Youth Mobilisation, Empowerment and Inclusion Officer At Caritas

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Job position: Youth Mobilisation, Empowerment and Inclusion Officer
Job title and functional level: Programme Officer – Level 8
Type of contract: 2-year fixed term contract or secondment from a Caritas Member Organisation
Department: Confederation Development
Line Manager: Inclusive Leadership Senior Officer / Director of the Confederation Development
Work Place: CI General Secretariat – Palazzo San Callisto

Caritas Internationalis is a global confederation of 162 Catholic organisations working in more than 200 countries and territories. As an expression of the Church’s mission, we serve the poor, vulnerable and excluded, regardless of race or religion, working together for a just world. Guided by the values and principles of Catholic Social Teaching and inspired by the Gospel, we work with people facing poverty, exclusion, conflict and the effects of climate change. It’s not only about reacting when crises happen. We stay, we listen and we act, helping communities through urgent needs and as they rebuild their futures.

Caritas promotes integral human development and integral ecology by serving, accompanying, defending and listening to people living in poverty, whilst together caring for our common home. We respond to emergencies and natural, humanmade and complex humanitarian crises, providing essential and social services, and health care.

We speak out against the causes of poverty and injustice, and work together, as brothers and sisters, advocating and campaigning for a just world built on love, peace, and solidarity. Our work is informed by reflecting on the ‘signs of the times’ through a ‘see, judge and act’ methodology. We strive to bring about a long-term, positive impact on the lives of those we serve. This requires us to be both effective in our work, and good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.

Our times are challenging and complex. Whilst it could be argued that recent decades have seen progress in health and living standards for many people in the world, this has happened at the cost of growing inequality in wealth and power, social fragmentation and environmental degradation, underpinned by an unjust economic system.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. To contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the Caritas Confederation by coordinating the work on enhancing youth (aged 18-35) inclusion, empowerment and leadership;
  2. To contribute to develop, and to revise; to implement, monitor and evaluate a Confederation-wide strategy to promote youth empowerment, inclusion and leadership at all levels, as part of the implementation of the CI Strategic Framework. This work is carried out in close coordination with the Inclusive Leadership Senior Officer, who is responsible for developing and overseeing Caritas Internationalis’ long-term strategy on youth inclusion, leadership, and empowerment, and for ensuring continuity of the workstream across Youth Officer contract cycles;
  3. To facilitate and coordinate cross-cutting, inter-department initiatives on youth inclusion and empowerment, and provide support to relevant bodies to ensure that the voices and experiences of young people are known and adequately considered in the Confederation’s work: This includes sensitizing and animating Caritas youth on the most pressing and urgent issues that the Confederation addresses;
  4. To strengthen young people’s capacities to participate in the mission of Caritas at all levels through professional development and spiritual formation initiatives;
  5. To animate and support the Confederation to effectively empower and include young people in their work, leadership, and decision-making at all levels, in coordination with relevant global, regional and national structures;
  6. To facilitate the creation of and support existing regional youth networks, in coordination with the Regional Secretariats, and work with them to identify priorities and best practices;
  7. To animate and mobilize the global Caritas youth network of professionals and volunteers;
  8. To liaise with and provide support to the youth representatives in the various CI governing and strategic bodies, in coordination with the Inclusive Leadership Senior Officer;
  9. To support and facilitate the work of the Confederation’s working structures related to youth (e.g. task forces, working groups, etc.);
  10. To gather, analyse, and share data on youth participation and engagement across the Confederation, and track progress, by identifying strengths, best practices and gaps. Share this data in reports, and circulate this information widely across the Confederation;
  11. To contribute to the work with relevant Holy See Dicasteries, other organisations, universities and institutes of higher education to promote young people and their experiences and perspectives in relevant structures and decision-making process;
  12. To work with the relevant Regional Secretariats and Member Organisations to coordinate and lead Caritas’ youth delegations to global events and initiatives (e.g. World Youth Day festivals);
  13. To communicate Caritas’ youth strategies and actions via Caritas Youth’s social media channels, collaborate with the Department of Engagement to share youth-related initiatives through Caritas’ mainstream communications channels, and provide information on CI’s youth strategy in any relevant forum (e.g. ad limina visits to the office, in meetings with relevant bodies, etc.);
  14. To attend, contribute to, and organise meetings on youth participation/leadership and related subjects both within and outside of the Caritas Confederation;
  15. To contribute to training, workshops and CIMS assessment processes in the area of youth inclusion and empowerment;
  16. To make sure that activities and initiatives related to the work areas above are in line with the operational plan and budget;
  17. To contribute to the overall work of the Confederation Development Department and to the growth of the team.

PROFILE

  • University degree(s) in a subject related to humanitarian aid, development, international relations, social sciences, faith-based contexts, and/or other relevant field(s);
  • At least 5 years of professional and/or volunteering experience in a Caritas/Church organisation, including an active role in animation, and/or programme implementation;
  • Working proficiency in written and oral English; knowledge of French, Spanish and/or Italian is a strong asset;
  • Knowledge of the Church and Caritas structures;
  • Interest in and knowledge of organisational development and capacity strengthening processes, developing training modules and facilitating training sessions;
  • Ability to lead and animate a global programme and develop a sense of ownership of it by all members by synthesizing diverse inputs into a clear, coherent action plan
  • Familiarity with and ability to effectively and creatively use digital platforms that allow for global collaboration (e.g. zoom, shared online documents, social media, etc.);
  • Good understanding of and ability to adapt to current and changing communications trends, especially those used by young people;
  • Strong understanding of global trends and systems that impact and inform Caritas Internationalis’ mission;
  • Strong public communications and speaking skills;
  • Strong analytical, monitoring, evaluation and reporting skills;
  • Capacity to work in a diverse team and a multicultural environment with a spirit of respect and service;
  • Understanding of an “accompanying attitude” and ability to promote it with Member Organisations;
  • Capacity and willingness to be flexible and to work well under pressure;
  • Capacity and willingness to work with discretion regarding matters of high confidentiality or importance;
  • Ability to communicate clearly and to a high standard (oral and written);
  • Ability to meet assigned deadlines and to be results-oriented;
  • Adaptability, flexibility and availability to travel in different countries, even with short-term notice;
  • Proficient computer skills and experience working with Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.), and other digital communications platforms (e.g. Zoom, shared online documents, social media, etc.);
  • Demonstrable empathy and respect for the faith and values of the Catholic Church;
  • Understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Eligibility

This position is part of a youth-focused initiative under the Caritas Internationalis Strategic Framework 2024–2030 and Youth Strategy, aimed at promoting meaningful youth participation and leadership across the Confederation. Applications are invited from candidates aged 18–32 at the time of application. This age requirement ensures that the successful candidate remains within the Caritas Internationalis definition of Youth (18–35 years of age) throughout the expected two-year duration of the assignment and reflects the specific objectives of the initiative and the nature of the role.

To learn more about the job position at Caritas Internationalis please download brochure here.

How to apply

Please send the CV, the cover letter (English language) and the Job Application by 4th September 2026 (12:00 Rome time) to the attention of Dr. Yari Bergamasco, Human Resources & Legal Affairs Manager, to hr@caritas.va

Please, note that the interviews for this position will be held by 10 October 2026.
Details will be communicated to shortlisted candidates later.

Important information for non-EU candidates:
Employment is subject to obtaining the necessary entry visa and all required authorizations from the competent authorities, including authorization for health insurance coverage. Please note that this process may take a considerable amount of time and could result in a delayed start date. Should the required visa and/or authorizations not be granted, Caritas Internationalis will be unable to proceed with the appointment.