Reference number: Rec/030/22

CORDAID is a Dutch, international non-governmental organization which combines 100 years of experience and expertise in emergency aid and structural poverty eradication. CORDAID believes in a world without poverty and exclusion. We strive for a just and sustainable society where every person counts. We stand for knowledge and talent sharing between North and South, between farmers and businesses, between activists and policymakers. Where poverty, conflict and exclusion tear up societies, we connect people and communities. We also stand for professionalism, expertise and solidarity across borders, to make a difference where it is most needed. Together with more than 600 partner organizations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America we structurally improve the living conditions of the poorest and most excluded populations - the bottom billion.

Purpose of the position/Job’s aim

The Program Officer is responsible overall implementation of Skills for Life, Peace and Employability for Displaced and Host Community Adolescents in Dhandhaman (formerly Babile) District, Kebribayah (Council and District) and Jigjiga in Fafaan Zone, Somali Region. The Program Officer will ensure that current and future Skills for Life, Peace and Employability programming is designed and implemented most appropriately and to meet Cordaid and donor standards. He/She ensures that the project activities are implemented in accordance with the project proposal and agreement and Cordaid’s project-based working principles, procedures, and approach. He/she leads the project and Cordaid’s efforts to effectively implement Skills for Life, Peace and Employability. Further, the Program Officer will be responsible for direct implementation of the project activities in Jigjiga city and surrounding kebeles. He/She is responsible for overall planning, implementation and supervision, coordination, and reporting of overall project activities; provision of capacity building training and technical assistance to the beneficiaries and government sector offices; monitoring and tracking progress, providing ongoing feedback, and proposing adjustments to monthly, quarterly and annual implementation plans according to emerging needs and priorities. He/She establishes and maintains close working relationship to ensure active participation of individuals, CBOs, government sector offices, privet sectors, UN agencies, and NGO stakeholders in implementing and monitoring the project; document and share potential promising practices/good practices and lessons learned that have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the target beneficiaries. He/She ensure effective coordination with other actors, monitoring and evaluation, and quality assurance of Cordaid’s programme portfolio. He/she ensures leveraging and alignment with other similar programs in Somali Region and works with Cordaid Ethiopia and Global technical support teams. He/She is responsible for contributing to program design and development; technical support to interventions; measurement, research and documentation; representation and partnership development, proposal and resource development; and training, mentoring and organizational learning. He/She supervise and provide technical assistances, guidance and direction, and appraise performance of the Field Facilitators (#2) so that they improve performance, ensures the quality of the project work, achieve intended results, and ensure sustainability of the interventions. 

Responsibilities and Accountability

Project Implementation and Management

• Responsible for the planning, daily management, and implementation of consortium project deliverables.
• Serves as the frontline person that stimulates action, liaises with the government, private sector, UN, and NGO partners and facilitates the delivery of project interventions in the assigned area/s
• Responsible for mobilizing, activating, and strengthening community groups to manage and sustain project initiatives
• Support adaption of existing life skills, support establishment/strengthening school clubs/ Life Skills Clubs;
• Facilitate woreda-based job markets assessment to address context specific gaps of existing labour assessments
• Facilitate tailor-made life and informal employability skills
• Support provision of basic business management trainings for out-of-school adolescents
• Support provision of need-based post training support services for out of school adolescents for a quicker transition from learning to work
• Conduct technical meetings to institutionalize life skills in education system
• Organize inclusive training for IDP and local authorities on community-based conflict management and peace dialogue facilitation skills.
• Support community awareness events that promote peaceful co-existence and build a culture of peace.
• Provide training on Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) for all categories of personnel and at all levels of the implementing organizations
• Analysis and periodic update issues affecting project in the locality area.
• Ensures that project activities are implemented as outlined in the project/agreement and in accordance with the organizations programming principles.
• Ensures that all project interventions are carried out with full participation of the individuals, community, CBOs, government sector offices, privet sectors, UN agencies, NGO, and other stakeholders.
• Manage a comprehensive activity plan for the project, including resource needs analysis, covering the time frame of the project proposal
• Ensures that all Field Facilitators prepare regular work plan, monthly and quarterly of field activities progress review, compile and submit to the immediate supervisor on time.
• Develops detailed implementation plans (DIP)
• Support Field Facilitators in day-to-day implementation of the project’s activities
• Provides ongoing feedback to project activities and propose adjustments in annual implementation plans according to emerging needs and priorities.
• Support relevant Cordaid Ethiopia Project Manager (s) in day-to-day decision making as requested
• Ensure all relevant documents related to the project are produced and filed according to Cordaidr and donor guidelines
• Ensure that regular supervision and monitoring and evaluation against project objectives are conducted and reported the Cordaid Ethiopia programme lead (s); 
• Responsible for the timely submission to the Cordaid Ethiopia programme lead of well-prepared periodic project updates.
• Ensure complete and timely reporting of activities to Cordaid Ethiopia programme lead, government, and any other relevant bodies.

