Project Officer – Yabello – East Africa Land Border Security Program (EALBSP) Full Time NEW

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas of: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes the U.S. Department of State, the European Union (EU), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the United Nations (UN), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), and a range of other institutional and private foundations.

Location: Yabello, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, with frequent travel to EALBSP program locations within the assigned field area

Position Status: Full-time, Regular

This position is contingent upon confirmation of program funding.

Salary Level: In accordance with the relevant Mercy Corps Ethiopia salary scale

Risk Level: Level 3

The Program / Department / Team

East Africa Land Border Security Program – Ethiopia

The East Africa Land Border Security Program (EALBSP) is an FCDO-funded regional program designed to disrupt organized immigration crime (OIC) and contribute to safer borders and safer communities. The program works through four mutually reinforcing outcome areas: evidence and analysis; stronger law-enforcement capability; community engagement, reporting and early warning; and witness support and protection.

In Ethiopia, EALBSP is implemented as a dedicated country component aligned with the regional programme, Ethiopian law and institutions, Government of Ethiopia priorities, and the realities of selected border and migration corridors. Mercy Corps works with relevant government institutions at federal, regional and local levels, consortium partners, Ethiopian civil-society and specialist partners, communities and other stakeholders to strengthen existing systems and locally grounded responses rather than establish parallel structures. Program implementation is evidence-led, conflict-sensitive, rights-respecting and adaptive to changing border, migration and operational dynamics.

The Position

The Project Officer supports the day-to-day implementation of EALBSP-Ethiopia activities managed from Yabello. Reporting to the Field Program Coordinator, the position translates approved activity plans into well-organized field delivery and works directly with government counterparts, communities, implementing partners and Mercy Corps colleagues to ensure activities are properly prepared, implemented, documented and followed through.

The position is highly field-oriented and requires consistent follow-through from activity preparation through implementation, documentation, feedback and closure of agreed actions.

The Project Officer supports implementation across EALBSP’s four outcome areas as assigned, while respecting the technical authority of specialist outcome leads and the functional responsibilities of MRELA, Finance, Procurement, Security, Grants and other support functions. The role is responsible for maintaining reliable field documentation, tracking activity actions and commitments, identifying implementation constraints early and providing timely information to the Field Program Coordinator.

The position requires regular engagement in sensitive operating environments and must apply conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm, safeguarding, community accountability, confidentiality and responsible-data principles in all program interactions.

Essential Responsibilities

FIELD IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTIVITY COORDINATION

• Support day-to-day implementation of approved EALBSP-Ethiopia activities within the Yabello field area, following agreed workplans, technical guidance, budgets, timelines and Mercy Corps standards.
• Work with the Field Program Coordinator to prepare detailed activity schedules, task lists and readiness checklists and to track implementation actions through completion.
• Organise and support workshops, consultations, trainings, community dialogues, meetings and other approved program activities, ensuring participants, venues, materials, transport, documentation and other requirements are ready on time.
• Observe and document implementation quality as well as activity completion, including whether activities are relevant, inclusive, conflict-sensitive and delivered as intended; promptly flag quality concerns or corrective actions to the Field Program Coordinator.
• Maintain accurate activity files, participant and attendance records where appropriate, meeting notes, action trackers, field observations and other source documentation required by program and MRELA systems.
• Identify implementation delays, stakeholder concerns, resource gaps or changes in local conditions early and raise them promptly with the Field Program Coordinator.
• Support delivery across the program’s four outcome areas as assigned without assuming technical responsibilities reserved for specialist outcome leads or partners.

GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

• Maintain routine and respectful working relationships with authorized Oromia Region regional, zonal, woreda/local government counterparts and other stakeholders relevant to assigned activities.
• Support scheduling, preparation and follow-up of government and stakeholder meetings, including activity briefings, invitations, minutes, agreed actions and required documentation.
• Support inclusive community consultations, dialogues and awareness activities, ensuring women, young people and other relevant groups can participate safely and meaningfully.
• Support community engagement in ways that are voluntary, appropriately informed and sensitive to local power dynamics, and take practical steps to avoid exposing participants to retaliation, stigma or unnecessary contact with enforcement actors.
• Identify participation barriers, community concerns, misinformation, tensions or emerging stakeholder issues and communicate them promptly to the Field Program Coordinator.
• Engage professionally within delegated authority and do not make commitments on program scope, funding, partnerships, donor positions or politically sensitive matters without approval.

PARTNER IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT

• Coordinate routine field implementation with assigned Ethiopian partners, including joint activity planning, schedules, participant arrangements, field follow-up and documentation.
• Attend and observe partner-supported activities as requested, documenting implementation progress, quality observations and issues requiring follow-up.
• Track agreed partner implementation actions and communicate operational or program-quality concerns to the Field Program Coordinator and relevant technical or functional teams.
• Support constructive problem-solving with partners while recognizing that formal subaward compliance, financial monitoring and contractual decisions remain with designated Grants, Finance and Compliance functions.
• Promote respectful, locally grounded partnership approaches and ensure partner perspectives and implementation experience inform field-level learning and adaptation.

