Technical Advisor II – Climate Change & Landscape Restoration job at Catholic Relief Services ( CRS )

Job Summary

You will provide strategic technical leadership, advice, guidance, and support across program design, business development, implementation, learning, and evidence generation in the areas of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration. Working in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices, you will support Country Office(CO) teams to develop, implement, and scale innovative, high-quality programming that advances resilience, environmental stewardship, and sustainable livelihoods for poor and vulnerable communities. Your technical knowledge, advice and guidance will contribute to determining how effective, adaptive and innovative CRS’ Climate Change and Landscape Restoration programming is across Uganda.

Your technical expertise, strategic vision, and leadership will contribute to the growth and positioning of CRS Uganda’s Climate Change and Landscape Restoration portfolio. You will help identify and pursue new funding opportunities, lead technical design for priority investments and proposals, build relationships and partnerships, and support the effective implementation of strategic initiatives that generate evidence, demonstrate impact, and inform future programming. Through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, you will strengthen CRS’ reputation as a trusted partner and technical leader in climate resilience, nature-based solutions, and landscape restoration across Uganda.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and implementation of CRS Uganda strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration that effectively engage partners, donors and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction, while promoting innovation, learning, and evidence-based programming.
• Provide technical solutions to CP teams, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and M&E, ensuring high-quality implementation. Support adaptive management and the use of evidence and learning to strengthen program quality and impact.
• Lead CRS Uganda’s technical efforts to position and grow its Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration portfolio by identifying emerging opportunities, strengthening strategic partnerships, and shaping innovative, evidence-based programming approaches. Lead or contribute to the technical design of large and/or complex proposals, including the development of technical strategies, theories of change, and appropriate monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks in collaboration with business development, MEAL, and other cross-functional teams. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities, and technical requirements into CRS’ approach and support the development of programming that strengthens CRS’ competitiveness, impact, and thought leadership.
• Lead the design, implementation, and technical oversight of strategic initiatives and discretionary-funded investments in Climate Change and Landscape Restoration that generate evidence, demonstrate impact, strengthen partnerships, and inform future programming and resource mobilization efforts.
• Contribute to technical communications, visibility, and thought leadership efforts by supporting the development of success stories, case studies, presentations, publications, learning products, and other materials that showcase CRS’ experience, evidence, and impact in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in Climate Change and Landscape Restoration programming for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching.
• Contribute to knowledge management and learning through collecting and analyzing program data, evaluating strategic projects, assisting with measuring program impact, capturing and sharing lessons learned and best practices, and research and internal reports.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Participate in forums in Climate Change and Landscape Restoration to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work, support organizational positioning, and identify opportunities for collaboration and resource mobilization.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in climate change adaptation and mitigation and landscape restoration. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure a proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
• Experience in business development, project design and proposal development in, including technical writing.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Excellent 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.
• Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Required Languages

Fluent English is required. Working proficiency in local language is a plus.

Travel

Must be willing and able to travel up to 30 %.

Supervisory Responsibilities

No

Key Working Relationships

Internal: CRS Country Representative, Head of Programs, Head of Operations, Uganda-based technical experts for MEAL, Emergency focal point, Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) and Partner Capacity Strengthening (PCS), Regional and Headquarters technical staff.

External: Local partner staff, representatives from for-profit and other non-profit organizations and relevant national, district, sub-county, parish and other government stakeholders, community leaders.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Climate Change, Forestry, Agroforestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Environmental Management, Agriculture, or a related field required.
• Minimum of eight years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working for programming interventions in climate change adaptation and mitigation and/or landscape restoration
• Previous experience providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Climate Change, Forestry, Agroforestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Environmental Management, Agriculture, or a related field is an advantage
• Demonstrated ability to convene, coordinate, and facilitate complex multi-stakeholder consultations and partnerships involving government, development partners, technical agencies, academia, and community stakeholders.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of CRS Uganda strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration that effectively engage partners, donors and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction, while promoting innovation, learning, and evidence-based programming.
• Provide technical solutions to CP teams, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and M&E, ensuring high-quality implementation. Support adaptive management and the use of evidence and learning to strengthen program quality and impact.
• Lead CRS Uganda’s technical efforts to position and grow its Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration portfolio by identifying emerging opportunities, strengthening strategic partnerships, and shaping innovative, evidence-based programming approaches. Lead or contribute to the technical design of large and/or complex proposals, including the development of technical strategies, theories of change, and appropriate monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks in collaboration with business development, MEAL, and other cross-functional teams. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities, and technical requirements into CRS’ approach and support the development of programming that strengthens CRS’ competitiveness, impact, and thought leadership.
• Lead the design, implementation, and technical oversight of strategic initiatives and discretionary-funded investments in Climate Change and Landscape Restoration that generate evidence, demonstrate impact, strengthen partnerships, and inform future programming and resource mobilization efforts.
• Contribute to technical communications, visibility, and thought leadership efforts by supporting the development of success stories, case studies, presentations, publications, learning products, and other materials that showcase CRS’ experience, evidence, and impact in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Landscape Restoration.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in Climate Change and Landscape Restoration programming for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching.
• Contribute to knowledge management and learning through collecting and analyzing program data, evaluating strategic projects, assisting with measuring program impact, capturing and sharing lessons learned and best practices, and research and internal reports.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Participate in forums in Climate Change and Landscape Restoration to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work, support organizational positioning, and identify opportunities for collaboration and resource mobilization.

• Demonstrated application of technical principles and concepts in climate change adaptation and mitigation and landscape restoration. General knowledge of other related disciplines to ensure a proper cross-sectoral approach.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
• Experience in business development, project design and proposal development in, including technical writing.
• Experience in mentoring, coaching, facilitation and training applying adult learning principles and practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation, including applying data collection tools and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Excellent 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.
• Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

• Bachelor’s Degree in Climate Change, Forestry, Agroforestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Environmental Management, Agriculture, or a related field required.
• Minimum of eight years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working for programming interventions in climate change adaptation and mitigation and/or landscape restoration
• Previous experience providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is required.
• Master’s Degree in Climate Change, Forestry, Agroforestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Environmental Management, Agriculture, or a related field is an advantage
• Demonstrated ability to convene, coordinate, and facilitate complex multi-stakeholder consultations and partnerships involving government, development partners, technical agencies, academia, and community stakeholders.