About CRS
As the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through integrated programming in emergency response, health, agriculture/livelihoods, education, peacebuilding and more. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.
Program Summary
The ASPIRE Program is a unique career-building opportunity for individuals who are passionate about relief and development work and have the skills, attitude and approach to excel in positions with CRS. This structured and intentional field-based learning program is designed to prepare participants for positions of greater responsibility with CRS.
Under the supervision of experienced staff, participants actively support CRS’ relief and/or development projects over a 12-month period while building foundational skills in programming and operations. Through the foundational training, participants gain experience in project management, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), project design and proposal development, partnership and capacity strengthening, supply chain, human resources and more.
To complement the core training, each participant also hones their skills in a specific area that aligns with their career objectives and strategically positions them for onward employment with CRS.
Primary Responsibilities
Under the supervision of an experienced staff member and in collaboration with CRS partners, the ASPIRE participant will support programming and operations as follows:
Project Management
Project Design and Proposal Development
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
Support MEAL activities in:
Partnership & Capacity Strengthening
Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Compliance
Key Working Relationships
Internal: CRS Country Representative, Head of Programming, Head of Operations, Program Managers, Finance, Supply Chain and HR staff
External: CRS partner organizationsRequired Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
• Knowledge of local language(s)
Agency-wide Respect, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Competencies
Based on the mission, values, and guiding principles of the agency, CRS REDI competencies are to be exemplified by all staff in fulfillment of his or her respective roles and responsibilities.