Project Officer NEW

Position Title: Project Officer

Duty Station: Dollo Ado

Open Position: 2

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004. In partnership with civil society organizations,
academic institutions, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than
five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs
emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the
impacts of climate change. Currently in six regional states – Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali,
and South Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR), and in Dire Dawa Administration and
the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa – Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the
emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women. Our
strategic directions focus in promoting inclusive and dynamic markets; promoting peace and social
cohesion through strengthening formal/informal governance structures and citizen engagement;
improved natural resource governance; and integrated humanitarian response.

Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps is currently implementing a WFP funded “Climate-proofing Food security In Ethiopia’s
Drought prone lowland Areas of Dollo ado and Dollo Bay woredas. This ambitious program is designed
to revitalize the local food systems, ensuring that they are robust, sustainable, and capable of
supporting the nutritional and economic needs of both refugee and host community populations. By
integrating a variety of support mechanisms—ranging from agricultural enhancement to financial
inclusion, market connectivity, and livelihood augmentation—the intervention is meticulously crafted to
foster resilience and improve nutritional outcomes. The initiative is not a one-size-fits-all solution;
rather, it is a carefully orchestrated series of actions, each one building upon the other, to address the
unique challenges and leverage the strengths of the households it serves. For instance, agricultural
beneficiaries will not only receive support but will also be encouraged to form cooperatives, engage in
savings and loan associations, and tap into microfinance opportunities, thereby weaving a strong fabric
of communal support and financial empowerment.

The project’s vision extends beyond immediate aid, setting its sights on long-term development and
self-reliance. Recognizing the untapped potential of agriculture in the region, hindered by water scarcity
and inadequate infrastructure, the intervention aims to transform these challenges into opportunities. By
providing access to irrigated land and modernizing agricultural practices through the introduction of
solar pumps and regenerative techniques, the project aspires to unlock the full potential of local
agriculture. This holistic approach includes not only the provision of quality seeds and inputs but also
the cultivation of knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable farming practices. Training in climatesmart
agriculture and business acumen is a cornerstone of this strategy, equipping households with the
tools to thrive independently and contribute meaningfully to the local economy.

General Position Summary
The project officers will be based in Dollo Ado & Dollo Bay woredas and works under the direction and
guidance of the Woreda Program Coordinator and field team. The PO will be responsible for the
planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Enabling Food Systems Transformation and
IFTIIN program activities at the community level.
He/she bridges the link between the project field team and the communities and local government
representatives and engage in community/institutional capacity building activities.
In collaboration with local level government stakeholders, community members the PO is responsible
for the day-to-day planning and implementation of project activities at community level.

Essential Job Responsibilities
 Create conducive environment for smallholder farmers to access predictable market for
agricultural inputs and produces.
 Facilitate access to financial services through formation of VSLA and cooperatives and link
them to formal financial institutions to benefit both host and refugee communities
 Works with woreda Agriculture and Natural Resources Office in the target area to create mass
awareness to induce behavioral change to improve diversification and consumption of
nutritious food.
 Facilitate woreda level stakeholders’ coordination meetings and joint monitoring and follow up
events.
 Take part in assessments and data collection when required
 Provide activity, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
 Represent Mercy Corps in the woreda of his/her assignment.
 Ensure adequate consultation and participation of kebele and village/community level
stakeholders ensuring active participation of women.
 With support of the field technical team, provide expertise and advice for community
institutions/Organizations on gender mainstreaming and gender equality.
 Facilitate community meetings, discussions, dialogues among others on the management of
the programme at the community level.
 Support and Facilitate Community/institutional Capacity Building Activities
 Act as an active member of the project team by identifying and exploring opportunities to
improve project implementation and guarantee its sustainability.

STRATEGY & VISION
● Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative
viewpoints are welcomed.
● Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and
contribute to countrywide strategy development.
● Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince
stakeholders to provide support.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
● Coordinates, participate and facilitate assessments, activities planning, coordination’s
meetings and workshops with stakeholders.
● Provide systematic technical support to woreda Agriculture and Natural Resources Office to
ensure quality and impactful implementation of all integrated smallholders resilience and
livelihood support.
● Work with woreda Agriculture and Natural Resources Office to improve agriculture
extension service to increase agricultural production and productivity.
● Facilitate market linkages between aggregators, agriculture – input suppliers, and
smallholder’s farmers.
● Facilitate woreda and kebele level activities such as, beneficiaries’ selection and profiling,
extension service provision, capacity building trainings and meetings events, market linkage
events, financial inclusion activities,
● Provide work plan, and corresponding activity report about the activities.
● Regularly visits field activities to assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback.

TEAM MANAGEMENT
● Develop the capacity of the community facilitators and enumerators, deepen understanding
of their roles and assist with career development.
● Assist community facilitators with information, tools and resources to improve performance
& reach objectives.
● Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback
informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
● Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency
programming.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
 Represent Mercy Corps Infront of partners, communities and stakeholders and in
coordination meetings.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)
● Adherence of gender minimum standards
● Make sure GESI issues are properly reflected during program management
● Support the organization’s commitment to age and gender inclusive team building
process
● Increased commitment to Gender Equality Diversity and Social inclusion

Supervisory Responsibility
 Line manage the Field facilitators
Accountability
Reports Directly To: The Woreda program Coordinator
Technical Line Report To: The PM
Works Directly With: The GEDSI, MEL and program team
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our
program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding
international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal
partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience
 BSc in NRM, Agriculture, Forestry, rural development, Development studies, Cooperative
Management, Agriculture Economics or related field
 Knowledge of cooperatives management, Smallholder support, Soil and water
conservation, landscape management, Financial Inclusion and livelihood development.
 Three Years work experience in Cooperatives Development, Agriculture, NRM and
livelihood development in similar organizations Prior experience working with pastoralist
communities, in Ethiopia especially in the Somali region.
 Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, prioritization
skills.
 Ability to work comfortably, effectively and creatively in areas of variable security.
 Multi-tasking, organization, and prioritization skills

Success Factors
He/ She must be a tolerant and flexible individual who is able to work in difficult and stressful
environments and follow procedures with high commitment to learn and change. He/she must be able
to speak at least one of the local languages of the community in target and knows the culture of the
community.

Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the
communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities
that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment
to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking,
we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex
challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives
and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best
work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and
evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We
actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger
and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal
employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis
of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic
origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected
group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work,
whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect
and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and
abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency
Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or
harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work
environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local
laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team
members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an
annual basis.