Molly Schneider is a technical adviser for rural livelihoods at the International Rescue Committee, a role that is similar in function to a program officer at many other organizations in bringing technical expertise to program development, grant applications, trainings, and projects.
Schneider is the focal point for country programs in Africa’s Francophone Great Lakes region and the Sahel region of West Africa. Depending on the country, she supports a range of emergency and recovery programming, which can cover anything from cash support and market systems development to urban-based employment.
She served with the Peace Corps and completed a master’s in development practice before spending time in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Upon landing a role with IRC, she had to build knowledge and capacity around the humanitarian space, as well as its principles and interventions. Schneider tells Devex about the technical skills that have helped her succeed and the challenges of juggling multiple programs.