Senior Livelihood Project Officer Full Time NEW

BACKGROUND:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. The IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. We began work in Ethiopia since 2000 and currently implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

The IRC has a focus on narrowing the gender gap in humanitarian aid and ensuring that we contribute to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in both our programs and operations by working to establish a context where our clients (including those from minority groups) enjoy the same rights and opportunities as well as an equal access to services. The IRC also has a strong commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive culture, where safeguarding is upheld in our workplace and programs. We are determined to protect our clients and staff from safeguarding violations through prevention and, where misconduct is alleged, to address it without fear or favor.

Job Overview:

Overview and Purpose of the Job:

The IRC is implementing a Humanitarian, Development, and Peace Triple Nexus project focused on food security and climate resilience in disaster-affected communities in East Hararghe Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia Kersa and Fedis woreda. This integrated multiyear climate resilience project involves a consortium consisting of Action Against Hunger (Lead), IRC, and DRC, which implement initiatives across four regions of the country, with the IRC specifically responsible for the East Hararghe Zone. The project’s goal is to enhance food security and climate resilience in crisis -affected households and communities, aiming to achieve four main outcome areas: (a) improved food and nutrition security; (b) community-based, gender-sensitive disaster risk management and resilience; (c) increased economic status through livelihood opportunities and access to finance; and (d) enhanced social cohesion through participatory peacebuilding. To achieve these outcomes, the IRC will implement comprehensive interventions that include climate-smart agriculture, community disaster risk reduction (DRR) action plan, natural resource management (NRM), livelihood diversification, market system strengthening, and peacebuilding activities.

The Senior Food Security /Livelihood Project Officer is responsible for overall implementation, and management of food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience-building projects activities in the target woredas by providing backup support for the Woreda-based program officers and assistants.

The key responsibility of the position is Providing technical and effective project management skills for Woreda based staff, government experts, development workers, partners and target communities’ community on:

• Enhanced food and nutrition security for vulnerable households in targeted areas
• Enhanced community-based, gender-sensitive disaster risk management (DRR), Natural resource management (NRM), and resilience
• Increased Income and diversified livelihoods of vulnerable members of the communities, particularly women and youth.
• Enhanced social cohesion through participatory peacebuilding plans and
• Increased collaborative learning and coordination among HDP actors Increased Collaborative learning and coordination among HDP actors humanitarian, development, and peace actors in the realms of HDPN and MEAL.

Major Responsibilities:

Effective project implementation and management:

• Conduct comprehensive needs assessments and situational analyses, including market assessments, gender analyses, conflict analyses, stakeholder mapping, and livelihood alternatives to understand the current resilience challenges faced by the communities.
• Identify the specific needs and priorities of the target community, clients, and vulnerable groups to advise program implementation strategy.
• Support the project manager in designing and formulating context-relevant interventions in agriculture, Community Management Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) action planning and implementations, diversifying livelihood opportunities, market system linkage, financial inclusion, social cohesion, and peacebuilding through the Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (PVCA) approach.
• Ensure that enhanced food and nutrition security for vulnerable households in targeted areas is well implemented as per the proposed detailed implementation plan.
• Ensure that the capacity-building training and mentoring given on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and Nutritious Sensitive agriculture (NSA) training were provided for project staff, government staff, development workers, HEWs, and lead and follow farmers in a timely manner.
• Ensure farmers in the target area were well capacitated and supported on improved crop production technologies, including climate-smart agriculture technologies, Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) Practices, natural resource management, improved climate-smart small ruminants, context-based climate-smart animal husbandry, and value chains.
• Ensure proper awareness campaigns and social behavior change communication activities were well implemented to enhance knowledge and appreciation of nutritional behavior on nutritious food production and consumption in targeted households, proper farmland management, on-farm and off-farm likelihood alternatives.
• Collect, compile, and share best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches from similar initiatives into the program design.
• Prepare detailed activity plans for the project, including activities, timelines, resource requirements, and roles of the team, and make strong follow on its implementation.
• Support the target community in disaster preparedness fund establishments, capacity building, and coordination, including committee establishment, emplacing regular conditions platform, and digitalizing of early warning system.
• Support the program manager in the development of clear implementation guidance notes and operational procedures for crop and livestock production, CMDRR, NRM, diversify livelihood, market system development, and other interventions.
• Ensure the proper implementation of activities jointly with internal staff, government line offices, and the community, ensuring alignment with the proposal, detailed Implementation Plan (DIP) to maintain technical quality and effectiveness.
• Collect, compile and share monthly and weekly progresses vs approved work plans to the project manager participating in guidance & follow-ups with officers while communicating updates to relevant personnel.
• Ensure that considerations such as gender, protection, safeguarding, accountability, environment, and CMDRR will integrate into the implementation and monitoring of the programs.
• Promote the integration and complementarity of these interventions with other initiatives by the government and partners in the area to achieve a comprehensive and harmonious approach to resilience-building.
• Ensure the rehabilitation of the degraded lands through soil management, afforestation measured as measured by rehabilitation index (improved soil health/fertility, vegetation cover, biodiversity indicators, structures built for erosion control)
• Ensure Improved natural resource management practices is exercised by the target community to enhance sustainable crop and livestock production.
• Support the incorporation of market-based approaches in each program’s activities.
• Identify and collaborate with key actors, including local government offices, CBOs, agricultural research centers, universities, cooperatives, private sector financial service providers, and other partners, to ensure effective coordination. Facilitate the active participation and engagement of local communities and target groups during the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the program.
• Identify and manage any risks or issues that may affect the progress, taking appropriate corrective actions in collaboration with staff and partners, in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.
• Ensure Women, Youth owned businesses are supported through tailored business and life skill training (Learn to Earn (L2E), coaching, mentoring, business startup support, and VSLA methodology to ensure vulnerable members of the communities, particularly women and youth has improved income and diversified livelihoods.
• Ensure the Safe Programing and Peace building activities well enhanced the social cohesion of the target community through participatory peacebuilding plans and active community dialogues.
• Ensure Programs are delivered with no or minimal negative effects, including ” Do No harm” principles and by increasing accessibility, provide accountability and promote inclusion and participation (women, PWD and most morselized groups)
• Ensure collaborative learning and coordination among HDP actors at woreda and Zonal level including humanitarian, development, and peace actors.

