Program Manager I – El Niño Preparedness, EMPOWER/RAPID

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Maryland.

📋 Description

• Assist in the execution of El Niño preparedness workplans across designated South American countries or hotspots.

• Maintain activity schedules, deliverable tracking systems, meeting documentation, and follow-up actions across program and operational functions.

• Gather and synthesize information related to hazards, vulnerabilities, exposure, seasonal factors, and scenarios into actionable preparedness measures.

• Aid in stakeholder and service mapping involving governments, Caritas structures, humanitarian coordination entities, community participants, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Conduct partner sessions aimed at formulating contingency plans, response strategies, targeting methods, geographic priorities, and scalable scenarios.

• Assist in documenting program quality standards, intervention packages, eligibility criteria, referral pathways, transfer values, and adaptation regulations.

• Collaborate with supply chain and operations teams regarding relief kits, in-kind assistance, and cash or voucher alternatives.

• Support partner readiness for cash and voucher assistance, encompassing data prerequisites, accountability, protection, monitoring, and payment follow-up.

• Prepare materials ready for activation, including assessment tools, response strategies, implementation plans, budget contributions, procurement requests, risk registers, and donor inputs.

• Oversee preparedness and activated response activities, identify delays or quality issues, and facilitate corrective measures.

• Work alongside MEAL and information management teams on indicators, data collection tools, monitoring plans, feedback systems, and learning inquiries.

• Incorporate safeguarding, protection, gender, age, disability inclusion, accountability, conflict sensitivity, and disaster risk reduction into all activities.

• Assist with partner readiness evaluations and action plans.

• Organize and co-facilitate coaching sessions, workshops, simulations, tabletop exercises, and readiness assessments.

• Provide ongoing technical support to partners and encourage sustainable local ownership.

• Contribute to the development of proposals and mobilization of resources.

• Document decisions, lessons learned, readiness gaps, best practices, recommendations, and knowledge management materials.

• Compile the final El Niño preparedness package for the designated countries or workstreams.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in international development, international relations, humanitarian response, disaster risk management, food security, public health, social sciences, project management, or a related field.

• A minimum of three years of relevant experience in humanitarian program management, emergency preparedness and response, disaster risk reduction, or similar programming, including field-based experience.

• Experience in supporting moderately complex projects, preferably within an international NGO and across diverse geographic areas.

• Experience in contributing to assessments, contingency planning, response design, implementation planning, budgeting, monitoring, or reporting.

• Proven experience in collaborating with and enhancing the capacities of local partners.

• Professional fluency in both English and Spanish is essential.

• Willingness and capability to travel up to 50% within South America.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, web-conferencing tools, and standard information management systems.

• Strong program management, analytical, problem-solving, planning, coordination, documentation, facilitation, presentation, organizational, communication, and relationship management skills.

• Ability to work effectively across cultures, organizations, technical areas, time zones, and varied operating environments.

• Must sign and comply with CRS' Code of Conduct.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package for U.S. based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.

• A collaborative and mission-driven work environment.

• Candidates employed outside the U.S. receive salary and benefits packages tailored to their country of employment or in-country office.