Humanitarian Operations Technical Advisor I

Catholic Relief Services | CRS•United States,

11h•Onsite

About The Position

The Humanitarian Operations Technical Advisor I provides deployable, technical and operational support to CRS humanitarian emergency responses under the guidance of more experienced HRD staff. Reporting to the Humanitarian Response Department (HRD), the role contributes to CRS’ surge capacity by supporting emergency operations across core humanitarian functions, with primary emphasis on supply chain management—particularly procurement and logistics—and emergency sub‑office setup. The Technical Advisor I works closely with colleagues and other technical departments to support the establishment and strengthening of operational functions, including human resources, finance, security, ICT, administration, and fleet management. S/he supports the application of CRS operational standards and donor requirements, contributes to operational learning and guidance implementation, and assists with capacity‑strengthening efforts for CRS country programs and partners to promote efficient, compliant, and effective humanitarian response operations.

Requirements

Knowledge of emergency coordination mechanisms.
Working knowledge of humanitarian supply chain operations, including procurement, logistics, warehousing, and basic commodity tracking in emergency contexts.
Basic understanding of emergency field operations setup, including sub-office establishment, relief delivery processes, and operational coordination.
Familiarity with donor regulations and compliance requirements relevant to humanitarian operations.
Awareness of CRS operational standards, tools, and policies, including emergency operations guidance
Strong familiarity with SPHERE, Core Humanitarian Standards
Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills
Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently.
Extremely flexible and can cope with stressful situations in emergency environments.
Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in strategic planning initiatives
Ability to work both as a motivating member and a leader of a diverse team
Strong MS Office skills
Proficiency (verbal and written) in English and at least one of the following languages: French, Spanish, Arabic.
Must be able and willing to travel at least 50% of time often at very short notice (within 48 hours) and for an average of four-six weeks (with a maximum of two consecutive months under exceptional circumstances).
Should have the capacity to live and work in difficult/stressful environments and serve wherever agency needs dictate.
Ability to legally work where the position is to be performed.
Must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

Nice To Haves

Strong knowledge of effective management practices desired
Experience setting up and managing humanitarian supply chains
Experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships. Knowledge of CRS partnership strategy is a plus.
Familiarity with ICT/GIS an asset.
Familiarity with CRS programming principles preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide rapid deployment, in‑country operational surge support during humanitarian emergencies, applying operational experience to support procurement, logistics, supply chain processes, and emergency sub‑office setup.
Support emergency operations planning, implementation, and close out through remote and onsite technical assistance, aligned with CRS standards, donor requirements, and good humanitarian practice.
Assist with the setup and functioning of relief delivery systems, tools, and operational processes in active emergency contexts.
Provide operational support across HR, finance, security, GKIM, administration, and fleet management, in coordination with relevant CRS technical and departmental leads.
Provide on the job support and basic technical accompaniment to CRS staff and local partners during emergency responses.
Support delivery of operations focused trainings, briefings, and orientations for emergency staff and partners.
Contribute to collaboration with local organizations and national and international CRS teams to strengthen operational capacity for emergency response.
Support the application of humanitarian operations standards, tools, and guidance for field operations and emergency supply chains.
Contribute to updates and dissemination of tools and resources related to the Emergency Field Operations Manual (EFOM).
Support operational learning by helping document lessons learned, challenges, and good practices from emergency deployments.
Assist with emergency budgeting, basic cost tracking and support compliance with public donor regulations and operational requirements.
Management of supply chain and accounting systems in new or rapidly evolving emergency responses.
Promote awareness of staff care, safety, and security practices in emergency environments.
Support CRS participation in humanitarian coordination, cluster, and operations forums, as requested and under guidance.