CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality, and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world.  Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe.  Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us.

I.  Job Summary

The purpose of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Officer is to support and lead the implementation of DRR and CCA activities to address the needs and priorities of DFSA target communities and households. S/he provides technical assistance related to DRR and CCA initiatives including rehabilitation of degraded communal lands, and watershed based public works planning and implementation and promotion and use of energy efficient technologies under the DFSA project: “Strengthen PSNP 4 Institutions and Resilience” for affected communities and key stakeholders. The incumbent is also responsible to help extract, document and share good practices within the organization, stakeholders and its partners. Furthermore, the position holder will assist in refining the programme design and implementation of all components of the project related to DRR and CCA in the target communities.

The key activities under the DFSA program in this component are:

• Community risks identified through participatory GCVCA and developing and monitoring CAAP

• Facilitate the design, adoption and funding of community contingency plans

• Facilitate the development and adoption of early warning systems that blends indigenous and meteorological methods

• Facilitate the mainstreaming of CCA/DRR risks and responses into local government functions

• Facilitate the adoption and practices of best practices on degraded land restoration

• Facilitate the planning and implementation of PSNP public works as per watershed principles (soil and water conservation, agroforestry, forage and fruits development)

• Supporting and ensuring each of the watershed/micro watershed has plans

The position holder will play a leading role in DRR and CCA activities in the target communities. She/he helps strengthen early warning and preparedness systems in partnership with communities, which includes early warning indicators and implementation guidelines for community level preparedness and mitigation. The DRR and CAA Officer will work closely with government and community partners to ensure program quality and impact in line with the goals and objectives of the program. 

This position reports to Program Specialist

II. Responsibilities and Key Result Areas 

Job Responsibility #1 Program planning and implementation (40%)

• Provide quality program implementation and oversight on the following components of PW NRM and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA):

• Lead in the implementation of PW NRM, DRR and CCA initiatives under the DFSA Program;

• Support the development of a detailed implementation plan (DIP) for the DRR and CCA activities;

• Support local capacity building initiatives in public work planning, rehabilitation of degraded lands, energy saving technologies, DRR and CCA at woreda and kebele levels;

• Support woreda public nurseries to have climate sensitive seedling selection and raising

• Work with woreda stakeholders to increase seedling survival rates as a biological measures of soil and water conservation

• Support development of DRR and CCA action/contingency plans at woreda/kebele level, including conducting a gap analysis, and use Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP) approaches for advancing climate service;

• Assist with PSP training workshops at zone/woreda level, cascading down to community/kebele level;

• Support government partners on DRR and CCA initiatives;

• Support environmental impact assessment on project and planned activities;

• Ensure the quality and timely implementation of public work structures

• Coordinate and support the development of implementation strategies, methods and guidelines for sustainable DRR and CCA interventions;

• Ensure measurable impact of public work, rehabilitation of degraded lands, DRR and CCA-related activities and a robust M&E system is in place;

• Monitor progress and provide ongoing feedback and recommendations to the project management;

• Participate, as required, in emergency assessments carried out in project operational areas

• Advise and ensure program initiatives are consistent with sustainable development principles.

Job Responsibility #2: Capacity Building and Technical Support (25%)

•  Works with the relevant government structures to facilitate public work, rehabilitation, DRR and CCA-related activities and monitoring in the operational areas;

• Strengthen woreda and kebele level; DRR & Early warning committees for early warning and early action

• Documents and shares lessons/results of public works, DRR and CCA work and strategies in program operational areas;

• Supports public works, DRR and CCA surveys, analyzes results and writes reports;

• Helps promote appropriate community awareness strategies on and around public works watershed management and restoration, DRR and CCA;

• Actively participates in the capacity needs assessment related to public works, DRR and CCA;

• Supports implementation of capacity building initiatives on public work, DRR and CCA;  

• Where needed, identify resource persons from within CARE or partners or outside to provide training and technical

• Participate and represent the project in various public work related meetings, DRR and CCA forums in program implementation woredas.  

