Re-advertise: Peacebuilding Senior Project Officer for Training and Capacity Building

Job Title: Peacebuilding Senior Project Officer for Training and Capacity Building Reports to: Peacebuilding Program 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’s social cohesion component seeks to build mutual understanding, tolerance, and trust among religious and ethnic groups in seven project locations in Ninewa: Bartella, Bashiqa, Qaraqosh, Telkeif, Telskof, Nimrod and Wanna.

Job Summary:
The Peacebuilding Senior Project Officer (SPO) for Training and Capacity Building will support the Peacebuilding Program Manager and the members of the Social Cohesion and Positive Youth Development (PYD) teams to design, coordinate, and monitor social cohesion and PYD activities for youth, religious and community leaders across target locations in Ninewa and Kirkuk, in a USAID project that is currently in year five of implementation. As the main lead on training and capacity building, the SPO will facilitate the achievement of project objectives through developing social cohesion and youth programming tools and resources, organizing and conducting trainings, and providing technical guidance, coaching and advice to staff and implementing partner(s) to advance Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. The SPO will work closely with the project implementation team and other key stakeholders in the target locations to promote the project, ensure buy-in from the community, and facilitate smooth implementation. The SPO will also engage with other project consortium members to foster synergy across project objectives. The SPO’s coordination, relationship management skills, and technical knowledge of the program area will ensure that the project applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those CRS serves.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:
• Coordinate capacity building and technical support initiatives in peacebuilding, social cohesion and positive youth development programming for Shared Future and local partner staff to ensure assigned project activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
• Under the guidance of the Peacebuilding Program Manager, co-develop, adapt, review, translate, and pilot curricula & resources for social cohesion and positive youth development programming, capturing local perspectives and ensuring content is culturally appropriate, conflict-sensitive and grounded in the local realities.
• Draft training materials, facilitation guides and agendas, and conduct workshops, trainings and coaching, including Training of Trainers (ToTs).
• Provide ongoing technical support and monitor the delivery of social cohesion and positive youth development trainings to youth and community and religious leaders across project locations in Iraq, in coordination with the Senior Project Officers overseeing activity implementation in the project locations.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project 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.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements.
• Assist with updating conflict sensitivity analysis, preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices.
• Support the coordination of the work of the Shared Future Peacebuilding Advisory Committee.
• Support monthly community engagement processes in the project locations, ensuring information is fed back to the Shared Future management and the members of the Peacebuilding Advisory Committee.
• Coordinate and oversee working relationships with all local project stakeholders and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact. This may include establishing and maintaining relationships with members of the community engagement meetings, youth, religious and community leaders in the project locations as well as developing relationships with other local organizations to ensure participation and buy-in across ethnic and faith backgrounds.
• Contribute to maintaining relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions in Iraq and the region. Participate in forums in the area of peacebuilding, as needed, to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.

Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree required. Master’s Degree in International Relations or in the field of International Development or Social Cohesion, preferred. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project management, with at least 1 year experience in social cohesion programming for an NGO.

Required Languages – Spoken and written English and Arabic fluency is required. Knowledge of Assyrian, Shabaki, Turkmen, or Kurdish is a plus.

Travel – The position is based in Erbil, Duhok, Kirkuk or Mosul, with up to 40% travel to project sites in Ninewa and Kirkuk, as allowed by local and national health regulations. Minimal regional and international travel for training or project activities, as needed.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Analysis, problem-solving and critical thinking 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
• Knowledge of technical principles and concepts in peacebuilding/social cohesion and positive youth development. Familiarity with CRS’ peacebuilding methodology and CRS’ Positive Youth Development Framework will be considered an advantage.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices.
• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience working with youth, religious and community leaders in Ninewa Plains.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS Teams).

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:
None

Key Working Relationships:
Internal: Peacebuilding Program Manager; Positive Youth Development Project Manager; Senior Project Officers; Project Officers; Field Assistants; Communications Officer; Project Director; MEAL and Program Quality Manager; Livelihoods Program Manager; Livelihoods Senior Project Officer
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.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer