The purpose of the Project director position is to supervise the management of the field program operations of the ‘She Thrives’ Project interventions for CARE’s operation, as well as functional supervision for the field activities of the CARE implementation partners: Balaya Children and Family Charitable Association and Illu Children and Women Integrated Development Association besides private sector and government partners. The Project director/ Coordinator position is responsible and accountable for the overall project. Provides oversight and guidance to program operations, staff management and implementation in CARE operational areas. The Project Director /Coordinator will assume overall responsibility and ensures consistency of implementation, strategies and approaches, oversees monitoring and evaluation, and leads technical coordination of the key interventions of the project. The Coordinator will oversee CARE financial transactions to ensure proper accountability of Project resources. The Coordinator will develop plans for enhancing field office capacity to carry out the Project, and draw lessons for increasing impact and sustainability of the action. The Coordinator will receive activity reports from the field offices for compilation into regular donor reports – per donor reporting regulation. All work will be performed in accordance with CARE Ethiopia’s mission, strategic objectives and program approaches and to address underlying causes of vulnerability to child labor reduction. Finally, the Coordinator will establish and maintain effective working relationships with key government Partners, implementing partners and donor contacts and will represent the Project and CARE with external stakeholders as appropriate. 

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

 Job Responsibility #1 Staff Management: (25% time)

• Supervises the management of technical staffs at CO and of field operations for ‘She Thrives’ in Gedeo and Illibabur zones
• Ensures CARE’s oversight of project partners’ adherence to Project goals and workplans, compliance with donor and government regulations and participation in Project meetings and relevant trainings.  
• Ensures the development of key leadership, management, financial and administrative skills of direct reports as relevant to increase their capacity and ensure overall quality of Project actions and impact.
• Ensures teams in the Project operational areas are adhering to procedures and policies (compliance).
• Completes all CARE performance management activities, including performance planning, monitoring, and annual performance appraisals. In consultation with the Program Coordinator for WEJ and HR Unit, takes appropriate personnel actions to address any HR related problems.
• Ensures that direct reports set gender sensitive Annual Performance Objectives (APO), closely follow implementation and track performance for rating accordingly.
• Ensures gender related manuals, strategies and guidelines are available and utilized by Project staffs to ensure gender sensitivity and equity in the context.

 Job Responsibility #2: Program Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (25% time)

• Ensures that She Thrives project team develops realistic and strategically focused quarterly implementation plans which are oriented toward accomplishment of the project, and are supported by individual operation plans of the field office Project staff.
• Ensures Project team include communities and local organizations in participatory planning and implementation of interventions.
• Ensures that the Project interventions are implemented according to agreed upon plans and signed agreements. 
• Monitors the implementation of Project and documents progress on Project objectives and areas for correction, and ensures that appropriate follow-up actions are taken. 
• Ensures gender impacts of the project are timely and appropriately monitored, analyzed, and reported through monitoring and evaluation system.
• Monitors the implementation by Partners, documents progress on Project objectives and areas for correction, and ensures that appropriate follow-up actions are taken. 
• Coordinates with implementing partners and government offices in planning and monitoring activities at the national level, and in the Technical Working Group of the Project.
• Ensures monitoring data is collected and used in a timely manner to ensure critical sequencing and implementation of activities and ability to adapt interventions and timing as appropriate.
• Ensures M&E information is used to identify gaps and to develop timely strategies to advance accomplishment of the Project.
• Monitors and adjusts strategies to maximize progam quality and impact. 

 Job Responsibility #3: Program Implementation and Technical Support (20% time)

• Facilitates detailed implementation plans for CARE operational areas and works closely to ensure the completeness and adequacy of Implementation Plans.
• Works with Field Offices and Program Department staff to assess and identify technical assistance needs and to identify and secure potential technical assistance providers.
• Ensures Project field teams mainstream and adopt organizational core values, policies, procedures and approaches (e.g. Gender, Social Analysis and Action (SAA), Community-based Adaptation, CI program standards and principles) and monitor progress and organizational performance, for organizational learning, decision-making and reporting, and for promoting innovations.
• Ensures that appropriate technical, administrative and financial support is provided by the respective departments and sections of the CO to enhance the capacity of the Project team/field offices.
• Ensure that Project reports make explicit reference to approaches used to address unequal gender relations.

 Job Responsibility #4: Financial Management (20% time)

• Monitors budget utilization and sets strategies and targets to improve financial management and utilization of Project budgets both for CARE Operational Areas as well as Implementation Partners per plans and commitments made to the donor, adjusting when needed.
• Identifies needs and facilitates access to appropriate support and training by the CO finance to Field Offices and Project Partners to produce timely and accurate reports alerting management of low/high burn rates and proposing appropriate measures to improve budget utilization.
• Works with CARE Financial management personnel to facilitate timely disbursement of Project funds for planned activities.