Job Responsibility #3:  Partnership and Networking (15%)

• Ensure DFSA consortium input and best practices into DRR and CCA systems with government counterparts in the target woredas/kebeles/communities;

• Establish and maintain productive relationships with staff, government offices and community groups (VESA, watershed, early warning etc);

• Plan together and work closely with infrastructure and livelihood team of the program for integrated watershed use

• Develop and maintain productive relationships with meteorology agency, other NGOs and UN agencies working on DRR and CCA in the target woredas

• Actively participate in DRR and CCA forums to facilitate learning and scaling up of public works, consortium best practices on DRR and CCA good practices; and

• Establish and maintain productive relationships with all levels of government offices, meteorology offices, stakeholders and partners.

Job Responsibility #4:  Learning, Documentation and Sharing (15%)

• Identify/extract good practices and learning related to PSNP public works, climate services, DRR and CCA interventions for further program quality improvement

• Record, document and share lessons from program processes and achievements

• Prepare and maintain up to date information on the public works, rehabilitation, energy saving technologies, DRR and CCA situation in each operational area;

• Prepare reports as deemed necessary.  

Job Responsibility #5: % of Time:  5%

• Perform other duties as assigned.

III. GENDER EQUALITY

• Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth and social inclusion issues.

• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

Job Requirements

IV Qualifications

A) Education/Training

Required:

• BA/BSc Degree in Development Studies, disaster risk reduction, Natural Resources Management, Dryland management, soil and water conservation, Agroforestry studies, environmental studies, climate change adaptation, or related fields.

Desired:

• Advanced Degree in Development Studies, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, Natural Resources Management, Dryland Management, soil and water conservation, environmental studies, Agroforestry studies social sciences, or related field of study

B) Experience:

Required:

• 5 years of progressive experience for BA/BSs/3 years for Advanced Degree that is related to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programming and natural resources management in rural areas. Ability in interpersonal relationship, proposal development and team work is required. 

Desired:

• Previous experience working with PSNP and food assistance programs on climate change adaptation and early warning systems/disaster risk reduction management and, agroforestry, environmental management Public Work NRM with international NGOs and UN agencies;

• Expertise in the application of GIS

C)   Technical Skills

Required:

• Proficiency in computer (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, GIS);

• Expertise in PW NRM, climate services, DRR and CCA program design and management;

• Good knowledge of written and spoken English;

• Project design, monitoring and evaluation skill;

• Effective interpersonal skills, maturity, initiative, tact and a high sense of responsibility, 

• Ability to work harmoniously with people of different educational and cultural backgrounds;

• Solid understanding of PW NRM, DRR and CCA frameworks and tools; and

• Good analytical, communication and organizational skill.

Desired:

• Expertise in PW NRM, watershed management, DRR and CCA analysis and methodologies;

• Proven training and facilitation skills;

• Computer skills in database management;

• Expertise in assessment, analysis and report writing.

D) Language proficiency:

• Knowledge of and facilitation skill in Afaan Oromo language (desirable)

E)  Competencies:

• CARE core values (respect, accountability, courage, and excellence), building partnerships, and managing performance for success, initiating action, interpersonal skills, contributing to team success, pro-active problem solving and organizing.

F)  Problem Solving (Thinking Environment):

• Levels 1 and 2 of problem solving apply to the incumbent. The incumbent must use interpersonal skills to pick and choose the right strategy to address a given problem and identify practical solutions.  

IIV. Contacts/Key Relationships:

• The incumbent is expected to establish and maintain good relations with all staff and partners at all levels. S/he will also be expected to have productive and professional relations with various technical, JEOP and operations staff in the organization.

V. Working Conditions and Level of Travel Required. 

• This role is based in West Hararghe Field Office. This position reports to Program Specialist with dotted line reports to PW NRM, DRR/CCA advisor

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 https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CAREUSA&cws=52&rid=6405

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.

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