Senior Project Manager (Field Coordinator) - 100%

Internal Vacancy Announcement

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Caritas Switzerland (CACH) has been working in Ethiopia for 50 years. Currently, CACH cooperates with four partners in Ethiopia. CACH has successfully registered as an International Non-Governmental Organization in Ethiopia, enabling it to operate at the project implementation level. CACH's main areas of focus are Climate, Income, Migration, and Humanitarian Aid. CACH’s current working areas are in Oromia, SNNPR, and Tigray, where it supports and implements approximately ten projects.

Summary of Duties

The Senior Project Manager (Field Coordinator) will support the Team Lead and Senior Project Manager in field level activity coordination and implementation. With a specific focus on coffee, lead, technically backstop, plan, coordinate, implement and evaluate all field-based activities under outcome 2. This role requires an expert in the coffee sector, a strategic thinker with extensive experience in field activity coordination, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building to enhance sustainable coffee production and improve community livelihoods.

Expected Key Results:

• Field activities coordinated effectively in close collaboration with the Team Leader (Outcome 2) and in support of the Senior Project Manager (Outcome 1), as needed
• Technical leadership for all coffee-related components of the project assumed and implemented
• Successful field-level implementation of Outcome 2, leading to increased income for coffee farmers, women, and youth through targeted activities.
• Coffee farmers, women, and youth experienced income growth through improved coffee quality, enhanced market linkages, and job opportunities
• Households in the Harenna Forest Coffee Farming communities improved their resilience to economic shocks and ensured sustainable livelihoods
• Effective coordination, implementation, and technical and financial management of field-based activities
• Field teams operated efficiently and were well-coordinated
• Regular field visits ensured project progress and alignment with objectives
• Field teams received timely technical support and guidance under all outcomes
• Accompany consultancy/donor /government missions to the project areas
• Consistent support provided to the Team Leader and Senior Project Manager in achieving project objectives

Main Areas of Responsibility

Executive Functions

• Ensure that project objectives are met as defined in the project plan
• Develop and implement the project strategy, ensuring alignment with CACH goals
• Manage project timelines, budgets, and resources effectively
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with local communities, government agencies, and partner organizations
• Regularly analyze data and prepare comprehensive reports for stakeholders and donors
• Conduct community engagement meetings with positive feedback from participants
• Collaborate with local communities, farmers, and stakeholders to foster partnerships
• Conduct frequent field visits
• Provide general support to the Team Leader and Senior Project Manager if needed

Represent CACH in Relation to Project Matters

• Present, explain, and defend CACH’s strategy, as well as the project specifics, to secure the agreement of regional, zonal, and woreda-level government offices, and ensure collaboration with Woreda sector offices during project implementation
• Seek support from local authorities (kebele, woreda, and zone) when facing challenges during implementation
• Legally and officially represent CACH’s interests in the project area

Project Coordination/Management, Implementation, and Reporting

• Facilitate disbursement of funds for timely procurement, labor mobilization, transportation, and supervision of project activities
• Translate DIPs into daily and weekly activity plans that are clearly understood and followed by the project team
• Ensure daily activity schedules are respected and take timely action in case of any failures
• Mobilize collaboration with Kebele and Woreda actors for community resource mobilization during project activities
• Ensure implementation responsibilities are properly shared among the project signatories and the community
• Adjust project activities according to seasonal variability
• Conduct regular meetings with co-implementing partners to discuss pending matters and jointly plan activities
• Track log frame indicators during monitoring and instill a habit of log frame monitoring among co-implementing partners
• Collect timely data for quarterly reports to Woreda and Zone government (depending on the project agreement, this could include reports from other co-implementing partners)
• Compile bi-annual and annual reports for CACH internally and for back donors
• Revise reports per comments from the CACH Programme Head

Administration and Logistics

• Support procurement, storage, and distribution of project supplies in compliance with CACH, government, and donor regulations and CACH CO internal processes
• Provide necessary support for tenders, ensuring they meet CACH, donor, and government requirements, in line with CACH CO internal processes
• Review financial progress (expenditures) against physical progress regularly (usually monthly), control correct cost allocations, identify expected overspending or budget savings, and suggest appropriate actions
• Under HR guidance, ensure staff plan their leave adequately and avoid accumulating leave by year-end, as per national staff regulations
• Under finance guidance, ensure project staff settle advances on time, according to national staff regulations

Communication

• Proactively inform staff and partners about donor and government rules and regulations
• Report directly to the HoP, Deputy CD, or Regional Director (RD) regarding incidents
• Report any difficulties, problems, or uncertainties related to operations, finance, HR, or logistics to the HoP or Deputy HoP
• Participate and actively contribute to team meetings
• Maintain direct communication with the relevant staff at the HO within the scope of assignments

Competence/Disciplinary Tasks

• Participate in recruitment and dismissal of staff within assigned projects, in consultation with the HoP, CD, and HR unit
• Conduct annual appraisals for subordinate staff, approve leave and travel requests
• Review and approve/disapprove narrative reports from CO, field offices, or partner organizations within assigned responsibilities

Duty Station: Robe with frequent travel to the project sites (weekly)

Number of positions: 1 (one)

Start of assignment: October 2024

About You

The ideal candidate should demonstrate expertise in most of the following areas:

• A master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Agriculture with a focus on Coffee, Food Value Chains, Business & Entrepreneurship)
• Specific expertise required in the coffee sector: i.e. coffee value chain and market development; certification (organic; fairtrade); PFM; Agroforestry; EUNDR regulations; MSD; private sector engagement
• Excellent coordination and team management skills
• Excellent command of English (both spoken and written)
• Oromiffa speaking
• Readiness to frequently deploy to field locations frequently (least 50% field based)

How To Apply

Applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) as PDF including at least three work references. Both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. Application in any other format (word, JPG etc) will be automatically rejected.  At this stage no other documents are required to be submitted.

Applicants Must Fill out the information and send the PDF cover letter and CV through the link: (https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/hlmIailD)

Deadline for application is September 20, 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are highly encouraged.