 Job Responsibility No. 5: Networking and Learning (10% time)

• Establishes and maintains formal and informal communication mechanisms with government, community Partners, donors, and other stakeholders particularly in the food and livelihoods sector. This includes participating in the relevant sector working groups and Clusters currently active in Ethiopia.
• Actively participates in Project Coordinating Committee and Technical Working Group to ensure that new information, innovations, and lessons are shared and capitalized on. 
• Works with the team to assess current conditions in the Field Offices and ensure that issues are correctly identified, and corrective actions taken when necessary.
• Ensure that organizations gender policy is being implemented through collaboration with the HR unit to ensure competent female candidates are encouraged to apply for vacant posts and fair assessment of examinations and sincere application of affirmative action.
• Ensures that reports are prepared and submitted to concerned parties, donors, counterparts and relevant CARE members on time and in a professional manner.
• Participates in the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned.

 Job Responsibility #6: Perform other duties as assigned (5% time)

PROBLEM SOLVING (Thinking Environment)

While the incumbent will face all three levels of problem-solving, the biggest challenges belong to category number three. This position is to ensure Project team capacity to think, analyze, plan and operate strategically and efficiently in terms of implementing the targeted interventions to address child labour. This requires in-depth understanding and use of different tools and approaches for identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, implementing and evaluating interventions with highest potential for reducing child labor in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector with a focus on the informal sector using a gender-focused approach. Development of leadership skills and enhancement of effective management and administration practices will be at the center of this position.

Job Requirements

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Required:

Master’s Degree in international development field of study directly related to rural livelihoods, including public health, agricultural and economic development, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. 

Desired:

Experience and familiarity with issues related to the child labor reduction Program of the Government of Ethiopia. 

EXPERIENCE

Required:

• 8 years of experience in development and management of multi partner complex Projects/programs focused on child labor, economic empowerment, accountability, rural livelihood recovery and stability, long-term food security interventions, market and cash-based interventions and/or program management.

Desired:

• Significant exposure to child labor reduction programming in Ethiopia, including the public work and Household asset building initiatives.
• Experience in the design and delivery of market-based input and output system interventions.
• Experience in using value chain approaches to agricultural development encompassing targeted production and marketing techniques in field program operations.
• Working knowledge of programming in chronically vulnerable environments. 

Technical Skills

Required:

• Expertise in food security and livelihoods, with a focus on PSNP.
• Proficiency in verbal and written English, technical report writing, strategic and operational planning, budget planning and management.
• Proficiency in standard Office software package
• Demonstrated leadership ability to inspire and empower others
• Good interpersonal communication skill and ability to effectively liaise with government, community leaders and other stakeholders
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, and conceptual understanding of participatory approach and sustainable development
• Desired:
• Knowledge of local languages.
• Skills in organizing and facilitating training events.
• Expertise in one or more of the following program areas: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change Adaptation, Income generation, Good governance and Gender.

Competencies

• Respect, integrity, diversity, excellence, adaptability, stress tolerance, innovation, building Partnership, communicating with impact, coaching, facilitating change, developing teams, initiating action, strategic decision making, planning, and organizing, leading through vision and value.

FREEDOM TO ACT

General Accountability:

The incumbent’s decisions are prime in terms of the daily functioning and operation of the field offices in programming, management, financial and administration areas; her/his decisions are contributory in terms of the CO's long term development focus and organizational polices and procedures. The project director is a key decision maker in terms of staffing but requests and takes into account input from the Human Resource section and other sections as appropriate.

 CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS 

The incumbent is expected to establish and maintain open and cordial relationship with regional and federal government Partners, local government officials, donors and other development organizations working in the same geographical areas to obtain the required support and collaboration for the smooth coordination and implementation of Project activities.

 The Project director/Coordinator is also expected to maintain good working relationships with CARE staff in other programs, Projects, and field offices and at CARE Addis Ababa to promote and ensure complementary of development efforts and synergy of results.

 WORKING CONDITIONS AND LEVEL OF TRAVEL REQUIRED. 

The position is based in Addis Ababa. At least 25% of time is spent in the operational area and overnight trips are often required.

CARE Ethiopia is committed to preventing all unwanted behavior at work. This includes sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse. We expect everyone who works for us to share this commitment by understanding and working within the CARE Safeguarding Policy and related framework. CARE Ethiopia has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives or partners.

CARE Ethiopia reserves the right to seek information from job applicants’ current and/or previous employers about incidents of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment the applicant may have been found guilty to have committed or about which an investigation was in the process of being carried out at the time of the termination of the applicant’s employment with that employer.

By submitting the application, the job applicant confirms that s/he has no objection to CARE Ethiopia requesting the information specified above. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.

How to Apply

If you are interested to be part of our dynamic team, exciting work environment and contribute to CARE Ethiopia’s mission and vision, please send your CV (not more than 3 pages) and cover letter (not more than one page) through CLICK HERE

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Passionate and dedicated candidates who meet the requirement are strongly encouraged to apply, especially women! CARE seeks to improve the lives of the most marginalized, particularly women and girls. Our diversity is our strength. We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.