Gender Officer

About HRNS Ethiopia

Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS) is a German-based global nonprofit organization registered in Ethiopia with the Authority for Civil Society Organizations. Since 2015, HRNS Ethiopia has worked to improve livelihoods in rural communities, support smallholder farmers, women and youth, and protect nature and the environment.

Job Purpose

The Gender Officer will support HRNS Ethiopia in mainstreaming gender across all activities of the Yayu Project. The position will promote women’s empowerment, equitable participation of women and men in coffee production and cooperative governance, and gender-sensitive approaches across livelihoods, organizational development, and youth engagement interventions.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Program Integration and Strategy

• Become fully familiar with HRNS Ethiopia programs, Yayu Project objectives, and the socioeconomic context of target communities.
• Lead implementation of HRNS Ethiopia’s gender strategy across Farmer Field Schools, cooperatives, youth-led enterprises, and other project components.
• Review and adapt gender strategies and action plans based on field assessments and changing project needs.

Planning, Reporting, and Learning

• Develop annual and quarterly action plans with gender-specific activities, timelines, and expected results.
• Support reports and documentation for donors, government offices, and partners on gender equality and social inclusion progress.
• Document success stories, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Capacity Building and Community Engagement

• Design context-specific gender training materials and conduct workshops, coaching sessions, and awareness campaigns.
• Promote women’s participation and leadership in coffee production, marketing, and cooperative governance.
• Facilitate joint sessions with women and men to encourage shared decision-making in households and cooperatives.
• Work with development agents, cooperatives, unions, youth groups, and communities to implement inclusive activities.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Coordination

• Collaborate with the MEAL Officer to collect, analyze, and report gender-disaggregated data.
• Provide technical support on gender monitoring tools and impact assessment methods.
• Maintain regular communication with the Field Office Coordinator, project staff, and implementing partners.
• Perform other related duties assigned by the Field Office Coordinator or Project Manager.

Qualifications and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies, Sociology, Social Work, Rural Development, Agricultural Extension, Development Studies, Agricultural Economics, Psychology, Public Health, Cooperative Development, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a related field.
• Minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in gender equality, social inclusion, community development, livelihoods, agriculture, youth development, or cooperative development.
• Experience with NGOs, government projects, farmer organizations, cooperatives, youth groups, or community-based organizations is desirable.
• Experience facilitating community training, awareness sessions, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Knowledge of gender-transformative approaches, women’s economic empowerment, and cooperative development is an advantage.
• Strong report-writing, communication, facilitation, interpersonal, and Microsoft Office skills.

Required Competencies 

• Excellent understanding of gender equality, social inclusion, and youth engagement in development projects.
• Fluency in Afan Oromo, with strong communication, advocacy, and community mobilization skills.
• Ability to collaborate with government agencies, cooperatives, communities, and other diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in report writing, data collection, and gender analysis tools.
• Commitment to participatory approaches and inclusive development.
• Candidates with experience in Ilu Ababora, Bunno Bedele, or surrounding areas will be given preference.