Woreda Facilitation Officer

Project location: Aw-Bare, Gursum (SM), Afdem & Shinile Woredas of Somali region & Biyoawale, Wahil and Legehare Woredas of Dire Dawa city administration

Deadline for submission of CV and application letter: November 14, 2025

Organizational Description

The Organization for Welfare and Development in Action (OWDA) is a nationally registered humanitarian and development organization established in December 1999, serving communities across Ethiopia. OWDA is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable and marginalized groups, particularly pastoral and agro-pastoral communities affected by drought, conflict, and other shocks. Its mission is to strengthen the resilience of at-risk populations, including women, children, youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, by supporting recovery and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Over the years, OWDA has become one of the most active and trusted local organizations in Ethiopia, implementing more than 25 humanitarian and development projects across key sectors such as livelihood and food security, health and nutrition, WASH, education, protection, emergency shelter, reproductive health and other thematic sectors. Through strong partnerships with UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and government stakeholders, OWDA continues to deliver integrated, community-driven, and sustainable interventions that address both immediate needs and long-term development goals.

In collaboration with Jhpiego, the lead implementing partner, OWDA is rolling out the Reaching Impact Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) Project a one-year, multi-regional initiative aimed at strengthening maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN), improving infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, and enhancing health security across Ethiopia. The project adopts a geographic clustering model to ensure efficient and context-responsive implementation across pastoralist, agrarian, and semi-urban woredas.

OWDA will be implementing the project in selected woredas across Somali region and Dire Dawa City Administration. The specific woredas include Aw-Bare, Gursum (SM), Afdem & Shinile Woredas of Somali region and Biyoawale, Wahil and Legehare Woredas of Dire Dawa city administration.

To support this effort, OWDA is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Woreda Facilitation Officer, to be stationed at the respective Woreda Health Office. The Facilitation Officer will work closely with cluster-based technical teams located in Jigjiga town, contributing to the implementation of planned activities under a unified team-management approach.

Position summary

The Woreda Facilitation Officer will play a pivotal role in strengthening community-level health systems and public health emergency management (PHEM) within the assigned woreda. As a public health professional with deep experience engaging Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and implementing Health Extension Program (HEP) packages, the Facilitation Officer will support community structures to enhance the effectiveness of MNCH, nutrition, and immunization services. This role involves ensuring strong linkages between health posts and cluster health centers through regular supervision, review meetings, and supply coordination. The Facilitation Officer will also provide direct support to the woreda PHEM team at the woreda office, health facilities, and community level to improve preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Working closely with the Woreda MNCH Officer and cluster-level technical experts, the Facilitation Officer will address demand-side barriers, strengthen surveillance and outreach services, and ensure that vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas are effectively served. This position requires intensive field engagement, including travel by motorbike and walking in challenging terrain.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Woreda Facilitation Officer will be responsible for supporting community-level implementation of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), nutrition, immunization, and public health emergency preparedness activities. As a public health professional with strong experience working with Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and deep knowledge of the Health Extension Program (HEP) packages, national community engagement strategies, and community structures, the Facilitation Officer will play a key role in strengthening the link between communities and health facilities.

Key responsibilities include:

Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Support the Woreda PHEM team in preparedness, response, and recovery efforts at the community and facility levels.
• Contribute to surveillance, reporting, and other key PHEM functions in collaboration with woreda health authorities.

Grassroot Engagement and Support

• Strengthen and mobilize community structures to support MNCH, nutrition, and immunization programs.
• Address context-specific demand-side barriers to service uptake through culturally appropriate and locally informed strategies.
• Support outreach services and community-level surveillance activities.

HEW and Health Post Support

• Collaborate with the cluster Health Center to ensure provision of regular supportive supervision to HEWs and health posts. Facilitate review meetings and ensure timely reporting and feedback mechanisms. Ensure effective supply linkages between health posts and cluster health centers.

Coordination and Linkage

• Collaborate closely with the Woreda government and project MNCH Officer to ensure seamless referral and service linkage for mothers and children needing care at higher-level facilities.
• Strengthen coordination between community-level actors and health centers to improve service delivery and responsiveness.

MEL, Collaboration and Reporting

• Work in close coordination with cluster-level technical experts and the Woreda MNCH Officer to align activities and share progress.
• Submit regular progress reports and maintain clear communication through established channels.

Field Engagement

• Conduct intensive fieldwork, including travel by motorbike and walking in difficult terrain, to reach remote communities and service providers.
• Ensure equitable access to services for families in hard-to-reach areas.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Public Health, Health Education, Nursing, or a related field.
• Professional Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience working at the community level, particularly on PHEM and the Health Extension Program (HEP).
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of PHEM strategies and approaches, the HEP packages, national community engagement strategies, and community health structures.
• PHEM Expertise: Demonstrated experience supporting Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) functions at woreda, facility, and community levels, including preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Grassroot Engagement: Proven ability to mobilize and strengthen community structures to support MNCH, nutrition, immunization, and outreach services.
• Coordination Skills: Experience facilitating linkages between health posts and health centers and collaborating with woreda-level and multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Field Readiness: Willingness and physical ability to conduct intensive fieldwork, including travel by motorbike and walking in difficult terrain to reach remote communities.
• Communication and Reporting: Strong interpersonal, communication, and reporting skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Mobility: Willingness to travel frequently within the woreda, including remote areas; possession of a valid motorbike driving license is required or preferred.
• Language Proficiency: Proficiency in the local language(s) spoken in the woreda is highly desirable.