Technical Advisor for Shelter and Settlements,Job from Catholic Relief Services,USA

Post:Technical Advisor for Shelter and Settlements
Job
from Catholic Relief Services
Career categories:    Management
Country:    United States of America
City:    Baltimore, Maryland

Organisation:    Catholic Relief Services
Theme:    Recovery and Reconstruction
    Shelter and Non-Food Items
Job years of experience:    3-5 years
Job type:    Job

Closing date: 14 Jun 2013Background: Catholic Relief Services was founded as an emergency relief organization and emergency related work still represents nearly one-third of the agency’s expenses. CRS is recognized by public and private donors in the US as one of the prime American emergency responders. CRS’ ability to respond effectively in the early stages of an emergency is crucial to the survival and well-being of hundreds of thousands of disaster-affected people. CRS’ holistic approach to emergency response and recovery, combined with its early presence on the ground to address immediate needs, enables CRS to accompany disaster-affected households and communities in resuming productive and dignified lives as soon as possible while building their capacity to better withstand future disasters. With staff in more than 50 countries, established partners in more than 100, CRS is able to establish operations within days of a disaster in almost any corner of the globe. CRS is recognized for a range of flexible, innovative interventions that provide cost-effective solutions to local needs and priorities, including shelter and settlement response and recovery programming. In the most disaster-prone locations, CRS works with communities, partners, governments and other actors to mitigate risk and strengthen response capacity ahead of potential disasters.

Emergency shelter solutions such as tarps and tents provide some level of short-term protection to a large number of affected people immediately after a disaster strikes. This immediate response is usually followed by a focus on rapidly restoring permanent housing. These programs provide rapid, low-cost, Sphere-compliant core units which can be expanded and/or converted to permanent shelters (context permitting). Typically CRS shelter programs seek to use locally-sourced and salvaged materials to reduce cost and procurement delays allowing CRS and partners to quickly serve large numbers of affected households in a cost-effective manner. Our Shelter and Settlement Rapid Response and Recovery programs seeks to offer community based local solutions which offers safe, adequate and durable shelter within a integrated settlement ideology that seeks to ensure integration with other activities such a livelihoods, WASH, protection, and DRR.

The TA for Shelter and Settlements will be directly supervised by the Senior Technical Advisor for SS to provide onsite and remote technical support to emergency response and recovery programs. The TA position will require extensive travel (<50%) and will be expected to deploy rapidly to breaking humanitarian crisis and at times maintain a presence in the country to support and manage the startup of the shelter element of emergency response and recovery programs. Tasks during response deployments could include carrying out assessments, designing shelter response strategies, developing proposals and support the startup of response programming. When deployed he/she will be expected to coordinate with, and contribute to the National Shelter Cluster system, promote CRS’ shelter strategies and ensure alignment with Cluster and national strategies.

Deployments will vary from two weeks to two-months depending on the needs of the country program. As needed he/she will also deploy to provide support to ongoing shelter response and recovery programs to monitor progress, measure impact and to identify and document best practices and learning. During non-deployment time he/she will provide remote support to shelter programs, and develop training and learning materials. At the request of his/her supervisor the TA may be asked to represent CRS at global shelter cluster meetings, other international or regional shelter forums, and with donors and partners.

Primary Function: The TA will provide technical assistance to country programs and on-going support for learning processes that strengthen the response of CRS and partners to technical-related challenges in shelter and settlements programming.

Job Responsibilities: The Technical Advisor for Shelter and Settlements will: 1. Provide technical assistance to emergency programs upon request (TDYs). Specific tasks may include; a. Support the gathering of relevant information through the design and implementation of emergency assessments. b. Work with the STA/SS, CRS country program staff, partners and communities to design shelter solutions that are in line with CRS shelter program guidelines and philosophy. c. Ensure the inclusion of affected people and other relevant stakeholders in the design, implementation and evaluations of shelter solutions. d. Support the development of proposals for funding through public and private donors. e. Develop technical designs, material specifications, bills of quantities, and work plans. f. Produce technical drawings and sketches of structure designs, settlement layouts and other technical details and guidance required to by contractors and/or communities to successfully complete project activities. g. As required manage the start-up of shelter programs including supporting the hiring of staff, vetting of vendors, procurement of materials, and logistics. h. Ensure CRS shelter programs adhere to CRS management quality, and international accountability standards such as Sphere standards and the Good Enough Guide. i. Monitor program performance and measure impact on meeting stated objectives. j. Ensure CRS’ engagement in and contribution to national shelter cluster systems.

