National Project Coordinator Full Time NEW

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people. 

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community-based organizations across eight program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

Want to know more about life at SOS?

🌟 Explore our Employee Value Proposition Here

👉 Follow our journey on LinkedIn

Our Commitment to Safeguarding  

At SOS Children’s Villages, safeguarding isn’t just a policy, it’s a foundational value embedded in everything we do. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting the children, young people, adults, and communities we serve, as well as our workforce and resources.

We cultivate an environment of trust and accountability where every voice is heard and respected. All successful candidates will be expected to champion our holistic safeguarding principles, actively upholding our Child & Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and regulations against sexual misconduct, fraud, and corruption.

By joining our team, you commit to integrating these vital standards into your work, ensuring the highest levels of safety, ethics, and integrity in every action and partnership.

Together, we create a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and protected

Join Our Mission:

We are looking for a National Project Coordinator to work Under the direct supervision of the Youth Empowerment Portfolio Manager , being responsible of coordinating the overall implementation of projects at different sites in line with the “Vision, Mission, Values”, strategies, policies and goals of the organisation, government legislation and donor requirements and agreement.

Key Responsibilities

Project implementation and capacity building

• Design strategies to deliver the result areas of projects in consultation with all relevant stakeholders;
• Advise and support field staff and implementing partners in the implementation of project activities;
• Together with relevant stakeholders (colleagues, consultants, and implementing partners) design curriculum, training manual and best practice guide relevant to the implementation of projects.
• Work with partners and financial institutions to design strategies to increase access to finance for project participants.
• Provides content wise guidance to project staff in planning, budgeting, and reporting of project interventions.
• Partner with HROD Unit to assess capacity gaps and facilitate capacity building trainings to project staffs;
• Ensures knowledge exchange between program locations implementing similar projects
• Prepare quality proposals and justifications for project no cost extension and lead kick-off events.

Quality Management, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Assist the Project MEAL officer and field staff in designing and developing tools to ensure sound data quality and monitoring of project deliverables;
• Work with the project staff and partners’ Monitoring and Evaluation staff to establish and ensure a functional M&E system that assesses the impact of project interventions;
• Contribute to the development/improvement of participatory monitoring and evaluation as well as documentation and sharing of lessons with others, as related to the project under implementation.
• Draft, compile, review and share quality and results-based reports and updates with relevant stakeholders.
• Advises programme unit managers and project coordinators in the location on quality project implementation and supports the implementation of monitoring, audit and evaluation recommendations.
• Make sure relevant assessments, mid-term and terminal evaluations are conducted timely and with expected quality.
• Monitors and evaluates the implementation of quality standards and progress of projects/interventions through supportive supervision, internal program audits, and review of and feedback to project reports, statistics, and self-evaluation results to ensure that interventions are implemented in line with organisational plans, standards, and policies, and with national legislation.
• Make sure and assist that project and program participants data are properly and timely captured and documented on PDB2, PRODIGI systems and respective project monitoring tools.

Donor Contract Management

• Review draft Partnership Agreements (PAs), follow up the signing of the final version of project PAs, and ensure he proper filing of signed PAs.
• Ensure project is managed in accordance with donor contract agreement;
• Lead the preparation of quality reports as required by donors and counterparts, by contributing progress reports, lessons learned, and case studies for the project
• Ensure that all relevant co-workers are aware of donor and contract agreement requirements
• Coordinate and facilitate monitoring visits by donors and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate change requests (if required) and approvals with project donors

Budget and budget management

• Support program location and project team in the periodic budget revision.
• Makes sure that budgets are used for intended purposes and they are spent in accordance with approved procedures and limits and donor requirements.
• Work together with the project Finance officer, to clarify and update donor compliance procedures and budget burn rate.
• Support Project Coordinators based in program locations in budget preparation and utilization.

Learning and Documentation

• Collect, document and share lessons learned and results of the implementation of project activities
• Keep up to date with developments in the sector, including best practice examples in-country and internationally, and ensure ongoing personal development and learning
• Follow-up and proper documentation of government policies, strategies and legal documents linked with that specific project.
• Promote and strengthen cross-functional learning opportunities among locations, departments and projects.
• Frequently showcasing measurable results related to his/her project.
• Contributes to the performance appraisals of project coordinators and project staff and provides immediate and relevant feedbacks.

