Senior Project Officer - Digitization and System Management

About CRS

The Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) is an emergency food assistance program targeting transitory food insecure households through a project participant targeting process led by the Government of Ethiopias (GoE) Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC). JEOP provides emergency assistance to protect their lives and livelihood where recurrent drought affected in significant harvest loss, livestock death and price increase of essentials. The consortium is led by CRS and includes consortium partners, CARE, Food for the Hungry, Relief Society of Tigray (REST), World Vision and Organization for Relief and Development in Amhara (ORDA). CRS also works thorough local implementing partners Hararghe and Meki Catholic Secretariat (HCS and MCS).

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following position.

Job Title: Senior Project Officer - Digitization and System Management

Band: 8

Required number: One

Department: JEOP/ICT4D

Employment Term: Definite Term (i.e. till July 2027)

Reports To: Program Manager I - ICT4D

Country/Location: CRS Ethiopia/Addis Ababa

Deadline: March 22, 2024

Job Summary

As a member of JEOP ICT4D team, you will be responsible for the development, implementation, and consolidation of the adoption of innovative technology and approaches to improve data management and analytics of different JEOP digital workstreams. You will work closely with the ICT4D Program Manager and Partner staff and JEOP ICT4D partner, Project Balance to support the adoption of innovative technology and approaches across intervention areas to improve data management and analytics, compliance monitoring, registration of targeted individuals, and commodity tracking.

Job Responsibilities

• Support the design, development, and implementation of JEOP data management system. This includes designing and developing data collection tools and systems for JEOP monitoring and evaluation, early warning, and operations activities.
• Design, develop, and maintain CommCare applications for CRS and partners as required.
• Design, develop, and deploy new systems that support the day-to-day operation of JEOP and enhance and maintain the existing systems in JEOP.
• Perform user acceptance testing with Project Balance and JEOP partners to test JEOP data management systems and digital forms in the office and in the field.
• Write application and software technical documentation and user manuals.
• Oversee the development of data management and governance guidelines, data dictionaries and other documents required to support effective data provision, use and security and ensure these documents are kept up to date.
• Maintain relationships and support communication of system user feedback and business requirements between CRS, partners and donor staff and the Project Balance team.
• Coordinate and closely work with Project Balance throughout the design, development and implementation of the JEOP data management system.
• Critically analyze JEOPs existing Early Warning (EW) and Commodity Risk Monitoring (CRMU) systems and propose areas of improvement. Closely work with JEOP EW team and support the development of an improved early warning and market system.
• Facilitate and run training sessions on JEOPs ICT4D data collection tools and system for CRS and partner JEOP staff. Assess the capability of CRS and partner staff to use tools and systems and deliver training and technical backstopping as needed.
• Provide day-to-day support for CRS and partner staff on the successful implementation of JEOP data management system.

Typical Background, Experience and Requirements

Education and Experience

• Masters or bachelors degree in computer science, Information systems, Software engineering and related fields required. Certification in Microsoft Azure is an added advantage.
• At least five years (for Bachelors Degree) / three years (for Masters Degree) of experience required in areas related to digital data collection tool and system development, database development and management and rollout of digital tools and systems to users.
• Experience with Kobo, CommCare, PowerBI, GIS or similar data collection, management, and analysis tools, required.
• Previous hands-on experience in designing and deploying mobile technology solutions in any emergency response program or related field, required.
• Proficient in data collection tools such as CommCare, ODK, and KoboTolbox, required.
• Solid knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and agile techniques.
• Experience with relational database design and management especially with Microsoft Azure SQL database and Microsoft SQL Server.
• Experience with .NET framework and knowledge of programming language such as C#, Java and Python.
• Experience with API protocols such as REST.
• Experience with automated integration tools, including Microsoft SQL Data transformation Services and Microsoft SQL Server Integration services.
• Experience with business and technical requirements analysis, business process mapping and understanding of end-user needs and requirements.
• Knowledge in Microsoft Office 365 Apps including, Power Automate, Power Apps, and Teams.
• Knowledge and use of standard project management tools and techniques.
• Experience training end-users and conducting training sessions for various groups of system users.

Personal Skills

• Ability to work to meet deadlines in multiple tasking and a high-pressure environment.
• Excellent organization, planning and analytical skills; detail oriented.
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with JEOP partners.
• Proactive, result-oriented and team player.
• Strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture, make sound decisions, and offer creative solutions.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated strength in relationship management and ability to communicate technical ideas and concerns in a non-technical manner to a wide range of staff.

Required/Desired Foreign Language: Written and spoken English and Amharic, required.

Travel Required (up to 30% travel)

Key Working Relationships

Supervisory: None

Internal: JEOP Team, members of CRS ICT community, and CRS HQ GKIM team

External: JEOP consortium members and Project Balance

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.

Strategic Mindset

Serves with Integrity

Models Stewardship

Cultivates Constructive Relationships

Promotes Learning

Build Relationships

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.