Youth Education Specialist (Technical Advisor I) at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 6 June 2025)

Youth Education Specialist (Technical Advisor I) at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 6 June 2025)

Job Title: Youth Education Specialist (Technical Advisor I)

Department: Programming

Band: 9

Reports to: Project Manager

Location: Rwanda (Kigali)

This position is contingent upon Donor Funding

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.

Job Summary: 

You will provide technical advice and support on a range of program design and implementation issues as part of the Secondary Education project in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to advance the delivery of high-quality programming to the poor and vulnerable. Your advice, knowledge, and support will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive and innovative CRS Rwanda’s Secondary Education programming is.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development and contribute to the implementation of strategies, standards, tools and best practices in the Youth Secondary Education project that also respect donor and Government of Rwanda norms and standards. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and climate change adaptation.
• Provide technical solutions to the project team for strategic planning and how to best apply standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools and M&E, helping to ensure high-quality implementation.
• Contribute to project implementation strategies, bringing in national and global innovations and practices for CRS as well as other project partners as appropriate.
• Lead capacity strengthening initiatives in the Youth Secondary Education project for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and coaching.
• Collect and analyze program data, capture and share lessons learned and best practices to facilitate improvements in decision-making and contribute to the Youth Secondary Education Project learning agenda.
• Contribute to maintaining relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions, participate in forums in the area of Secondary Education to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in education, or Andragogy, Social Sciences required.
• Minimum of three years’ relevant work experience with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of two years relevant field-based experience in Secondary Education for Out of School Youth.
• Knowledge of technical principles and concepts in Youth Secondary and Vocational Education. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation and analysis.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.

Required Languages – English and Kinyarwanda. French preferred

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 25 %.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Strong relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings
• Good strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Good technical writing skills
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. 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.

Supervisory Responsibilities – None

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal – Project Manager, Head of Programming, CRS Technical Advisors

External  – Project stakeholders

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 prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should complete the attached application form, Self -Declaration Clause and submit them together with one page Cover letter plus updated CV (maximum three pages) all in/as one PDF document – via email only to: [email protected] not later than Friday, June 6^th 2025, at 5:00pm.

Please, include the statement below in your cover letter:

“By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.”

Also include your full names and title “Youth Education Specialist @ Band 9” in the subject line. Due to anticipated high interest in this post and the expected number of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Kigali May 23^rd, 2025

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