Finance/Budget Management:

• Support the livelihood manager in preparing the annual budget plan, procurement plan, and monthly expenditure forecasts and share in their due dates.
• Support the livelihood manager Regularly monitor expenditures, track financial performance, and adjust as necessary for efficient and effective use of the budget.
• Ensure compliance with policies, procedures, donor requirements, and organizational policies in close consultation with the Support the livelihood manager and Finance staff.
• Ensure the field payments are prescheduled, well organized and affected by our delay and support the woreda based team in smooth settling of any financial issues related to the program implementations.
• Ensure the program operation costs in the target woredas are cost-effective and efficient by providing in-depth, well-planned, and by avoiding unnecessary travel costs with proper time management.
• Actively participate in the project coordination meetings with relevant stakeholders conducted at the woreda and zonal levels.

MEAL and Reporting:

• Collaborate with the MEAL department to identify appropriate indicators, data collection methods, and reporting mechanisms.
• Jointly with the MEAL team, they strongly monitor and track the progress, including the collection and analysis of relevant data and indicator tracking
• Provide regular reports to the supervisors to inform them of program progress and identify areas needing adjustment and improvement.
• Jointly with the MEAL team, lead, and conduct baseline and end-line assessments, as well as relevant data collection on time. Analyze and inform programming and ensure consistency and coherence in the use of implementation and monitoring tools alongside the MEAL and ERD team.
• Support the MEAL team to ensure that Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM), post-harvest assessments, and other exercises are carried out regularly according to the established plan and standards.
• Attend Monthly BVA and PCM as needed and ensure the implementation of the agreed action points on the PCM.
• Prepare and submit different donors, government and IRC progress reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, and for donors) to the Livelihood manager in a regular and timely manner.
• Work to track and monitor project indicators, documenting successes and challenges encountered
• Regularly capture ongoing learning & adaptation, preparing & documenting best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches in program implementation. Use these findings to inform program adjustments and improvements.

Staff Management and Development:

• Supervise, manage, and provide regular technical advice and livelihood officers to ensure the quality and effective implementation, and the achievement of planned results.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment that promotes teamwork, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Develop and implement staff capacity-building initiatives, performance management systems, and professional development opportunities to support the team’s growth and enhance their contributions to the program’s success.
• Do regular field visits to the IRC target woredas, provide technical support for the team, support the field team with on-field tasks, provide technical feedback and develop field staff technical capacity.

Coordination and Collaboration:

• Actively participate and share updates in coordination meetings with consortium members at the zonal level.
• Strongly collaborate with project stakeholders and steering committees at the woreda and zonal levels
• Actively participates in formal coordination activities, including clusters on Food Security.
• Ensure that local communities, target clients, government zonal and woreda line offices, local partners, civil society organizations (CSOs), and community-based organizations (CBOs) are closely engaged and adequately involved in the implementation and monitoring of project activities.
• Facilitate visits from consortium members, government partners, and donors effectively to contribute to accurate planning, implementation, and reporting.

Safeguarding Responsibilities: –

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies

Job Requirements:

Educational Requirements:

• Two years of experience for BA/BSc or one year of experience for MA/MSc degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Food Security, Rural Development, International Development, Economics, Disaster Risk Management, or related fields of study.

Preferred experience & skills: –

• 2 years of proven experience in managing Food security, with a first degree.
• Knowledge and experience of sustainable livelihoods and resilience programs management.
• Proven track record of effective management: planning, monitoring, budget oversight, logistics, and leadership, particularly in unstable environments.
• Experience of integrating gender, protection, and diversity into emergency response programs.
• Strong time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time.
• Strong analytic problem-solving skills
• Basic supervision skills
• Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure.
• Highly proficient in the Microsoft Office suite
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• The ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.
• Project management experience
• Expertise in livelihood projects and triple-nexus project knowledge is advantageous.
• Good report-writing skills.
• Knowledge of the project context area
• Effective communication internally and externally towards government and NGOs, donors, etc…
• Team building, ability to work for a common vision, maintain morale, and acceptable behavior at the base level.

Language Skills: Proficient spoken and written English, and it would be beneficial if aware of the local language