    When not deployed provide remote technical support to Country Programs as requested.
    Seek solutions to technical problems from a variety of sources, incorporating CRS’ Integral Human Development (IHD) framework and partnership principles into technical assistance responses.
    Provide on-going support for learning processes that strengthen the response of CRS and partners to technical-related challenges.
    Keeps abreast of emerging issues in technical area that can be incorporated into CRS shelter programming.
    In consultation with the STA/SS develop case studies, technical guides and best practices for dissemination to CRS country programs, partners and externally to the wider emergency shelter community. Contribute content and ideas to publications that highlight CRS programs in technical sector.
    Facilitate internal communication and facilitate global shelter and settlement community of practice, collaboration between CRS shelter and settlements programs. Support links to external information and organizations for technical advice, staff support and professional development.
    Support capacity building in assigned technical area, assists with developing content for training and planning workshops in technical areas.
    Retain an up-to date database of all current shelter and settlement programs.
    Contribute to agency databases and library.

Emergency Competencies Each CRS staff member working in emergencies is expected to use the following competencies to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
• Communicates strategically under pressure
• Manages stress and complexity
• Actively promotes safety and security
• Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff) These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
 • Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships: Internal: Senior Technical Advisor for Shelter and Settlements, Director and Deputy Director of the HRD, HRD Team Members, Regional Technical Advisors for Emergency, DRDs PQ/MQ, CRS Country Programs, specifically with HOPs and Program Managers and with CRS’ shelter and settlement community of practice. External: OFDA & other donor agencies’ technical advisors and representatives; UN agencies; in country Shelter Cluster lead agencies and participating organizations, PVOs and NGOs; disaster management centers and other universities and shelter and reconstruction research institutions; host-country government representatives; overseas partners; and Caritas member organizations.

Qualifications and Skills:
 • Professional qualification and/or masters in architecture, construction engineering, or construction project management.
 • Three to five years of professional experience and or shelter research/development experience of which includes two years of shelter and settlement humanitarian field-based experience.
 • Good understanding of emergency and development issues and/or Master’s degree in international development, humanitarian relief.
 • Experience in implementing community-based humanitarian shelter and settlement programs. Experience with participatory communication methods, community mobilization and local partnerships.
 • Proven experience in design, construction, planning and construction project management, including contract administration.
 • Strong technical skills to design hazard resistant shelters (CAD and hand sketch designs and details) with a participatory method. Has technical ability to plan settlement layouts including infrastructure patterns.
• Self motivating and ability to work independently. However, also needs to have strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively as part of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
 • Strong cross-cultural & interpersonal skills, demonstrated by ability to influence change without direct supervision and work successfully with clients and sector professionals.
 • Ability to design high quality projects and input into grant proposals.
 • Knowledge of best practices in shelter and settlement and has ability to develop and implement methods to gather, synthesize and transfer knowledge, both formally and informally.
 • Ability to work successfully with partners. This includes building capacity, being sensitive to the partner’s needs, resolving issues, responding proactively and respectfully.
 • Proven ability to research, and communicate finding by participating in knowledge-sharing networks.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, and other formal and non-formal methods.
• Computer skills: facility with software for word processing, spreadsheet and slide presentations, project management, computer-aided design CAD, 3D visualization, desktop publishing graphic design, e-mail and Internet.
 • Fluency in English; working ability in French, Spanish or Portuguese strongly preferred.

Physical Requirement: A willingness to travel extensively for more than 50% of the time and spend up to 2-months in the field at any one time. Ability to live and work in disaster affected areas and a willingness to support humanitarian response and recovery programs wherever agency needs dictate. When not traveling, the TA will work form the CRS HQ office in Baltimore or another location.

Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with the position.

This position is scheduled to be filled in July 2013

EOE/M/F/D/V
How to apply:

Please apply through our website at: www.crs.org/about/careers
Job ID: #577043

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