Job Location: based in Jamaica for the entirety of the assignment
Dotted line to: Caritas Antilles Emergency Response Coordinatorย
LOE: FTE 100%
Length of Assignment: 6 monthsย with potential for extension, pending funding
Start Date: January 8, 2026ย
End Date: July 7, 2026ย
CRSโ Humanitarian Response Department (HRD) is in its fourth phase of EMPOWER (Empowering Partner Organizations Working on Emergency Responses) project with local partners based in the Latin America and Caribbean (LACRO), Central and West Africa regions.
Job Summary
You will be seconded to Caritas Antilles in Jamaica to support the Hurricane Melissa Emergency Response implementing projectsย advancing Catholic Relief Servicesโ (CRS) work in localization and serving the poor and vulnerable. Your management skills and knowledge will ensure that the local partner delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of itsย programming.
The PM I will work closely with Caritas Antilles and the Dioceses in Jamaicaโs emergency responders and their primary role will be to strengthen the emergency response capacity of local partners and support these partners in implementing high quality emergency projects in response to hurricane Melissa. Caritas Antilles, in partnership with its diocesan networks and with technical accompaniment from CRS under the EMPOWER program, is implementing a multi-funded response including emergency relief, WASH support, multi-purpose cash assistance, livelihood recovery, and strengthened pathways into Jamaicaโs national social protection system.ย
To further strengthen delivery capacity during this critical phase, CRS will second a PM I to Caritas Antilles to provide operational support, coordination, technical support, and systems strengthening, ensuring alignment across funding streams (AMBFF, IRUSA, Emergency Appeal, and future mobilizations). The seconded PM I will support Caritas Antilles in managing the Melissa response portfolio, ensuring timely, coordinated, safe, and quality program delivery. The role will provide hands-on operational support while also strengthening systems, workflows, and implementation capacity of diocesan teams in Jamaica. The position will serve as a supporterโnot a replacement for local leadershipโand will ensure alignment with localization commitments, donor requirements, safeguarding standards, and humanitarian principles.ย
Roles and Key Responsibilities
Support Caritas Antilles in the management and implementation of all activities throughout Hurricane Response project cycles -ย project design, start-up, implementation and close-out - to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices. Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools. Ensure coherence across all donors - CRS, IRUSA, AMBFF, EA - ย and any other emerging funding streams.ย Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports. Champion learning with project staff and partner teams.ย Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy.ย Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.ย Act as a key resource person in project design and proposal development in respective programming area, gap-filling and taking on growth responsibilities, as needed. Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs of partner organizations and capacity strengthening and required interventions to support quality project implementation.ย Help identify, assess and strengthen partnerships relevant to Caritas Antilles Hurricane Melissa Response, applying appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches. Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to project needs, through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resourcesAdditional Responsibilities
Represent Caritas Antilles (when delegated) in coordination platforms: clusters, Cash Working Group, ODPEM technical meetings, donor updates.ย Ensure adherence to international guiding principles and program quality standards, including the Project Management Standards (PMS), Protection Mainstreaming Guidelines, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) inย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Emergencies, as well as SPHERE standards and Caritas Antilles Code of Conduct principles across all activities.ย As applicable, contribute to new project design and proposals related to Melissa funding opportunities (needs assessments, gap analysis, coordination, lead writing and reviewing), Support in the development, review, and submission of final close-out deliverables, including but not limited to, final financial reports, project reports, result indicators, and exit strategy.ย Identify bottlenecks and co-create practical solutions with diocesan teams (procurement, HR onboarding, supply chain flows, MEAL tracking, budget follow-up).ย Support the strengthening of operational SOPs for distributions, MPCA delivery, logistics movement, warehouse use, beneficiary verification, and safeguarding compliance, in collaboration and guidance of Caritas Antillesโ regional (St Lucia) and local (Jamaica) team.ย Support Caritas Antilles in aligning response operations with the Social Protection Benefits Calculator and MLSS systems.ย Provide structured coaching and accompaniment for Project Officers, Finance Assistant, Community Promoters, and diocesan focal points.ย Facilitate technical support linkages with CRS (WASH, MEAL, Finance, Cash, Safeguarding), as/if requested by Caritas Antilles.ย Document learning and feed into a sustainable handover plan and future preparedness improvements, particularly prior to the end of the secondment.ย Support development of sitreps, donor reports, and internal updates.ย Ensure alignment with donor requirements (IRUSA, AMBFF, Emergency Appeal, future donors) without overburdening Caritas teams.ย Lead periodic reviews on progress, risks, and adaptation needs with CA leadership.ย Support the PSEA focal point and Emergency response coordinator that PSEA, safeguarding, AAP, and Duty of Care standards are embedded in all project activities.ย Bachelorโs Degree in International Development, International Relations or in the field of Project Managementย required.ย Minimum of 2-3 years of relevant field-based experience in coordinating or managing light to moderately complex projects required, preferably withย an international NGO.ย Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to navigate the humanitarian coordination systems and platforms, including stakeholder engagement with local partners, UN bodies, and clusters.ย Knowledge of humanitarian programming, Integral Human Development, SPHERE standards and Catholic Social Teaching principles preferred.ย Demonstrated knowledge/experience of integrating cross-cutting themes such as capacity building, emergency response, early recovery, cash assistance, and systems strengthening.ย Demonstrated knowledge/experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, particularly during proposal design, start-up, and close-out, as well as development of MEAL tools and methodologies for data collection and analysis.ย Demonstrated experience of working with and building capacity of local partners.ย Experience with church partners a plus. Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.ย Excellent professional communications skills, both oral and written, in English.ย Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently.ย Extremely flexible, and the ability to cope with stressful situations in emergency environments.ย Strong computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Point) are necessary.ยPreferred Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills and Abilitiesย
Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems. Experience engaging with partner organizations. Experience contributing to the development of technical proposals. Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment. Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups. Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to write reports Proactive, results-oriented, and service-orientedRequired Languages: English required
Travel:ย Must be able to be based full time in Jamaica, based in Kingston and/or Montego Bay (TBD) with travel around the island as needed.
Supervisory Responsibilities: none
Working Relationships:ย
CRS: HRD EMPOWER Team and other HRD sector TAs, Regional TAsย Caritas Antilles: Emergency Response Coordinator, Regional team, local team in Jamaicaย External: UN agencies, government entities (e.g. MLSS, ODPEM), donor agencies, and other humanitarian stakeholders.ย ยDisclaimer: This JD is not an exhaustive list of the responsibilities of the position.ย
CRSโ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.ย
Equal Opportunity Employerย
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States.ย Catholic Relief Servicesย works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. ย Catholic Relief Servicesโย relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.ย 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. CRSโ 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.ย The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRSยด 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:ย This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.ย
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.