Project & Grants Officer (MOJA)

Background

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network is a regional feminist network of women’s rights organizations and activists working across the Greater Horn of Africa to advance gender equality, women’s rights, peace, security, and social justice. Through partnerships with grassroots organizations, women-led organizations, civil society actors, and regional institutions, SIHA implements programmes that strengthen feminist movements, promote women’s leadership and participation, respond to violence against women and girls, advance economic and climate justice, and influence policies and systems that affect the lives of women and girls. SIHA operates through a regional secretariat and country teams, working closely with local partners to deliver high-quality, accountable, and evidence-driven programmes across the region.

The Mobilizing Organizations for Justice and Action (MOJA) to End Violence against Women Programme is SIHA’s flagship five-year regional initiative funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands under the Combating Violence against Women and Supporting Women’s Rights and Women Human Rights Defenders (FemFocus/CVAW-WHRDs) framework. “Moja,” meaning “one” in Swahili, reflects the programme’s commitment to collective action, solidarity, and a unified women’s movement to end violence against women. Implemented across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, the programme seeks to strengthen an enabling ecosystem in which women-led organizations, women’s rights organizations, women human rights defenders, and civil society actors are better equipped to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls while advancing gender equality and women’s rights.

Through a combination of flexible and responsive grant-making, institutional and technical capacity strengthening, accompaniment, movement building, dialogues, networking, collective learning, and survivor-centered service delivery, the programme strengthens both individual organizations and the broader ecosystem in which they operate. By investing in locally led organizations and supporting collaboration, learning, and long-term institutional resilience, MOJA aims to build stronger, more sustainable feminist movements capable of delivering quality services, influencing policy, protecting women human rights defenders, and driving systemic change across the region.

Overall Purpose

The MOJA Project and Grants Officer is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Mobilizing Organizations for Justice and Action (MOJA) to End Violence against Women Programme at the country level, ensuring high-quality delivery of programme activities, effective grant management, and strong accompaniment of implementing partners in accordance with approved work plans, donor requirements, and SIHA policies. Working under the supervision of the Country Coordinator and in close collaboration with the MOJA Project Coordinator, Regional Grants Manager, Finance, MEL, Communications, and implementing partners, the Programme and Grants Officer serves as the primary country focal point for programme implementation, grant oversight, partner accompaniment, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. The role supports women’s rights organizations, women-led organizations, and women human rights defenders through technical accompaniment, institutional strengthening, monitoring, and coordination to ensure programme investments contribute to a stronger and more sustainable feminist ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

1. Programme Implementation and Coordination: Coordinate the implementation of MOJA activities within the assigned country, ensuring activities are delivered according to approved work plans, budgets, timelines, and donor requirements. Work closely with implementing partners, consultants, and SIHA teams to coordinate programme delivery, monitor progress, resolve implementation challenges, and support adaptive planning.

3. Partner Accompaniment and Capacity Strengthening: Provide day-to-day technical accompaniment to implementing partners, supporting organizational strengthening, programme quality, institutional development, safeguarding, and compliance. Coordinate capacity-strengthening activities, peer learning opportunities, mentoring, networking, and technical support that strengthen partner capacity and long-term sustainability.
4. Grants Management and Partner Compliance: Support the implementation of the country grant portfolio by coordinating partner onboarding, grant agreements, implementation planning, reporting schedules, budget monitoring, and compliance requirements. Monitor partner performance and work closely with the Regional Grants Manager and Finance team to ensure grants are implemented in accordance with donor requirements and SIHA policies.
5. Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation: Coordinate programme monitoring activities and support the collection of high-quality programme data, success stories, lessons learned, and evidence of results. Prepare narrative reports, activity reports, briefing notes, and implementation updates, ensuring timely submission of partner reports and compliance with donor reporting requirements.
6. Stakeholder Engagement and Representation: Build and maintain effective relationships with women’s rights organizations, women-led organizations, civil society partners, government institutions, donors, and other relevant stakeholders within the country. Represent SIHA in coordination meetings, technical working groups, partner forums, and programme events as delegated by the Country Coordinator.
7. Financial, Operational, and Risk Management: Work closely with Finance, Procurement, and Operations teams to support activity planning, budget monitoring, procurement processes, and financial accountability. Monitor programme risks, identify implementation challenges, recommend mitigation measures, and ensure compliance with safeguarding, organizational policies, and donor requirements. 

Required Qualifications and Competencies

1. Education: Master’s degree in Development Studies, Gender Studies, International Development, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Project Management, or another relevant discipline. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree and substantial relevant professional experience will also be considered.
2. Professional Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience implementing donor-funded programs within civil society, women’s rights organizations, or international development organizations. Demonstrated experience managing grants, coordinating implementing partners, and supporting organizational capacity strengthening is required. Experience working with women’s rights organizations or feminist movements is highly desirable.
3. Technical Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of programme management, grants management, donor compliance, monitoring and evaluation, safeguarding, organizational capacity strengthening, and partnership management. Knowledge of women’s rights, gender equality, violence against women and girls, the Women, Peace and Security framework, and feminist programming is highly desirable.
4. Skills and Competencies: Excellent coordination, planning, organizational, communication, and report-writing skills. Strong facilitation, relationship management, problem-solving, and analytical skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple partners and priorities simultaneously while maintaining high-quality programme delivery.
5. Computer Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required. Experience using online collaboration platforms, grants management systems, project management tools, and Kobo or similar digital data collection platforms is an advantage.
6. Personal Attributes: Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, accountability, and sound judgment, with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments. The successful candidate should demonstrate commitment to feminist principles, women’s rights, safeguarding, and locally led development, with the flexibility to work in complex and evolving contexts. 

SIHA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and feminist workplace. We welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, religion, or any other protected status. As a women’s rights organization, qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to candidates residing in the country, particularly those with demonstrated knowledge of and experience working in the Greater Horn of Africa.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter outlining their suitability for the role and detailed curriculum vitae (CV) as one PDF to the links below for the countries indicated

• South Sudan: >>https://airtable.com/appJvKRIL80w0OyXU/shrAcNFJwHbdLfAmF
• Ethiopia: >> https://airtable.com/appuJqn0X3CPoQMRO/shrYuCo0BsOxmwyX3
• Somalia: >>https://airtable.com/app7ZrFwGEjSFg6y3/shrEsAeZvnfw0QuFa

Application Deadline: August 17, 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.