JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE: Livestock Officer REPORTS TO: Project Coordinator REPORTING TO POSTHOLDER: 

LOCATION: Awash-7, Afar Regional State

DURATION & HOURS: Until 31 August 2026 upon successful completion of a probation period of 60 working days, with the possibility of extension based on the availability of funds.

FARM AFRICA

Effective agriculture has the power to change lives. It underpins prosperity, food security, and stability the world over. Farm Africa focuses on transforming agriculture and managing natural resources sustainably. We champion a holistic approach that boosts yield, protects the environment, and connects smallholder farmers to thriving markets. 

We work with different types of farmers in a range of regions. Their local situations vary, but the problems they face are all too familiar: lack of training and technology, inadequate inputs, no finance, vulnerability to climate change, and poor links to markets. 

We have an ambitious strategy to expand our work. We’ll increase our impact, lift more communities out of poverty, work with more corporate partners who share our vision, open up more agricultural markets, provide more expertise, and drive meaningful change. 

With Financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF), Farm Africa is implementing a project to transform gender dynamics and develop climate-resilient agriculture and livelihood opportunities in semi-pastoralist communities in two districts of Afar, Amibara and Awash-Fentale, and one district, Fentale, Oromia regions, Ethiopia, with possible replication and scale-up of the benefits.

The organization is now looking to hire a skilled and experienced Livestock Officer who will be responsible for supporting the climate-resilient agricultural/livelihood (livestock/crop & livelihood) related activities of the Gender Transformation and Climate Resilience (GTCR) project. 

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
 

The overall responsibility of the position holder is to coordinate the planning and execution of the project's climate-resilient agricultural/livelihood (Livestock/crop & livelihood) related activities. He/she will be specifically responsible for planning and executing capacity-building trainings, facilitating input supply, organizing farmers' groups, PRMCs, supporting VSLAs with technical advice, and providing technical support to CDOs and government counterparts.

He/she ensures that communities are engaged in improved livestock and high-value crop production, processing, and marketing. In coordination with the project coordinator, he/she will provide good partnerships with government stakeholders, community members, CBOs, consortium partners, CSOs, private sectors, and other relevant partners in the operational areas of the project.
 

Duties & Responsibilities:

Key areas of responsibilities are:

1. Ensure timely project implementation at all project intervention areas

 Work with the project team and government counterparts to achieve the project outputs/outcomes at project intervention areas.

 Ensure adequate consultation and participation of Zonal, Woreda, and village/community level stakeholders, ensuring active participation of women in particular.

 Facilitate identification of training needs, prepare training materials, and deliver training, business plan development, and other services to CDOs, government experts, private sector, and CBOs.

2. Bring technical expertise to ensure high-quality project delivery

 Take part in the assessments and surveys of livestock and crop-related activities used for project planning and management, including value chain study.

• Provide market linkages by working closely with CDOs and market/cooperative experts across the woredas;

• Promote Climate-smart agriculture, such as agroforestry, and improve agricultural practices and diversification where appropriate/within context;

• Sustainable livestock management: Development of a sustainable community water management system for livestock and livestock productivity improvement (including forage development)

 Small business group development: Beekeeping and honey production development, Women's milk processing cooperatives, Goat husbandry cooperatives, irrigation group, fishery, Livestock trading support, Business and product development training, Vegetable crops production support, Fruit trees development support, Establishing livestock marketing system, Support for community ecotourism development

 Facilitate the planning, implementation, monitoring, review, and evaluation of crop and livestock activities

 Provide expertise and advice for community institutions on gender mainstreaming in project scheme

 Identify and promote innovative livelihood programming approaches and interventions to achieve project objectives, and suited to the particular conditions and needs of diverse client groups in the operational areas.

• Assess and monitor all services in terms of rate of return, unit costs, cost efficiency, other relevant economic and financial methods, and standard agricultural economics.

• Facilitate and support the establishment of participatory rangeland management cooperatives across the woreda

• Facilitate Rangeland resource mapping, Rangeland resource management planning, and support the implementation of the Rangeland resource plan across project implementation Woredas.

3. Facilitate and coordinate project staff, government, community/institutional capacity-building activities

• Provide technical support to zonal, Woreda, and Kebele-level government technical staff. 

• Organizes and coordinates capacity-building training and workshops for beneficiaries, consortium partners, CBOs, and private sectors on improved agronomic and livestock practices and support.

4. Contribute to project management and reporting

 Participate in assessment, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes of the project activities.

   Prepare and develop status, monthly, quarterly, biannual, and annual reports as required by management.

 Ensure proper recording and documentation of best practices and success stories  

• Ensure that the project is implemented according to the original plan and project

proposal.

• Monitor and document the project progress, lessons, good experiences, and impact on rural communities.

• Participate in monthly activity and budget plan sessions, which are commonly facilitated by the field project coordination unit

• Provide strong support to Farm Africa’s internaldigital monitoring and reporting system.

5. Play an active role as a member of the Farm Africa Project team

 Identify and explore opportunities to improve project implementation and guarantee its sustainability

• Identify and explore opportunities to grow and expand the country project pipeline, both in relation to the current project (e.g., potential scale-up opportunities, replication in other geographies/regions) or related to new project opportunities

 Proactively share information with other projects and Farm Africa staff members to support Farm Africa’s aims

 Participate in broader Farm Africa meetings with other project staff members, as requested by the line manager.

These essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job-related duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.

Job Requirements

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Desirable

Education, qualifications &other knowledge

BSc/MScin Livestock /AnimalScience

Agricultural Extension, General Agriculture, and other related disciplines.

Training on agricultural extension systemKnowledge of the Agricultural development policy in Ethiopia and pastoralist communityKnowledge of the crop/livestock developmentKnowledge of gender and social inclusiveness 

Experience

Minimum of four years’experience in livestock development and livelihood development

Previous NGO work experience in agricultural (livestock development)

Practical experience in working on agricultural extension, crop, and livestock

development areas

 Experience in project planning, implementation monitoring, and evaluation 

Experience working in the area of value

chain and economic strengthening of rural community

Skills & abilities

Very good English language skills (written and spoken) Motorcycle driving skill Computerliteracy, excellent recordkeeping and report writing Strongcommunication and interpersonal skills Good team building skillsand the abilityto work in a multi-partner approach Budgetand financial management, training needs assessment and training facilitation 

Willingness to residein rural/marginal areas, ability to work with minimum

supervision

Strong sense of integrity and personal

commitment to the goalsand values of Farm Africa

 Good community-level facilitation and coordination skills Speaking English andAfaan Oromo language

How To Apply

Those who meet the above requirements should submit their short CV (maximum of 2 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 1 page) to THIS LINK on and before 4 December 2025

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Farm Africa is an equal-opportunity employer and promotes gender equity. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification. Farm Africa does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. (E.g. Application, interview, meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

About Farm Africa 

Farm Africa is a leading charity that works in partnership with smallholder farmers and small businesses in eastern Africa to improve the quality, quantity and value of their produce, so that they can support their families with more resilient livelihoods. We build the positive case for farming in harmony with nature, so that increasing yields goes hand in hand with restoring ecosystems and biodiversity.

www.farmafrica.org

Farm Africa, 1 St John’s Lane, London EC1M 4BL

Tel:  +44 (0)20 7430 0440

Registered charity no 326901 (England & Wales)