Company Background

IOCC, the official humanitarian organization of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), was founded in 1992. The organization is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and operates globally with field offices in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East Africa. With extensive experience in partnership programs with various organizations such as USAID, USDA, PRM, and international donors, IOCC has been active for nearly thirty years in emergency and development initiatives. These initiatives cover a wide range of sectors including food security, WASH, micro-credit lending, health, nutrition, agriculture, shelter, infrastructure, education, livelihoods, capacity building, and civil society development. Through these programs, IOCC supports communities in lifting themselves out of poverty and achieving economic sustainability. 

In 2003, IOCC began its work in Ethiopia in collaboration with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC). Over the past 20 years, IOCC has partnered with EOC-DICAC, international and local NGOs, as well as various ministries in Ethiopia including Health, Education, and Agriculture. The organization has provided humanitarian and development assistance to communities across the country, improving the lives of Ethiopians and refugees from neighboring Somalia and South Sudan. IOCC projects have focused on enhancing healthcare, food and education access, clean water, sanitation facilities, agriculture, livelihoods, and job opportunities.

Project Description 

The main objective of the Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Program Manager role is to oversee the strategic planning and execution of food security and livelihood interventions in Ethiopia. Additionally, the Manager will actively seek out potential funding opportunities within the Food Security and Livelihood sector and create relevant proposals. The overall aim of the program is to support the recovery and resilience of Ethiopian communities in the face of shocks and crises. This will be achieved through a combination of humanitarian interventions to mitigate risks and vulnerabilities, as well as development interventions to enhance the adaptive capacity of target families for future crises. The identified projects will primarily focus on cash and voucher assistance, improving food access, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), natural resource management, livelihood diversification, women empowerment, and skills training. The community will be at the core of this approach, and the Program Manager, with the assistance of project officers, will play a facilitation role. This includes providing guidance, facilitating unconditional cash interventions, building capacity, and supporting the establishment of community groups and institutions that aid families in overcoming the immediate effects of the desert locust invasion, while also preparing them for future shocks. Furthermore, the Program Manager will be responsible for identifying new partnerships and contributing to the design and development of the food security and livelihood program.

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Management (80%)

• Oversee and directly manage a donor funded food security and livelihood project according to approved objectives, plans of action, budget and reporting.

• Lead a team of food security and livelihood technical staff and engage in the provision of technical support to project stakeholders to ensure that the project is implemented to the highest quality standards.

• Lead the project reporting (narrative and financial) in-line with donor requirements including monitoring financial expenditure and the submission of periodic reports (interim, annual, quarterly, field visit, monthly management and situation reports) for internal use, Project Consortium Lead/HEKS, Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO), government signatories of the project, etc. 

• Lead in using the findings of surveys and ongoing analysis to develop and/or revise plans, approaches and design modifications to meet changing conditions to ensure optimal project performance that can be implemented within the established budget.

• Analyze budgeted and actual expenditures with the Finance Manager on a monthly basis and address any issues of over or under-spending. 

• Conduct timely technical supportive, supervision and monitoring field trips.

• Ensure the effective implementation of personnel and administrative management systems, including policies and procedures.

• Identify and assess the capacity needs of the national staff, partners and counterparts involved in the program, plan and implement capacity building activities.

• Oversee procurement and logistics procedures for efficient use and proper documentation of all activities in accordance to organizational and donor guidelines.

• Enhance documentation of lessons learnt and best practices of programs to be shared with relevant stakeholders. 

• Coordinate and network with other stakeholders to promote appropriate humanitarian and development programming. This includes attending and engaging with relevant coordination meetings and technical sessions called by the Consortium lead/HEKS, and other government organizations such as Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS), Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture Taskforce, and other agencies.

• Develop a thorough analysis of the food security and livelihoods situation through primary and secondary assessments and with due consideration for women and youth; and lead the design and development of food security and livelihood program portfolio.

• Perform other duties as required or assigned. 

Business Development (20%)

• In coordination with the Country Representative, develop relationships with donors in the Food Security sector.

• Build the reputation of IOCC in this sector by attending cluster meetings, donor events, and networking with other NGOs.

• Develop fact sheets and marketing information about IOCC and it’s work in the sector as needed.

• Lead the development of proposals and budgets that respond to identified funding opportunities. 

Category: Livelihood, Food Security, Agriculture, Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), Environment and Natural Resource 

Employment Type:  Full Time (12 months) 

Duration: Full-time employment (24 months). 

Career Level: Mid to Senior Level (7+ years experience) 

Job Requirements

Qualification:

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA):

• Knowledge of international donors and working in humanitarian and development programs is required. Budgeting, needs assessment, and supervisory skills, including team building and leadership; excellent inter-personal communication skills; advanced written and spoken communication skills in English and Amharic languages, and advanced computer skills. 

Competencies:

• Ability to build strong personal and organizational relationships with all internal and external staff and contacts; sensitivity to cultural conditions and practices; tenacity in observing procedures, regulations, and other requirements in implementing and maintaining IOCC programs; ability to think strategically, analyze issues, and make appropriate recommendations. 

Education:

• Masters’ degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Forestry, and related field with minimum of 7 years experience in planning, managing, coordinating, and supervising livelihood projects such as natural resource management, value chain development, entrepreneurship small enterprises development, and cash and voucher programming. 

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years experience in humanitarian and development work with non-government organizations (local and international) in developing countries and experience in cash and voucher assistance, training, project monitoring, staff mentoring, evaluation and reporting skills, proposal development experience, and leading need assessments is required. 

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates shall submit their motivation letter along with their non-returnable recent CV online using THIS LINK

Note: 

Please make sure you mention the Vacancy Number ‘FSL Program Manager’ in the subject line of your application. 

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Applications from qualified women are highly encouraged. 

Note: All the shaded areas of the form are mandatory, providing the rest of the information will boost your recruitment efforts.