Technical Advisor II – Early Childhood Development At Catholic Relief Services

Job Title: Technical Advisor II – Early Childhood Development

Reports to: Project Director

Department: Uganda, Programming

Location: Kampala

Deadline: September 18, 2026 no later than 5pm

Note: CRS is recruiting in anticipation of an award – recruitment for all candidates is contingent upon successful award of the project.

Job Summary:

The Technical Advisor II, Early Childhood Development acts as the subject matter expert providing technical advice, guidance, and support to strengthen child protection, care, and development systems in Uganda. Through application of specialized technical expertise, the Advisor will support project implementation, systems strengthening, capacity development, and learning efforts to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families. The Advisor contributes to improving policies, practices, service quality, and sustainable system change through collaboration with government, civil society, faith-based, and community stakeholders.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the project’s subject matter expert for Early Childhood Development. Provide technical guidance on ECD approaches grounded in the Nurturing Care Framework, including health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, early learning, safety and security, and caregiver well-being, in coordination with the global technical counterpart and drawing on specialized expertise as needed to ensure project strategies, tools, training content, implementation approaches, and partner support reflect current evidence, technical standards for program quality, and country context.
• Provide technical assistance to strengthen ECD systems, standards and practices serving children and families in Uganda. Support government, civil society, faith-based, and community actors to develop, adapt, and implement relevant policies, regulations, standards, standard operating procedures, tools, and guidance at national and targeted subnational levels.
• Strengthen capacity and implementation quality within Uganda. Develop ECD competencies and training materials and provide coaching, training, supportive supervision, and technical troubleshooting to project teams, partners, and relevant system actors to improve practice and program results, support adherence to standards, and effectively and efficiently address performance gaps.
• Support integrated project delivery across technical areas within the project. Work closely with the project team, global technical counterpart, resource partners, other subject matter experts, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL), and implementation teams to support coordinated, mutually reinforcing technical approaches within a cohesive project strategy.
• Support MEAL, evidence use, and adaptive learning in Uganda. Work with the MEAL team to ensure technically relevant data are captured, interpreted, and used to inform programming, strengthen practice and accountability, document learning, and support continuous improvement.
• Monitor technical quality, including national and subnational issues that may affect ECD strengthening results, and support risk mitigation within the area of specialization in Uganda. Track safeguarding concerns, contextual risks, and implementation challenges related to ECD, and recommend or support corrective action as needed.
• Contribute to reporting, documentation, technical knowledge sharing, and relevant networks. Provide technically sound inputs for milestone reports, partner government and donor updates, learning products, briefs, and other internal and external communications; participate actively in relevant in-country and global working groups and networks; and help translate project learning into improved practice.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced ability for independent action, decision making, and initiative with strong and consistent attention to detail.
• Strong time management skills, ability to multitask.
• Experience with budget planning and reporting systems.
• Computer proficiency with the ability to utilize MS Word, Excel, Power Point
• Proficiency in variety of computer software applications

Required Languages – Strong written and spoken English required

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% to project locations and field offices outside Kampala

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

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