Applications are now open for the Junior Professionals Program, an opportunity for qualified, professional women in West Africa to transform their passion for international relief and development work into a career with Catholic Relief Services. Over a 12-month period, each Junior Professional will build core skills while working alongside experienced staff and supporting critical programs. Junior Professionals will benefit from strong mentoring and regional networking as they prepare for positions of greater responsibility with CRS.
Working together, CRS and the Junior Professionals will make great strides to end poverty and promote peace and self-reliance in West Africa. Junior Professionals will contribute to strategic and sustainable development projects in sectors like health, agriculture, education, emergency response, and peacebuilding.
Junior Professionals will help strengthen local governments’ and organizations’ ability to address the challenges in their communities and countries while advancing their learning objectives. This includes:
- Participating in project design
- Supporting real-time project assessments and data collection
- Developing and implementing monitoring and accountability frameworks
- Writing reports and proposals
- Organizing learning events
- Supporting operations (Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain)
Program Offerings
- Learning & Professional Development
- Practical training: Through hands-on experience and extensive training, Junior Professionals will grow and develop their skills in project design; program management; monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning; partnership building; and operations.
- Mentorship: Each Junior Professional will be paired with a mentor who will be actively involved in providing guidance, feedback and career coaching.
- Customized professional experience: In addition to the core training, Junior Professionals will build their skills in a specific area related to their professional development goals, and strategically position themselves for onward positions with CRS.
- Regional networking: All Junior Professionals will be part of the regional community of practice that will share successes, challenges, and lessons learned from their work.
Eligible Countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia
Eligibility Criteria
- They seek diverse and aligned candidates and welcome people of all faiths and secular traditions who share the values and the commitment to serving those in need.
- Required Qualifications:
- Master's degree in related field (e.g. Economic Development, Agriculture, Health, Business, Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain)
- Received Master's degree within 24 months of program start date (Oct. 2023)
- At least six months of relevant work experience (e.g. internship, practicum, volunteer or paid work)
- Excellent speaking and writing skills in the official business language of the country (French or English)
- Citizen of a participating country (see above)
- Excels in collaborative multicultural environment
- Willingness to travel (up to 25% of the time)
- Willingness to be based in field offices outside of the capital city during JPP program year and after program completion
- Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong analytical, problem-solving and research skills
- Agile, proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented
- Strong presentation and facilitation skills
Timeline: Strong candidates will be contacted in August for an in-person interview. They will extend offers to the finalists in September 2023, after conducting background and reference checks. The 2023 Junior Professionals Program will begin in October.
For more information, visit Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
