Project Officer (2 Positions)

Position Title: Project Officer (2 Positions)

Location: Southwest State

Reports to: National Project Coordinator/ Project Manager

Position Type:  Full-time

Contract Duration: 12 months with renewal

Starting Date:  TBA

BACKGROUND

Rural Education and Agriculture Development Organization (READO) is a leading non-governmental organization in East African Countries (Somalia/Somaliland, Kenya, and Ethiopia) and the recently Registered in USA (Washington DC, North Dakota, and Minnesota), where READO is implementing in East African Countries Emergency aid intervention and Recovery, Resilience, and development programs. Since 2008, in East African Countries, READO has been responding to the multiple shocks facing Somalia/and Kenya through the implementation of emergency response, Recovery, and resilience programs, targeting mainly destitute agro-pastoral, riverine, and IDP communities in Somalia. READO's thematic areas of programming include Food Security and livelihoods, Youth Programs, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Health Reproductive, Protection/Gender Violence, Good Governance, Employment Opportunities in USA READO Planning to start in (North Dakota) for Youth Skilled Immigrants for Rural and Urban Agricultural and Advocacy and mobilization on Diaspora from East Africans, including Kenya, Ethiopian, and Somalia

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The primary purpose of this role is to manage and coordinate the implementation of the project and the Advancing Circular Technologies for Infrastructure and Value-chain Enhancement in Somalia (ACTIVE) Project, funded by the EU, to achieve the project objectives. The Programme Manager will lead the project team based in Baidoa under the guidance of the lead agency. The PM is a key position in the project and will be responsible for the overall implementation of the project as per the project documents. The position holder will coordinate with external stakeholders and liaise with READO's national partner NGOs to implement this grant. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Implementation

ü  Lead the planning, execution, and coordination of project activities in alignment with approved project documents and timelines.

ü  Promote inclusive, participatory approaches in community engagement and project delivery.

ü  Collaborate with sector leads (e.g., livelihoods, governance, social cohesion) to ensure integrated and synergistic programming.

ü  Ensure project activities contribute to sustainable resilience and community empowerment.

ü  Maintain compliance with EU visibility and reporting requirements and READO’s operational standards.

ü  Prepare high-quality narrative and financial reports in a timely manner.

ü  Maintain accurate documentation, including beneficiary records and activity reports.

ü  Support the development of communication materials such as case studies, success stories, and human-interest features.

ü  Submit the Monthly, quarterly, and yearly Project Progress report.

ü  Participate in the State Level Cluster Coordination and ABC Coordination Meetings at the State Level

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL)

ü  Assist MEAL teams in designing and implementing monitoring tools tailored to resilience and development programming.

ü  Conduct regular field visits to monitor progress, verify outputs, and ensure quality.

ü  Capture lessons learned and best practices to inform project adaptation and potential scale-up.

ü  Support the ACTIVE Consortium Partners for the required Project Monitoring and provide the required information.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

ü  Liaise with community leaders, local authorities, and other stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation and local ownership.

ü  Represent the project in coordination meetings, sectoral clusters, and resilience forums at the field level.

ü  Coordinate closely with consortium partners and technical experts to ensure coherence and alignment.

Financial Oversight & Logistics

ü  Monitor project expenditures and support budget tracking to ensure alignment with activity plans.

ü  Facilitate procurement and logistics processes in accordance with EU and READO procurement guidelines.

ü  Support the Project Manager and Project Coordinator for the required procurement and Financial Activities

ü  Perform any other assigned activity from her/his Line Manager

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ü  Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Project Management, Social Sciences, Economics, International Relations, or a related field.

ü  Minimum of 5 years of experience in project management, preferably with EU-funded development or resilience-building projects.

ü  Strong understanding of resilience frameworks, sustainable development, livelihoods, governance, and social cohesion.

ü  Familiarity with EU contractual obligations and reporting standards.

ü  Experience working with community-based organizations and local governance structures, ideally in fragile or conflict-affected settings such as Southwest State.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

ü  Proven project management and coordination skills.

ü  Excellent analytical, writing, and communication abilities.

ü  Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.

ü  Capacity for adaptive management in dynamic and complex environments.

ü  Fluency in English and Somali (both written and spoken).

ü  Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

ü  Commitment to READO’s values, including gender equity, social inclusion, and safeguarding.

SAFEGUARDING

READO is fully committed to safeguarding and protecting children, vulnerable adults, and communities. All staff are expected to uphold our safeguarding policies and practices and will be subject to appropriate background checks.

Send the Application letter, including documents/Certificates, via email: [email protected]. No later than 31st May 2025,  Hard copies will be delivered to the READO Office, Ex-UN Mine Action Office in Baidoa, and only short-listed candidates will be contacted.