Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) officer

Organizational Overview

Nexus Ethiopia is a national non-governmental and non-profit-making humanitarian organization, registered as a National NGO under Ethiopia’s Civil Society Organizations Proclamation No. 1113/2019 (registration No. 6225). Nexus Ethiopia is mandated to operate throughout Ethiopia and works with conflict- and disaster-affected communities through humanitarian response and recovery programming.

Nexus Ethiopia is preparing a six-month emergency response covering Protection (general protection, GBV and child protection) and Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) in Ab’ala Woreda, Zone 2, Afar Region. The programme responds to conflict-related displacement, return movements, protection risks and disruption of food access and household livelihoods. These project-funded positions require immediate availability and regular field travel within the woreda.

Job Summary

The FSL Officer leads field planning and implementation of the project’s food security and livelihood recovery activities in Ab’ala Woreda. The position oversees needs-based targeting, emergency food support, feasible agricultural and livestock input packages, market-driven income-generating activities, vocational/business coaching and savings-group support. The Officer ensures sound technical standards, timely procurement coordination, safe assistance, robust post-distribution monitoring and measurable early recovery results.

Key Responsibilities

A. Emergency Food Security Programming

• Prepare monthly and weekly FSL implementation plans, procurement forecasts, distributions and monitoring schedules based on approved project outputs and needs assessment findings.
• Coordinate transparent and inclusive targeting and verification of food-insecure IDP, returnee and host-community households, with clear criteria and deduplication checks.
• Support delivery of emergency food assistance or other approved food-security modalities, including distribution planning, ration/entitlement verification, accessible sites, safety, crowd management and complaints handling.
• Assess food availability, price trends, access constraints and market functionality; advise the Project Coordinator on context-appropriate in-kind or other approved assistance methods.
• Track emergency food security conditions and negative coping mechanisms using appropriate tools such as rCSI, FCS or other approved project indicators where technically supported.
• Coordinate with relevant Woreda Agriculture, Trade, DRMC and Food Security Offices and food security coordination mechanisms to prevent overlap and identify uncovered needs.

B. Livestock, Agriculture and Productive-Asset Recovery

• Support rapid field assessment of livestock loss, market access, seed/tool gaps and time-critical agricultural or pastoral livelihood needs in the target woredas.
• Plan and supervise distribution of approved livelihood inputs and productive assets, such as livestock/poultry, agricultural inputs, animal-health support or feed where included in the final workplan.
• Coordinate with veterinary and agricultural experts to screen animal health, vaccination/treatment needs, beneficiary readiness, animal welfare and feasibility before any restocking.
• Verify that inputs are suitable for local agroecology, seasonal windows, household capacity and safe access to water, land, feed and markets.
• Monitor asset receipt, retention, use and loss, including technical follow-up, complaints and mitigation of distress sales or unintended harm.

C. Income-Generating Activities, Training and Savings Groups

• Facilitate market and skills assessment to select viable short-cycle IGAs for women and youth, including locally relevant trades, services or agro-livelihood enterprises.
• Organize practical business, life-skills and financial-literacy training and support participatory preparation of simple business plans.
• Facilitate formation or strengthening of village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) / self-help groups, including transparent membership, simple bylaws, record-keeping and savings procedures.
• Coordinate distribution and documentation of approved start-up packages or grants to eligible groups/households; provide post-distribution coaching and market linkages.
• Monitor early income generation, activity continuity, group functioning and inclusion of women, youth and persons with disabilities within the six-month response period.

D. Accountability, Coordination and Conflict Sensitivity

• Conduct community consultations on assistance preferences and ensure women, older people, persons with disabilities and vulnerable households can participate safely and without discrimination.
• Work closely with the Protection Officer to identify and mitigate risks associated with targeting, livestock distribution, food queues, group membership, cash/asset assistance and market access.
• Coordinate regularly with Woreda Agriculture, Livestock, Cooperative, Trade and Disaster Risk Management offices and other relevant response partners.
• Promote prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, zero tolerance for diversion and safeguarding principles throughout procurement, distribution and field monitoring.

E. Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation

• Maintain beneficiary lists, signed distribution documentation, inventory records, commodity tracking and sex/age/disability-disaggregated reach, using approved protected data systems.
• Conduct post-distribution monitoring and routine technical support to measure food-security and livelihood results, asset use, group participation, market functionality and beneficiary satisfaction.
• Prepare accurate weekly, monthly and activity reports including targets vs achievements, constraints, risk mitigation and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate timely input specifications and procurement plans with the LAF Officer and maintain separation between technical verification and financial authorization.

Safeguarding, Conduct and Data Protection

• Uphold humanitarian principles, do-no-harm, conflict sensitivity, non-discrimination, confidentiality, inclusion and accountability to affected populations.
• Comply with Nexus Ethiopia and partner codes of conduct, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), child safeguarding, anti-fraud and anti-corruption policies and applicable data-protection rules.
• Promote safe, accessible feedback and complaints channels and report safeguarding concerns through approved confidential channels; do not investigate sensitive allegations independently.
• Maintain appropriate separation of duties, records and consent procedures; share personally identifiable or sensitive data only with authorized personnel for a legitimate purpose.

Qualifications and Experience

• BA/BSc or MA/MSc in Agricultural Economics, Food Security, Rural Development, Agriculture, Livestock Production, Veterinary Science, Agribusiness, Development Studies or a related field.
• At least five years of relevant experience for bachelor’s degree holders, or three years for master’s degree holders, in food security, livelihoods, emergency agriculture/livestock, economic recovery or cash/asset programming.
• Demonstrated field experience with NGO/INGO emergency FSL programming, assessment, beneficiary targeting, distributions and post-distribution monitoring.
• Practical knowledge of short-cycle IGAs, entrepreneurship training, VSLAs/SHGs, value chains, market assessments or agriculture/livestock input delivery.
• Familiarity with Sphere standards, protection-sensitive distributions, food-security indicators and relevant food security or agriculture cluster approaches is an advantage.

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to plan and supervise food, livestock and livelihood assistance safely in conflict-affected communities.
• Skills in food-security/market assessment, basic data analysis, activity budgeting, Excel, reporting and beneficiary verification.
• Strong facilitation, partner coordination, coaching and community accountability skills.
• Working proficiency in English, Amharic and Afar (written reporting in English; ability to communicate in Afar with local communities).
• Experience with Kobo/ODK or similar mobile data tools and a commitment to inclusion, safeguarding and do-no-harm.

Key Working Relationships

Internal: Project Coordinator, Protection Officer, LAF Officer, Nexus Ethiopia technical and MEAL staff and field facilitators.

External: Woreda Agriculture, Livestock, Trade, Cooperatives and DRMC Offices, veterinary providers, market actors, VSLAs/SHGs and FSL coordination partners.

Work Environment and Conditions

Frequent travel to beneficiary kebeles, markets, food distribution sites and livestock/agricultural service points; flexibility to operate within approved security and access arrangements is essential.