Advocacy, Partnership building and networking

• Serve as the primary focal point and resource person for specific project(s).
• Coordinate/lead regular meetings with the PSAs and donors and serve as a bridge between donors and; project staff.
• Assist identification of potential partner organizations for and preparation of MoU for effectively implementation of the project;
• Actively engage in advocacy activities together with the advocacy advisor.
• Establish and maintain partnership with bureau of labour and skills and TVET institutions at different level
• Maintain and establish contacts among local partner organizations, training institutions, associations, government offices, private sector and others.
• Cooperates with the National portfolio managers, LPDs and Location Project Coordinators in building strong links and cooperation with national government and local authorities, as well as other stakeholders to enhance the quality and sustainability of project implementation.
• Joins relevant networks, forums, platforms, campaigns, working groups and advocates on behalf of the organisation that mainly work for vulnerable groups.
• Assists the development of terms of reference for seeking consultancy engagement;
• Leads evaluation of proposals submitted by consultancy firms/individuals;
• Closely work with relevant sector offices and contribute towards the development of national guidelines and polices that support the well-being of vulnerable groups.
• Follow up and provide technical support and feedbacks on manuals and documents produced by consultants.
• Support associations and groups to promote changes that lead to policy and practice that create a framework for the well-being of vulnerable individuals and groups.

Gender equity and Diversity

• Facilitate the design, promotion, and/or implementation of training curricula and capacity building activities that take into account the needs of female and people with disabilities program participants in terms of training topics, methodologies, timing, location, and other aspects;
• Ensure that gender and inclusion considerations and particularly access to information, services, finance, and markets, as well as other aspects of interventions are incorporated into all assessments and activities.
• Promote gender equality in the implementation of the project
• Ensure that reports make explicit reference to approaches used to address unequal gender relations and ensure that program participants’ data are disaggregated by gender.

Our Ideal Candidate?

Let’s find out if we’re a match. The next step in our process depends on how your background closely align with the below criteria’s.

Essential Requirements (Must-Have):

• Education:
• BA Degreee in Economics, Sociology, Social work, Project management, Business Administration, Marketing, Development studies or another relevant field.
• Experience:
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience for MA/MSc degree holders, and 7 years of progressive experience for BA/BSc degree holders.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, monitoring, and managing youth empowerment programs/projects, ideally within the NGO, development, or humanitarian sector.
• Skills/ Competencies:
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken, with proven ability to produce clear and well‑structured reports, proposals, and presentations
• Strong experience in project management, including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Solid knowledge of youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and employability programming.
• Good understanding of social development issues, including gender, education, and youth skills training.
• Knowledge of micro‑business development, market systems, and value chain approaches.
• Budget development and understanding of financial management principles.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, partnership-building, and negotiation skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in community mobilization and stakeholder engagement.
• Understanding of human resource development, coaching, and capacity-building processes.
• Knowledge and practical application of Project Cycle Management (PCM).
• Familiarity with national policies and strategies related to youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and employment.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet tight deadlines.

Desired Assets (Nice-to-Have): 

• MA/MSc in Project management, Development studies, Economics, Sociology, Social work, Business Administration, Marketing, or other relevant field.
• Experience in employability, entrepreneurship, TVET, livelihoods, or skills development initiatives
• Proven track record in community engagement, partnership development, and working with government stakeholders, youth organizations, TVETs, private sector, and local structures.

SOS Lead and Core Competencies 

Lead Competency 

• Role model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others
• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships
• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power
• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

Core Competency 

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

How To Apply

To apply, please submit your updated resume via SOS Children’s Villages Application portal (ICIMS)

https://careers-sos-kd.icims.com/jobs/2432/national-project-coordinator/job

We actively champion diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage women to step forward and apply. As part of our unwavering commitment to holistic safeguarding protecting children, youth, adults, and assets our selection process emphasizes value alignment and includes thorough background checks for all potential hires.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer, providing fair consideration to all applicant regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.