Job Title: Senior Project Officer - Nutrition
Employment Term: Definite period (November 2025 to February 28, 2026)
Job grade: 8
Department: JEOP
Reports To: Technical Advisor I – Nutrition
Country/Location: CRS Ethiopia/Addis Ababa
Important Note: Candidates selected for this role should be available to start effective November 1, 2025.
About CRS
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 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 80 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia's most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS' disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS's humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes equality and inclusion, and mitigates the impact of COVID-19.
The Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) is an emergency food assistance program targeting transitory food insecure households through a vulnerability-based targeting system. JEOP provides emergency assistance to protect their lives and livelihood where recurrent drought resulted in significant harvest loss, livestock death and price increase of essentials. The JEOP has integrated emergency nutrition since 2023 to treat and prevent moderate (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) through provision of the respective nutritional commodities (e.g., Ready to Use Supplementary Foods, Super Cereal Plus, and Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods), screening and referral, and Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC). JEOP has acquired additional funding to expand its emergency nutrition work in more woredas across several regions in Ethiopia. This new expansion is solely focused on the management of SAM cases. The consortium for the emergency nutrition activity is led by CRS and includes partners, such as CARE, GOAL, World Vision, Food for the Hungry, ORDA-Ethiopia (ORDAE), and Relief Society of Tigray (REST).
Job Summary
As a lead for the JEOP nutrition team in the designated woredas, you will facilitate the achievement of project objectives through coordinating and reporting on all project activities and providing technical guidance and advice to staff and implementing partners advancing CRS’ work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that the project for which you are responsible applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.
Roles and Key Responsibilities
• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices. These include day-to-day management of emergency nutrition activities, including treatment of SAM cases, Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) and other supportive activities.
• Provide technical guidance to field staff and ensure adherence of activities to national SAM treatment guidelines, Sphere standards and donor requirements.
• Support the development of the detailed implementation plans, analyze supply requests coming from partners. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Monitor project performance against targets, coordinate and oversee project officers based in the PDPs, and recommend corrective actions when needed to promote project activities and impact.
• Support and coordinate capacity building and technical support activities to ensure assigned project activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed via the agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices.
• Coordinate provision of any logistical and administrative support to staff and partners.
Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor's Degree required in Nutrition, Health and other related fields with minimum of 3-5 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of emergency nutrition with international and/or local NGO.
• Master’s degree in nutrition, Health and other related fields with minimum of 2 years of work experience
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities
Required Languages: Proficiency in spoken and written English and local languages.
Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 50%.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Project officers based in the PDPs.
Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
• 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.
Agency Leadership Competencies:
• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.
What we offer
CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan. Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role. CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.
***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' talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. 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 safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.
CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse. The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.
CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
General Requirements
CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements. All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.
CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.