Quality Management

• Promote and use Cordaid project based working procedures, ensuring that all standardised formats are used, and guidelines are followed
• Ensure that the project is implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with Cordaid, donor, country, and international standards or recommendations.
• Provides technical assistance to the Field Facilitators, target beneficiaries, CBOs, government sector offices, private sectors, and counterparts as required.
• Regularly assess and provide feedback and recommendations on the quality of the project and interventions during field visits and at other relevant times 

Networking, Partnering and Advocacy

• Maps and identifies potential partners (government, private sector) that Cordaid Ethiopia can work with in relevant thematic and geographic areas
• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders (e.g., beneficiaries, community leaders, local private sector, government officials, UN agencies and other NGOs) and represent Cordaid at relevant meetings (e.g. state and local government, sector-coordination) in order to facilitate and ensure cooperation and partnerships
• Seek out and actively participate in relevant local networks, humanitarian cluster or task groups on Skills for Life, Peace and Employability issues
• Accompany donors on field trips and ensure programme details are transmitted in a timely and professional manner

Financial Management

• Prepares fund request and monitor the budget vs actual expenditures
• Plan and construct the budgets for the project in collaboration with the Cordaid Ethiopia programme lead, Head of Program, Operation Manager and Finance team and in accordance with donor guidelines
• Working with Cordaid Ethiopia programme lead, Head of Program, Operation Manager and Finance team ensure that budgets are spent according to donor proposals and regulations and within the appropriate timeframe, making any budget adjustment recommendations to the Country office.
• Monitor the spending of the project to ensure that the project is operating in line with Cordaid Ethiopia and donor guidelines for financial accounting and reporting practices

Staff Management

• Ensures that all staff have updated monthly and quarterly implementation plans.
• Supervises, leads, guides and support the project staff.
• Provides guidance on appropriate approaches to promote an organizational environment that supports and encourages staff development, enhanced performance, increased program quality, and overall organizational effectiveness.
• Promotes a participatory working environment that enables the development of high performing teams.
• Ensure that staff receive appropriate and adequate training by providing mentoring and coaching
• Hold regular team meetings and, through a consultative leadership style and a transparent, honest, and supportive communication structure, develop and build an effective team
• Completes all performance management activities including performance planning, monitoring, and annual performance appraisals.
• Based on annual performance appraisal and required job competencies, identify staff training needs and coordinate training activities.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Ensures that the monitoring and evaluation systems are in place and provides quality information for monitoring progress and adjusting implementation plans in the project interventions.
• Support baseline survey
• Periodically visits field activities and provide formal and informal feedback to the project staff in terms of adequate and inadequate progress as well as recommendations for improved performance.
• Ensures that the project utilizes MEL findings/results in enhancing/modifying project implementation.
• Ensure quarterly joint programme review and learning sessions with stakeholders
• Ensure bi-monthly meetings with key government decision makers to better steer the programme and facilitate institutionalization of lessons
• Ensure documentation of best practices and lessons
• Assists in identifying priorities for and in the conduct of project documentation

Fund Raising

• Maintain an overview of the operational area context with a view to the strategic development of new projects both in current sites and in surrounding areas. This may include baseline needs assessments
• Collects and document up dated data/information, which could be used as inputs for development of project proposals.
• Conducts assessments on specific sector or multi sectoral nature to support the country office proposal development effort.
• Support the Cordaid Country Office Program Team in the development of new concepts and proposals

Job Requirements

Qualifications 

Education

• Bachelor's degree level in TVET, Education, Economic, Economic Empowerment or similar field

Experience 

• 5 years of experience working in NGO with similar responsibilities

Technical Skills  

• Technical and professional knowledge and experience in Skills for Life, Peace and Employability and economic empowerment
• Experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs
• Understanding of multisector and multi-agency approaches
• Understanding of gender issues
• Team-player with good inter-personal skills and committed to team-building and able to develop and support other team members
• Capacity to work under pressure and manage personal stress levels
• Good negotiation skills
• Good report and proposal writing skills
• Written and spoken English language skills
• Knowledge of local Language.

Core Competencies

• Planning and organizing
• Leadership (individual and team)
• Negotiation skills
• Stress tolerance
• Responsibility
• Coaching
• Result oriented
• Integrity
• Organizational awareness

How to Apply

Interested and qualifying applicants can submit their application letter and CV in English, with both phone and email contact details of at least 3 professional references, to the following email hr.ethiopia@cordaid.org. The vacancy reference number along with the title of the post needs to be written in the subject of the email. 

CORDAID is an equal opportunity employer and women are strongly encouraged to apply. All applications submitted cannot be returned.  Applicants are encouraged to apply early as interviews are done on a rolling basis and the advert can be closed when a matching candidate is identified An integrity screening will be part of the application procedure.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.