Project Coordinator

The Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, and non-profit organization. ECDD committed to promoting the rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities through policy advocacy and the mainstreaming of disability inclusion in service delivery, development programs, and humanitarian actions, in partnership with other organizations. Established in 2005, ECDD is dedicated to fostering an inclusive Ethiopia where persons with disabilities in all their diversities exercise their human rights and have access to mainstream services and opportunities on an equal basis with others.

Starting from January 2025, ECDD will launch a new one-year livelihood project entitled “Upskilling and Employing Persons with Disabilities through Inclusive BPO Ecosystem in Ethiopia” funded by GIZ. The objective of the project is to strengthen the professional skills of persons with disabilities and ensure their employment. Currently, ECDD is looking for a competent and qualified Project Coordinator for the stated project.

 

Purpose of the Position

The Project Coordinator will lead the overall coordination, management, and successful delivery of the GIZ-funded project “Upskilling and Employing Persons with Disabilities through Inclusive BPO Ecosystem in Ethiopia.” This includes strategic planning, guiding field implementation, ensuring quality, maintaining compliance with GIZ standards, coordinating with partners, and reporting progress. The position ensures that all project components—training, job-matching, institutional capacity development, ecosystem strengthening, and retention support—are implemented effectively and within agreed timelines.

Key Responsibilities

A. Strategic Leadership and Overall Project Coordination

• Provide overall strategic and operational leadership for the implementation of the project ensuring coherence across supply- and demand-side interventions.
• Lead the translation of the approved project design into annual and quarterly work plans aligned with GIZ contractual requirements, results framework, and timelines.
• Ensure effective coordination and synergy among all project components, including foundational skills training, job placement, employer engagement, ecosystem strengthening, and policy advocacy.

B. Technical Oversight of Supply-Side Interventions

• Oversee the design, validation, and implementation of baseline surveys and organizational assessments to inform disability-inclusive employment strategies in the BPO sector.
• Provide technical guidance on the mapping, profiling, and selection of persons with disabilities, ensuring meaningful participation of OPDs and adherence to disability inclusion, gender, and safeguarding standards.
• Ensure the co-design and quality delivery of foundational skills training curricula with universities, Disability Resource Centers, BPO companies, and OPDs, emphasizing confidence-building, psychosocial support, job readiness, and accessibility.
• Supervise the integration of Minch IVR as an accessible job-matching and information platform, ensuring alignment with project objectives and beneficiary needs.

C. Technical Oversight of Demand-Side and Ecosystem Interventions

• Lead engagement with the Ethiopian Outsourcing Association (EOA) and BPO companies to strengthen institutional capacity for disability-inclusive recruitment, workplace accommodation, and HR practices.
• Guide the establishment and operationalization of disability inclusion mechanisms within EOA, including the disability inclusion policy/charter, task force, HR guidelines, helpdesk, and recognition schemes.
• Oversee OPD capacity-building initiatives to strengthen advocacy, outreach, and employer engagement within the BPO sector.

D. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Management

• Serve as the primary liaison with GIZ, ensuring timely communication, compliance, and strategic alignment.
• Lead high-level engagement with government ministries, EOAs, universities, OPDs, and private-sector partners.
• Coordinate national and sector-level multi-stakeholder platforms, policy dialogues, and forums to promote disability-inclusive BPO employment.

E. Policy Engagement and Advocacy

• Oversee policy reviews and gap analyses related to labor, ICT, and BPO frameworks affecting disability inclusion.
• Support advocacy efforts led by EOA to influence policy reforms, including tax incentives and subsidies for BPOs employing persons with disabilities.
• Ensure that policy dialogue outputs are evidence-based, inclusive, and linked to project learning.

F. Protection, Safeguarding, and Inclusion

• Ensure Universities, and BPOSs are safe, protective, and gender sensitive.
• Comply with all relevant ECDD policies and procedures, including, but not limited to: anti-fraud and bribery, Children and Adults at Risk Safeguarding Policy, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), Code of Conduct, Gender Equality, Data Protection, Finance, Procurement, and Human Resources Management.
• Enforce safeguarding protocols and ethical standards of ECDD, with special attention youth with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, Refer protection concerns and psychosocial needs to appropriate services and support networks.

G. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Develop and implement M&E frameworks to track progress, outcomes, and impact of livelihood interventions, disaggregated by age, gender, and disability.
• Prepare and submit weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activity reports—developed in collaboration with the Project Officers—for both GIZ requirements and ECDD internal use
• Conduct regular field monitoring to assess quality, relevance, and inclusiveness of project interventions.
• Document success stories, challenges, and lessons learned for donor reporting and internal learning.
• Contribute to knowledge products and advocacy materials that promote disability-inclusive livelihood practices.

H. Team Leadership and Risk Management

• Supervise and mentor Project Officers and support staff, ensuring clarity of roles, accountability, and performance.
• Identify implementation risks related to inclusion, institutional capacity, partnerships, or sustainability, and lead mitigation measures.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, gender equality, disability inclusion, and ethical standards across all project activities.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in project management, Special Needs Education, Development Studies, Economics, Social Work, Disability Inclusion, Human Resource Development, or related fields.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in managing development projects, preferably in disability inclusion, job creation, skills development, or livelihood programs.
• Demonstrated experience working with government institutions, private sector, OPDs, or international development partners.
• Strong understanding of disability inclusion, accessibility standards, HR practices, and workforce development.
• Proven experience in donor-funded project management (GIZ experience is an added advantage).
• Excellent communication, coordination, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure.
• Proven commuter skills for effectively using email software and MS Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Core Competencies

• Strong leadership, coordination, and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Sound technical understanding of disability-inclusive employment.
• Project management, budgeting, and monitoring skills.
• Proficiency in English and Amharic; knowledge of Ethiopian Sign Language is an advantage.
• Competence in digital tools and project management platforms.
• Commitment to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Analytical and problem-solving ability in complex and changing environments.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, adaptability, integrity, and political neutrality.
• Willingness to travel to project target areas
• Good interpersonal skills and emotional maturity to work with relevant stakeholders
• Demonstrated accountability and professional integrity