and create learning platforms that enable participants to gain awareness of Gender issues. This includes organizing events aligned with international campaigns such as International Women's Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, and other relevant initiatives.

• Contribute to ensuring safeguarding and protection is adequately integrated in all phases of project cycles.

• Develop different guides, checklists and training materials on protection mainstreaming and gender for different projects. 

• Collect information on staff and partner organizations capacity needs on gender and protection and monitor capacity building activities.

• Facilitate the effective implementation of gender audit findings and recommendations within JEOP by overseeing this process, record positive changes and achieve tangible results in the organization's structures and systems in collaboration with other sectors. 

• Facilitate the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the country Gender and protection Action Plan in collaboration with the wider JEOP team.

• Conducting Gender and protection analysis when appropriate together with the team and providing support to partners and colleagues in conducting Gender and protection analyses. Ensuring that Gender and protection considerations are thoroughly examined and integrated into activities

• Proactively identify learning questions related to Gender Equality and protection and drive the learning process within JEOP. 

• Support JEOP program in the design of feedback and response mechanism to ensure it is developed in line with gender and protection standards.  

• Conduct GBV service mapping in different JEOP project areas to identify available service providers and ensure projects participants can be referred.

• Develop reports for different gender and protection activities as may be required.

• Participate in different gender and protection meetings and networks representing 
  CRS.

• Provide any support for gender and protection unit as may be requested by the supervisor 

Job Requirements

Education and Experience

• MA/BA Degree in gender study, Social Sciences, International Development, Law or related field. 

• Minimum of three years relevant work experience for MA and five years for BA with progressive responsibilities in either protection, gender, and safeguarding 

• Knowledge of technical principles, concepts and standards in Gender and protection to affected populations; general knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.

• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, government, partners organizations.

• Experience in project design and proposal development. Experience in writing content for proposals.

• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). 

• A previous experience in an international NGOs and/or institution is a strong advantage

• Experience in partnership relation and support

Personal Skills 

• Demonstrated ability to work in a team-oriented environment with good interpersonal skills

• Observation, active listening, and analysis skills with ability to make sound judgment

• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners and community members

• Attention to details, accuracy, and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented

Required Language: English, Amharic and other Ethiopian languages

Travel Required:  50%

Key Working Relationships: 

Supervisory: N/A

Internal: Gender, Safeguarding and Protection program team members, Program/project Managers, MEAL team, Deputy Country Representative, Human Resource, Regional gender and protection advisors

External: CRS partner organizations, UN agencies, INGOs, national level safeguarding and protection networks

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff): 

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.

• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.

•  Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.

• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.

• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

How to Apply

If you are ready to take on this rewarding opportunity and make a difference in the lives of others, you may fill out the application form through THIS LINK and attach your up-to-date CV on/before the application.You will be contacted only if selected for a written exam/interview. Phone solicitations will not be accepted. These job opportunities are open to Ethiopian nationals only