 MRELA, CARM, LEARNING AND REPORTING

• Collect, organize and submit routine implementation evidence and source documentation in accordance with EALBSP MRELA requirements and agreed reporting timelines.
• Support field monitoring visits, surveys, interviews, focus-group discussions, community perception work, institutional assessments and other approved MRELA activities as requested.
• Contribute field observations and implementation evidence relevant to the Progress Marker Framework, emerging outcomes, implementation quality, contextual change and unintended effects.
• Support basic verification of activity and partner data and promptly flag missing, inconsistent or questionable information to the MRELA team and Field Program Coordinator.
• Ensure participants and stakeholders are informed about appropriate CARM/feedback channels, pass routine progra feedback into the established system for follow-up, and respect need-to-know restrictions on sensitive complaint information.
• Do not investigate, retain copies of, or informally manage safeguarding, ethics, fraud or other sensitive complaints; immediately route such concerns through designated Mercy Corps reporting and referral channels and access case details only where formally required on a need-to-know basis.
• Prepare concise weekly/activity updates, meeting records and contributions to programme reports, learning products and management updates as requested.

OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITY READINESS

• Work closely with the Field Program Coordinator, Finance Officer, Procurement Officer, Driver and other support colleagues to identify activity requirements sufficiently in advance of implementation.
• Prepare and follow up approved program requests and supporting documentation for procurement, payments, transport, venues, materials and other operational needs in accordance with Mercy Corps procedures.
• Confirm activity readiness before implementation, including required government coordination, partner readiness, participant arrangements, security and movement requirements, operational inputs and MRELA documentation.
• Track pending operational actions and communicate delays or constraints early so that alternative arrangements or escalation can occur before program delivery is affected.
• Promote responsible use of programme resources, value for money and complete documentation without bypassing established financial, procurement or approval controls.

RISK, SECURITY, CONFLICT SENSITIVITY AND SAFEGUARDING

• Comply with all Mercy Corps and EALBSP security, movement, communications and access procedures and support accurate implementation of approved field security measures.
• Follow the direction of the Security and Risk Coordinator and established country security structures and do not independently vary approved movement, access or security measures.
• Maintain awareness of local political, security, conflict and access developments, changes in migration patterns, community perceptions and government or stakeholder relationships that could affect planned activities, and report material changes promptly to the Field Program Coordinator and Security and Risk Coordinator.
• Provide factual field observations and implementation implications to support programme and context monitoring; do not independently undertake or communicate political or security analysis on behalf of the program unless specifically authorized.
• Apply conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm, safeguarding, gender equality and social inclusion, human-rights considerations and participant protection in activity preparation and implementation.
• Exercise particular care in activities involving law-enforcement actors, community reporting, witnesses, survivors, at-risk migrants or other sensitive participants and information.
• Protect confidential programme and participant information and immediately escalate security, safeguarding, legal, reputational, compliance or program-integrity concerns through established Mercy Corps channels.
• Resolve routine implementation issues within delegated responsibilities and promptly escalate matters involving significant programme, political, security, safeguarding, financial, compliance or reputational implications.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility

None. May coordinate enumerators, volunteers, temporary facilitators or other short-term activity personnel during specific approved activities, but has no formal line-management responsibility unless formally assigned.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Field Program Coordinator – Yabello

Works Closely With: MRELA Advisor; MRELA & CARM Senior Officer; Security and Risk Coordinator; Finance and Subaward Specialist; Procurement Officer; relevant EALBSP outcome and technical leads; and Mercy Corps Ethiopia program and support teams.

Works Directly With: Finance Officer and Driver based in Yabello; Ethiopian implementing partners; relevant Oromia Region regional, zonal and local government counterparts; community and civil society representatives; service providers; and other authorized stakeholders supporting field implementation.

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.

Success Factors

The successful Project Officer will be organised, dependable and comfortable working directly with communities, government counterparts and partners in sensitive environments. They will translate agreed plans into practical field activities, maintain accurate records, close actions on time and communicate delays or problems early. The role requires sound judgement about what can be resolved locally and what must be escalated, strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, cultural and political awareness, discretion with sensitive information, and commitment to safeguarding, accountability and conflict-sensitive delivery. They will take ownership of agreed actions, ask for guidance when authority is unclear and deliver high-quality implementation without bypassing program controls.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Yabello, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, with frequent travel to EALBSP program locations within the assigned field area. Travel may include remote, border and transit locations where security conditions, freedom of movement, communications, infrastructure and amenities may be limited. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency during and outside work hours when deployed or travelling on official duty and are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and Mercy Corps policies, procedures and values at all times.

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

Team Engagement and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

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.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, peace and conflict studies, political science, governance, sociology, public administration, law, criminology, social sciences or a related field.
• At least three years of progressively responsible program implementation experience with an international non-governmental organization (INGO), including field-level experience involving government institutions, communities and civil-society or implementing partners.
• Demonstrated experience working constructively with Ethiopian government institutions, communities and/or civil-society or implementing partners.
• Experience organizing and facilitating community or stakeholder meetings, trainings, consultations, workshops or dialogue activities and following actions through to completion.
• Strong field implementation, coordination, documentation, note-taking and report-writing skills, with the ability to manage multiple practical tasks and deadlines reliably.
• Good understanding of conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm, safeguarding, community accountability, confidentiality, gender equality and social inclusion in program implementation.
• Relevant experience in borderlands, migration, trafficking, protection, governance, peacebuilding, community security, justice or related programming is a strong advantage.
• Experience with FCDO or another institutional donor and familiarity with donor-funded program procedures is an advantage.
• Good computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications and familiarity with digital data-collection or program-tracking tools.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Amharic. Afaan Oromo is strongly preferred; additional Ethiopian languages relevant to the assigned program area are an advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to program locations, including remote, border and transit areas where infrastructure, communications, amenities or freedom of movement may be limited.