Project Officer

Background

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are an Ethiopian civil society organization re-registered on September 19, 2019 before the FDRE Civil Societies Organizations Agency in accordance with Proclamation No. 1113/2019. The objectives of the Organization includes increasing the participation and contribution of lawyers in the area of human rights through trainings and other capacity building activities, supporting lawyers across the nation and help exchange of ideas, information and experience for better protection of human rights and prevalence of human rights, litigating strategically in courts and other relevant organs to ensure protection and promotion of human rights recognized under the FDRE Constitution and other laws, creating awareness for justice organs on international human rights instruments ratified by Ethiopia, providing free or low cost legal services for victims of human rights violation particularly disadvantaged communities, influencing the government to enact new laws or amend existing ones to give full protection for human rights, familiarizing the idea of human rights defenders (HRD) among the lawyers etc.

To achieve its objectives, LHR has been engaging with national and international stakeholders in the past years including OHCHR East Africa Regional Office (EARO), National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA), USAID Justice Activity Project, Freedom House (FH), Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), French Development Agency (AFD), Project Expedite Justice (PEJ), and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).

Currently, LHR is implementing a project entitled “Advancing Human Rights through Legal Aid Services”, with the objective of making legal aid services accessible to detainees in the early stages of criminal proceedings in police stations. In addition to this, supporting emerging CSOs is one of the project components.

LHR has been assisting Elibat Charitable Organization in the implementation of the project “Improving the Rights of Incarcerated in Correctional Facilities in Addis Ababa” with the support of Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The project aims to address the human rights violation against women incarcerated in the main prisons in Addis Ababa, namely Kaliti and Klinto.

Role and responsibilities

The Project Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the project and interventions. The ideal candidate must be able to work independently (autonomously with loose supervision) but equally a good team player, has strong administrative and project management skills, as well as the delivery of the project milestones in accordance with the deadlines. The Project officer must have strong communication skills as well as professional interpersonal skills.

Specific duties and responsibilities:

• Ensure the implementation and follow-up of the project activities as set out in the project document, work plans, and other related documents.
• Ensure operational management of the project stated above and delivery of results in accordance with the project documents and work plans.
• Prepare terms of reference, training, and workshop schedules and upon approval, facilitate the selection of consultants and organize workshops training, and roundtable discussions.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports.
• Ensure compliance with donor’s project management policies and procedures.
• plan, organize and facilitate workshops, training, and prepare proceedings.
• Assist the Program Coordinator in planning and coordination of projects and their activities.
• Ensure project activity implementations are in line with the available budgetary resources and annual plan.
• Work to keep projects on schedule, within stated budgets, and functioning smoothly.
• Develop concept notes and project proposals in collaboration with other program staff to ensure sustainability of the project activities.
• Performs other related duties as required by the Program Coordinator and the Executive Director.

Disclaimer:

This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in the job description and other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job.

Reports to: Program Coordinator

Required Number: 01 (One)

Required Skills and Experience

• First degree or master’s in law, or another related field.
• Proven experience in project management or project officer positions for a minimum of two (2) years in projects related to human rights advocacy.
• Experience in project implementation.
• Experience in working with relevant projects from the governmental and non-governmental institutions.
• Experience in developing terms of reference, concept notes project proposals, and reports.
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities, carries out multiple tasks simultaneously, and meets deadlines.
• Ability to work under pressure and with limited supervision in a challenging environment.
• Excellent communication skills including written communications.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic languages.
• Computer literate (MS Word, Excel) and skills in internet usage.
• Excellent documentation skills.