Project Officer - Market at Catholic Relief Services (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 are accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

CRS has been supporting program activities in Nigeria for over 30 years and has long-standing relationships with Church and non-Church partners and communities throughout the country. The Nigeria country program has a diverse funding base with projects in health, nutrition, food security and agricultural livelihoods, microfinance (SILC), emergency response and peacebuilding. CRS/Nigeria currently has over 210 national and 8 international staff. With an FY22 annual budget of over USD $100 million, coupled with strong donor interest in supporting CRS’ work in the country, significant growth opportunities exist for the CP. The CP has been supporting emergency activities in the NE states since 2015 with offices in Damaturu, Maiduguri and Yola.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Officer - Market

Job ID: 2200004I
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Job Type: Full-time
Shift: Standard
Schedule: Regular
Job Level: Day Job
Travel: Yes, 50 % of the Time
Job: Program Management

Job Summary

• Under the leadership of the THRIVE Market Manager, the Market Officer (MO) is a non-supervisory position, responsible for the daily project activities in her/his geographic location, while maintaining relationships with local partner staff as well as vendors and beneficiaries.
• The MO, in collaboration with the local partner, will lead and validate vendor selection, ensure compliance with voucher methodology, collect data as guided by the MEAL Officer and assist the local partners in reporting.

Roles and Key Responsibilities
Coordinate market team activities are and clearly communicate:

• In collaboration with Vendor Procurement/MEAL officer, support the vendor selection process.
• Acts as the focal point for all communication with the market team daily workers.
• Support partners officer with market activities capacity building.
• Organizes the payment for the market team on a bi-monthly basis.
• Holds daily debrief with the market team daily workers.
• Plans market team daily workers’ activities/schedule.
• Ensures that market team daily workers file is complete and includes: retainership agreement, ID photocopy, request for payment, sign-in sheets for hours worked.
• Conduct weekly price monitoring with project and non-project vendors.
• Participate to local coordination meetings with other food security actors.
• If needed, support MEAL team in the field including registration, OSM, PDM.

Provide support to project vendors and market key stakeholders:

• Ensure shop signs are displayed in front of each participant shop.
• Coordinates all vendor support and communication.
• Organizes weekly meetings with the market leaders.
• Organizes meetings with project vendors as needed.
• Organizes monthly meetings with project vendors to discuss distributions.
• Ensures that all vendor documentation is complete (agreement, photos, identity cards, market assessment, etc.)
• Carries out regular vendor spot checks.
• In collaboration with the PM, collects and organizes project vendor payments.
• In collaboration with the CAT Officer, carries out vendor training.
• Compiles a document with information on market structure and key stakeholders’ information.

Provides feedback on project’s market activities to PM:

• Provides information to the CAT Officer on troubleshooting needs
• Provides feedback to the PM on program activities
• In partnership with the CAT officer reviews vendor transactions
• Documents good practices stemming from project implementation linked to market teams activities

Reporting:

• Assist the local partner to prepare its progress reports to be submitted to CRS
• Report on project activities
• Collects three human interest stories with photos on project beneficiaries, of which one is of a project vendor
• Any other task, assigned by supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Sector Advisor, Food Assistance, Market Manager MEAL Officers, CAT Officer.
• External: Partner staff.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Work Conditions/Environment Conditions:

• The position requires travel to hardship locations.

Education and Experience

• University Degree in Social Sciences, Geography or any other relevant equivalent degree.
• 4 to 6 years’ experience in project implementation preferably with an international humanitarian NGO.

Basic Qualifications (BQs):

• Demonstrated experience in data collection.
• Proven experience in group discussions and other participatory methods
• Previous exposure to information and communication technology for development will be a plus
• Demonstrated commitment to gender responsive programming.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, oral and written communication skills.
• Team-oriented and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to organize and prioritize a variety of initiatives
• Willingness to travel about 60% of the time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Must possess ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability and desire to work well with diverse employees and customers in a cooperative and friendly manner.

Required Languages:

• English, Hausa, Kanuri preferred.

Travel:

• English, Hausa, Kanuri preferred.

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.

What We Offer

• CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, generous retirement savings plan and the opportunity to work in a collaborative, mission-driven culture that is committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world

Application Closing Date
1st March, 2022.