Project Advisor

Project Advisor (Vacancy Announcement)

Position: Project Advisor

Organizational unit: 1500

Place of Assignment: Baidoa, Somalia

Deadline: 7 Aug, 2025

Brief Introduction

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Somalia since 1964. As a service provider with worldwide operations in the fields of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, GIZ works with its partners to develop effective solutions that offer people better prospects and sustainably improve their living conditions. The goal of GIZ is to support the capacity development of people, organizations and institutional structures in the partner countries so as to enable them better their living conditions through their own efforts.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the EU Delegation to Somalia, is implementing the Climate-Resilient Water Resource Management (CWRM) Project. This builds on the previous GIZ-supported IWRM project by shifting focus toward the implementation of policies and field-level measures, while expanding coverage to the entire Juba and Shabelle river basins.

The project contributes to the EU Team Europe Initiative (TEI) "Green Deal" with Somalia and the EU Action "Boosting Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change in Somalia" (BREACH). It supports Somalia’s National Development Plan (NDP-9) with contributions to Pillars 3 and 4 on economic and social development, particularly improving service delivery and creating livelihoods for women and youth.

Project implementation focuses on Jubaland, Southwest, and Hirshabelle States of Somalia. This position is specifically dedicated to supporting activities in South-West State and is based in Baidoa.

CWRM Project is seeking a knowledgeable and dedicated Project Advisor who will contribute to the day-today operations of the project.

Responsibilities

The Technical Advisor – Partner Liaison and Community Development will lead community and stakeholder engagement in South-West State, facilitate collaboration with local implementing partners and civil society organizations (CSOs), and ensure that community priorities and local knowledge are integrated into project implementation. The Advisor will also support participatory planning, community feedback mechanisms, and partner alignment with CWRM objectives.

A. Partner Liaison and Coordination

•        Support the identification, selection, and onboarding of local implementing partners and CSOs in South-West State.

•        Facilitate coordination among GIZ project staff and partners to ensure joint planning and implementation of activities.

•        Monitor partner performance and compliance with CWRM objectives, standards, and visibility requirements.

•        Represent the project in coordination forums at the state level involving NGOs, CSOs, and local government on issues related to community development and partner engagement.

•        Harmonize and promote synergy building between different intersectoral teams

B.  Community Engagement and Development

•        Develop and implement inclusive community mobilization and outreach strategies in Baidoa and other project areas within South-West State.

•        Facilitate participatory planning processes with local stakeholders, including elders, youth, and women's groups, ensuring that community priorities inform project implementation.

•        Serve as the focal point for addressing community concerns and maintaining strong local support and ownership of the project.

•        Promote conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches in all community engagement activities.

C.  Communication, Capacity Building, and Knowledge Sharing

•        Design and disseminate culturally appropriate communication materials and tools to support engagement and transparency.

•        Organize and facilitate training and capacity-building initiatives for local partners and community-based organizations.

•        Collect community feedback, document lessons learned, and contribute to project learning, reporting, and communication outputs.

•        Support the integration of local knowledge into climate-resilient water management solutions.

D.  Strategic Input and Innovation

•        Advise on opportunities to enhance community-driven climate resilience and gender inclusion.

•        Promote innovation in local engagement approaches that can be scaled up within the broader CWRM framework.

Qualifications and specialist knowledge

•       Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Community Development, Public Relations, management or a related field.

•       Ability to work in a multi-cultural team.

•       Talented organizer

•       Excellent knowledge of English and Somali

A.    Professional experience

•       Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in community development, stakeholder coordination, or development cooperation, preferably in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

•       Proven experience working in Somalia, particularly in South-West State, including coordination with FGS and FMS counterparts.

•       Demonstrated ability to work effectively with civil society, traditional leaders, and government institutions at the local level.

B.    Additional competencies

•       Cultural Sensitivity: Strong understanding and respect for the cultural, social, and political dynamics in South-West State.

•       Adaptability: Ability to tailor engagement approaches based on evolving community dynamics and project priorities.

•         Integrity: Maintains trust, transparency, and accountability in all interactions.

•       Problem-Solving: Proactive in addressing implementation challenges and resolving community-related issues.

•       Teamwork: Effective in working within a diverse and multidisciplinary team, including remote coordination.

•       Local Context: Experience working in South-West regions or similar context

•       Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed and work full time (40 hours per week)

•       willing to perform tasks outside the scope of the job description if required

Applications should be done through https://www.fuzu.com/jobs/project-advisor-cwrm-giz

GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications by women, people with disability and other minority groups