Positive Youth Development Senior Project Officer

Job Title: PYD Senior Project Officer	Reports to: Positive Youth Development Project Manager
Department: Shared Future	Salary Grade: 8

 

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services 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, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

 

CRS Iraq is supporting conflict-affected people to live in dignity through the provision of critical relief items, upgrades to shelter conditions and improved access to water and sanitation facilities, educational and psychosocial (PSS) support for children, and livelihoods support. Through the Shared Future project, CRS Iraq works with youth in the Ninewa Plains to build livelihoods opportunities, enhance mutual understanding, tolerance and trust among diverse religious and ethnic groups, and support young people to reach their full potential.

 

About Shared Future

Enabling Durable Solutions for a Cohesive and Diverse Kirkuk and Ninewa Plains, or Shared Future, is a 7.25-year project launched in June 2018. In Phase I and II, the project implemented social cohesion and livelihoods programing, to support families returning to the Ninewa Plains with durable returns, after years of displacement caused by the rise and fall of the Islamic State (IS). In Phase III, Shared Future will expand geographically into Kirkuk to support youth livelihoods. This phase of the project will also emphasize a positive youth development approach in both Ninewa and Kirkuk, engaging emerging adults and late adolescents (15-17s), to expand reach to younger youth. This approach seeks to create an environment where youth can achieve their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities and, in turn, durable solutions.

 

Job Summary:

The Positive Youth Development Senior Project Officer (SPO) will support the Project Manager with managing, coordinating, and monitoring activities with diverse youth in Kirkuk City and Hawija under the USAID-funded Shared Future project. As a lead for the project team working on positive youth development in Kirkuk Governorate, the SPO will facilitate the achievement of project objectives through coordinating and reporting on all project activities and providing technical guidance and advice to staff and implementing partners, advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable.

 

The SPO will serve as the main liaison to youth, their families and other key stakeholders in the project locations to promote the project, ensure buy-in from the community, and facilitate smooth implementation. The SPO will also work closely with other project consortium members to foster synergy across project objectives. The SPO’s coordination, relationship management skills, and knowledge of youth programming will ensure that the project applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those CRS serves.

 

The contract duration will be 12 months with the possibility of renewal and the position can be based in Erbil or Kirkuk.

 

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Organize and lead the implementation of all Shared Future positive youth development (PYD) activities in Kirkuk and Hawija as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies PYD activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Coordinate and oversee working relationships with all local project stakeholders in Kirkuk and Hawija, including parents, community stakeholders, and youth center staff, and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact.
• Supervise and perform ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures. Ensure proper tracking of resource use for PYD activities through follow-up with and assistance to CRS and implementing partner staff.
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities to ensure positive youth development activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
• Coordinate provision of any logistical and administrative support to CRS staff and partners, working on positive youth development.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of weekly reports, documentation of case studies, success stories and/or promising practices.
• Ensure project officers are coordinating effectively with youth ambassadors and field workers to periodically identify the priorities, resources, needs, and solutions of late adolescents and emerging adults engaged in Shared Future activities in Kirkuk and Hawija.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise direct reports and other field workers, as needed. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Master’s Degree in International Relations or in the field of International Development or Social Work, preferred. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum 4 years of work experience in project implementation and/or management with an NGO, with at least 2 years of experience in youth and/or education programming in Iraq.

 

Required Languages – Fluency in spoken and written English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of Assyrian,

Shabaki, Turkmen, or Kurdish is a plus.

 

Travel – The position is based in Erbil or Kirkuk, with up to 50% travel to trainings and workshops in Erbil and project sites across Kirkuk Governorate. Minimal regional and international travel for training or project activities, as needed.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners

• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience working on youth issues in Kirkuk
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS Teams).
• Knowledge of PSS principles, youth engagement best practices and positive youth development concepts are a plus.
• Staff supervision experience a plus.

 

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.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

 

Supervisory Responsibilities: 3 Positive Youth Development Project Officers

 

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Shared Future Project Director; Peacebuilding Program Manager; Positive Youth Development Project Manager; Livelihoods Program Manager; MEAL Program Manager; Head of Programming; Positive Youth Development Senior Project Officer in Ninewa; Positive Youth Development Project Officers in Ninewa and Kirkuk; Shared Future Operations staff; Procurement and Finance staff.

 

External: Caritas Iraq; project partners; other operational partners and colleague organizations; local

government; UN agencies and relevant sector leads

 

***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.

Disclaimer: 

• This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
• This position is contingent upon donor funding.

 

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

 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer