Project Coordinator (Peace and Tranquility Project)

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages 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 seven program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

Why we need you?

We are looking for a qualified  Project Coordinator for Peace and Tranquity project (EU) Funded who will be responsible for providing strategic oversight and technical guidance to the project's implementation team based at project offices and activities across Woredas (districts) and for developing and monitoring the project work plan, budget, and timelines, as well as ensuring compliance with the donor's reporting and monitoring requirements. He/she will also play a pivotal role in building the capacity of local conflict resolution mechanisms and government actors, promoting community engagement and ownership, and designing and implementing tailored social and behavioural change communication approaches to address the root causes of conflicts. 

What we provide?

An amazing work environment that promotes personal growth through providing professional space to grow and advance your career!

Your role?

While working with us as an  Project Coordinator, you will be in charge of the following,

Project Management and Coordination and Implementation

• Oversee the day-to-day management and implementation of project activities in close collaboration with the consortium partners, including SOS Children's Villages International and other local organizations.
• Develop and monitor the project work plan, budget, and timelines to ensure timely and effective delivery of project outputs, such as the establishment of community-based conflict resolution mechanisms, the implementation of behavioral change communication campaigns, and the capacity building of local government actors.
• Facilitate regular coordination and communication among the consortium partners, local government authorities (e.g., Woreda and regional administrations), and other key stakeholders to ensure a coherent and well-aligned approach.
• Ensure compliance with the donor's reporting and monitoring requirements, including the preparation of progress reports, financial statements, and any other necessary documentation.
• Conduct regular assessments of program activities to ensure compliance with established standards and best practices.
• Participates in the formulation of strategic and policy decisions related to the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of all Peace Building Programs
• Organize and coordinate all aspects of project implementation, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.

Budgeting and Financial Control Project Management

• Implements the budgetary guidelines and financial routines and other compliances for the project under his/her responsibility as adopted in the general agreement SOSCVE entered with partners.
• In Collaboration with the program location managers and field team, he/she manages project funds, develops and implements financial controls and monitors all project-related financial transactions and expenditures to assure that the Peace Building activities are implemented within the approved budget.
• Ensures that the project receives the necessary professional, administrative, financial and other support for successful implementation of activities according to approved plans and schedules.
• For the peace and Tranquility project, he/she submits a budget and financial documents in accordance with the schedules, formats, annual dates and deadlines as adopted in the general Agreement SOSCVE entered with partners.
• Continuously evaluates the cost efficiency of the project and suggests changes and/or improvements as required.
• Ensures monitoring and evaluation system is in place that fulfils demands of specific projects and wider peace programme.

Staff Management

• Provides regular support and supervision to staff under direct line management. This includes the formulation of individual work plans (with agreed indicators of achievement) based on project work plans and/or job descriptions. It also includes regularly scheduled supervision and performance management meetings.
• Builds the technical capacity of the Community Development Officers and delegates tasks for the efficient performance of activities.

Networking, Representation and Report Writing

• In Collaboration with the Program Location and field office staff, Establishes and maintains formal and informal communication mechanisms with government representatives, community partners and other stakeholders at Regional, Zonal and Woreda level.
• Oversees developments across the peace programme in the operational areas, including best practice examples and ensure documentation of experience and lessons learned.
• Support t in hosting representatives and visitors to the operational areas from government offices, other public or private bodies as well as visitors sent through SOSCVE Project Office.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building

• Engage with local community leaders, elders, religious figures, and government officials to build trust, secure their buy-in, and foster a collaborative environment for the project interventions.
• Organize and facilitate training sessions and workshops to build the capacity of local conflict resolution mechanisms (e.g., traditional conflict resolution councils) and government actors (e.g., community police, conflict resolution committees) on conflict management, mediation, and sustainable resource sharing.
• Promote the active involvement of community members, particularly women and youth, in the project activities to ensure their voices are heard and their needs are addressed.

Behavioral Change and Communication

• Oversee the design and implementation of tailored social and behavioral change communication approaches to address the cultural and social factors contributing to conflicts, such as the perception of cattle raiding as a heroic act.
• Coordinate the development and dissemination of awareness-raising materials and campaigns (e.g., community dialogues, radio programs, drama performances) to promote peaceful coexistence, resource sharing, and conflict resolution among the target communities.
• Ensure the project's messaging and approaches are culturally appropriate and responsive to the unique dynamics of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in the border areas.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Establish and maintain a robust monitoring and evaluation system to track project progress and impact, including the development of key performance indicators and the collection of qualitative and quantitative data.
• Conduct regular field visits and data collection to assess the effectiveness of project interventions, identify challenges, and make necessary adjustments to the implementation strategies.
• Document and share lessons learned and best practices to inform future programming and advocacy efforts, both within the project consortium and with the wider development community working on conflict management and community resilience in Ethiopia.

Advocacy and Networking

• Represent the project at relevant forums and platforms (e.g., national and regional peace and security coordination meetings) to advocate for policy and system-level changes to address the root causes of conflicts, such as equitable access and sustainable management of natural resources.
• Collaborate with government agencies, particularly the Ministry of Peace, to ensure alignment and complementarity of the project with national peace-building efforts and leverage existing institutional mechanisms and frameworks.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with other development actors working on conflict management, community resilience, and food security in the target regions to foster knowledge sharing, joint advocacy, and potential synergies.

Safeguarding

• Ensure programs mainstream Safeguarding-related activities are implemented in the National and Program Locations.
• Ensure partners and stakeholders are aware of the Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Ensure risk assessment and mitigation actions are included in the project/program development in the MA.
• Ensure that children, young people, families, communities and partners who are receiving any support or service have awareness on the reporting procedures and report incidents.
• Responsible for reporting any safeguarding suspicion, concern, allegation, or incident immediately, following incident reporting procedures.;
• Ensure that contracts and partnership agreements or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) have articles referring to safeguarding policies (Child and youth safeguarding and Sexual Misconduct Regulation, Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption and other related policies) and the Code of Conduct with partners, contractors, vendors/suppliers, consultants or any other stakeholders working with SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia.
• Ensure partners or co-workers working on behalf of the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia have been vetted for any safeguarding risks before signing any contracts.
• Responsible for showing their behaviour and all relationships are based on the Sexual Misconduct Regulation, and Child Protection Policy Anti Fraud and Anti-corruption guidelines and in line with the Code of Conduct and that they adhere to it in every situation;
• Be vigilant about any possible form of abuse/harm, neglect, harassment, or exploitation against, children, youth and adults in personal and professional lives;
• Report any safeguarding incident or concern within 24 hours to the Incident Management Team focal person or concerned party through the defined channels for reporting the allegation

Up for the challenge…

Then check out our criteria’s:

Must Criteria

Education

• Master's degree in a relevant field, such as conflict resolution, peace and security studies, development studies, or community development

Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in project management, with a proven track record of successfully implementing complex, multi-stakeholder community-based projects in the context of conflict-affected areas
• Demonstrable expertise in children, youth and family development in donor-funded projects
• Proven skills in project monitoring, evaluation, and learning, with the ability to use data and evidence to inform decision-making and adaptations.

Desired Criteria

• Strong understanding of the socio-cultural, political, and economic dynamics in the target regions of Ethiopia, particularly the pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities along the Oromia, Somali, and Afar borders
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing social and behavioral change
• Experience in community facilitation, conflict resolution, and peace-building
• Willingness to travel to the project sites on a regular basis and work in a challenging, conflict-affected environment.

COMPETENCIES – KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

• Understanding the organization and commitment to its vision and mission: able to clearly communicate SOS Children’s Villages Who We Are (Vision, Mission & Values), “Living our Values” policies and strategies in all areas.Child rights & Child development: Working knowledge in all areas of child rights, child protection, child development, family & community development, and rights-based programming in a developing country.
• Collaboration: driven to work with others, able to build partnerships and teamwork internally and externally.
• Stakeholder management: ability to identify, engage and communicate with relevant stakeholders and manage stakeholder expectation.
• Leadership: coaching staff to high levels of performance & performing effectively as a team & engaging in effective cross-cultural & cross-functional working to achieve shared goals.
• Integrity: able to state views openly and act in line with beliefs, maintain the organization’s values, maintain deadlines and commitments; have ethical standards, ability to gain the trust of co-workers, and desire to be of service.

COMPETENCIES – Lead and Core

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.

How To Apply

Excited to take on a new Challenge..

Then send us your application (application letter, detailed CV containing contact details of there references) electronically through SOS Children Villages Application portal (ICIMS)

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia holds strict child safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered.  Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection, and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, and police clearance reference check processes.

SOS Children's Villages Ethiopia provides equal employment opportunities to all co-workers & qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.