Field Project Officer (Food Security, Livelihoods, Natural Resource Management WASH)

Reports to: Regional Project Coordinator

Job Summary

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), in partnership with the Austrian Red Cross, is implementing a project to enhance socio-economic resilience for vulnerable communities in the Hawasa Zuria woreda. The initiative addresses critical needs in livelihoods, Environmental restoration and Protection, WASH, Health, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and capacity building with high attention of people with disabilities and women empowerment. The project adopts an integrated approach to improve agricultural productivity, provide sustainable livelihood opportunities, restore the environment for climate change adaptation and mitigation, ensure access to safe water, strengthen community DRR mechanisms, and promote peacebuilding.

The Field Project Officer will oversee the implementation of Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) activities, ensuring alignment with donor requirements, ERCS guidelines, and community needs. This role involves coordinating field teams, managing activity plans, and fostering community ownership to support early recovery and durable solutions for drought-affected populations.

Key Responsibilities

Project Implementation & Coordination:

• Oversee FSL activities (agriculture, livestock, natural resource/range land management, Income-Generating Activities (IGAs)) across field locations.
• Conduct livelihood, WASH, Health etc needs assessments, technical feasibility studies, and beneficiary targeting through surveys, focus group discussions, and site visits.
• Organize capacity-building trainings, and awareness sessions on livelihood improvement and Natural Resource management
• Mobilize and mentor community groups (cooperatives, Self-Help Groups) to enhance livelihood resilience through climate-smart agriculture and income-generating activities.
• Provide technical support and follow up on agricultural extension services for the target community members.
• Supervise distribution of livelihood support (crop seeds, livestock etc) and ensuring adherence to targeting criteria.
• Oversee rehabilitation/construction of WASH infrastructures (public water system, irrigation schemes, etc) and ensure compliance with quality standards.
  • Develop and manage activity work plans to meet project targets and deadlines.
  • Ensure alignment with best practices, vulnerability criteria, and community needs.
  • Facilitate for the logistics procurement of program supplies.
• Engage and collaborate with government agencies, NGOs, and stakeholders to ensure program integration and sustainability

Community Engagement & Capacity Building:

• Lead beneficiary selection, registration, and training on financial literacy, bookkeeping, and savings practices.
• Conduct market assessments to identify profitable skills and livelihood opportunities.
• Integrate gender sensitivity, protection mainstreaming, and participatory approaches into all activities.

– Mobilize the community in natural resource management and other public work engagements

Monitoring, Reporting, & Compliance:

• Submit monthly progress updates, success stories, and donor reports in compliance with ERCS and AuRC requirements.
• Coordinate post-distribution monitoring with the MEAL team.
• Identify emerging challenges and recommend actionable solutions.
• Collaborate with government agencies, NGOs, and interagency forums to advocate for community needs.
• Ensure ERCS activities complement efforts of other stakeholders.

Qualifications Education:

• Bachelor’s degree/ Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Animal/Crop Science, Natural Resource Management, Rural Development, Food security, Agricultural extension or related fields.

Experience & Skills:

• Minimum 5 years of experience managing livelihoods, agriculture, or natural resource projects in humanitarian/development contexts.
• Proven ability in project planning, implementation, and report writing.
• Experience in community participation, accountability systems, and staff capacity building.
• Strong communication, influencing, and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with gender mainstreaming, social protection, and interpectoral integration of interventions.

Desirable:

• Fluency in English and the local language(s) of the operational area.
• Experience in income generating and natural resource management /CCA programming.