Project Officer

• Duration: One year (with possibility of extension based on performance and funding)
• Reports to: Programmes Manager
• Start Date: Immediately
• Salary: Based on the organization’s salary scale
• Email for Application: info@suhl.org.et.

About Save Your Holy Land Association (SYHLA)

Save Your Holy Land Association (SYHLA) is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political, and non-religious youth-led civil society organization established in December 2001 and legally registered by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Authority for Civil Society Organizations (Registration No. 0382). SYHLA is among the pioneer national CSOs in Ethiopia implementing integrated Development, Peace, and Humanitarian Nexus (DPHN) approaches, with over two decades of experience across humanitarian response, peacebuilding, sustainable development, gender equality, youth empowerment, and climate justice.

SYHLA envisions a just, peaceful, healthy, and resilient Ethiopia where women, youth, and children live in dignity, equality, and environmental harmony. Its mission is to empower women, youth, and communities through inclusive, rights-based programmes that advance protection, livelihoods, education, WASH, health, peace, climate justice, and the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Position Summary

SYHLA is seeking a Project Officer to lead and coordinate the implementation of project activities at the field level in Semen Bench, South West Ethiopia. The Project Officer will be responsible for ensuring high-quality delivery of youth, gender, governance, peacebuilding, climate resilience, and humanitarian-linked interventions. The role requires strong coordination, financial oversight, reporting, and stakeholder engagement skills, working closely with communities, local government offices, signatories, and partner organizations.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Implementation and Field Coordination

• Plan, coordinate, and implement all assigned project activities at the field level in line with approved work plans and budgets.
• Lead the organization of trainings, workshops, dialogues, campaigns, public hearings, and community events.
• Support youth- and young women-led initiatives, including leadership development, mentorship, safe spaces, advocacy, and peacebuilding actions.
• Implement climate-resilient livelihood and environmental protection activities, including agroecology, greening, green skills training, and youth-led income-generating activities.
• Facilitate peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and crisis-prevention initiatives, including peace dialogues, festivals, and community engagements.

Financial and Administrative Responsibilities

• Manage field-level budgets and expenditures in coordination with the finance team.
• Prepare activity budgets, financial requests, liquidation documents, and supporting documentation.
• Ensure cost-effective use of project resources and compliance with organizational and donor financial procedures.
• Support procurement processes and logistics related to field activities.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Documentation

• Prepare and submit timely activity reports, event reports, TORs, periodic narrative and tabular reports, and field updates.
• Document case stories, success stories, lessons learned, and good practices.
• Support monitoring, data collection, and learning processes to inform programme improvement.
• Facilitate and coordinate partner, donor, and stakeholder field visits, including preparation of agendas, logistics, briefing notes, and follow-up actions.
• Support the drafting of government and donor reports, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with programme activities and reporting requirements.
• Liaise with local government offices and partners to collect required data and inputs for official reports and coordination processes.

Stakeholder Coordination and Partnership

• Coordinate with local government offices, SACs, youth and women groups, signatory institutions, and community leaders.
• Maintain strong working relationships with partners, implementing agencies, and local structures, including LRPs.
• Support advocacy and campaign activities in collaboration with partners at local and regional levels.

Safeguarding, Accountability, and Compliance

• Ensure all activities adhere to SYHLA’s safeguarding, Child Protection, and PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) policies.
• Promote accountability, participation, and inclusion in all project interventions.
• Participate in safeguarding induction, screening, and ongoing compliance processes.

Safeguarding Commitment

SYHLA has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. All staff must comply with SYHLA’s safeguarding, Child Protection, and PSEA policies and will undergo mandatory safeguarding screening.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in Sociology, Social Work, Agriculture and Rural Development, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Gender Studies, Environmental Studies, Governance, Climate Change, with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience, OR
• Bachelor’s degree in the above fields, with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.

Experience:

• Proven experience in managing development, peacebuilding, humanitarian, or nexus programmes at the field level.
• Demonstrated experience in budget management and financial reporting.
• Experience preparing TORs, event reports, periodic reports, case stories, and success stories.
• Strong experience in stakeholder coordination with government offices, signatories, CSOs, and partners.
• Experience working with a consortium or similar coordination mechanisms is an advantage.
• Experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, or rural settings is highly desirable.

Core Competencies

• Strong coordination, planning, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to manage budgets and field-level finances responsibly.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure in remote field settings.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and commitment to safeguarding principles.
• Strong understanding of gender equality, youth participation, and rights-based programming.
• Proficiency in the local languages of the project area is an asset.