Background

The Youth Economic Empowerment through Livestock Development (YEELD) Program is a five-year initiative aimed at improving the socio-economic well-being and resilience of financially disadvantaged young people aged 18–35 years in the Teso, Bukedi, and Ankole sub-regions of Uganda through livestock value chains. The program seeks to create 250,000 work opportunities, including 200,000 (80%) young women, 5% persons with disabilities (PWDs), and 3% refugees and displaced persons (RDPs). YEELD is being implemented across 20 districts in the three sub-regions through a consortium coordinated by Ripple Effect, dfcu Foundation, and Multi Community Based Development Initiative (MUCOBADI), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The Project Officer will support effective mobilization, coordination, implementation, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and reporting of project activities across the target districts in Teso Sub region.

Position Summary

The Project Officer will oversee day-to-day field implementation of project activities, coordinate the selection and training of community-based trainers, support partnerships with local stakeholders, ensure timely reporting, and contribute to achieving project targets and impact objectives.

The role requires a highly organized, community-oriented, and results-driven professional with strong experience in project implementation, youth and women economic empowerment programming, livelihoods, enterprise development, or livestock initiatives.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Project Implementation & Coordination

• Support implementation of approved project work plans and activities within the Teso region.
• Coordinate field activities, including trainings, community mobilization, entrepreneurship sessions, and stakeholder engagements.
• Ensure project activities are delivered on schedule, within budget, and according to quality standards.
• Monitor progress against project indicators and targets.
• Coordinate the selection and training of Community-Based Trainers to facilitate group formation and project planning, and participatory approaches.
• Support beneficiary identification, verification, and profiling processes.

2. Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with district local governments, community leaders, youth groups, women's groups, cooperatives, and producer organizations.
• Build a strong and motivated team of community-based trainers, ensuring that they can ably support the group-level trainings.
• Represent the project in local coordination meetings and stakeholder forums.
• Support collaboration with financial institutions, training providers, and private sector actors.
• Promote group ownership and sustainability of project interventions.

3. Monitoring, Reporting & Documentation

• Collect field data and prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly progress reports.
• Support monitoring and evaluation activities, including surveys, assessments, and beneficiary tracking.
• Document success stories, lessons learned, best practices, and case studies.
• Ensure accurate maintenance of project records and activity documentation.
• Support preparation of donor reports and compliance documentation.

4. Financial & Administrative Support

• Support activity budgeting and accountability processes.
• Ensure proper utilization and accountability of project resources.
• Prepare activity requests, field reports, attendance lists, and payment lists.
• Ensure compliance with organizational and donor policies and procedures.

5. Community Mobilization & Capacity Building

• Mobilize producer groups in the Teso region for enterprise development trainings
• Facilitate Community-Based Trainer, training sessions, and capacity building
• Support entrepreneurship, financial literacy, employability, agribusiness, climate resilience, or livelihood activities.
• Provide mentorship and follow-up support to community-based trainers.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies, Social Work & Social Administration, Community Psychology, Project Planning & Management, Agriculture, Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in project implementation or community development programming.
• Experience working with youth and women empowerment projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in selecting, training, and working with Community-Based Trainers is required.
• Familiarity with the Teso region and local context is highly preferred.

Required Competencies & Skills

• Strong project coordination and community engagement skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good report writing and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and under minimal supervision.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles is an added advantage.
• Ability to ride a motorcycle with a valid riding permit is required.

Equal Opportunity Statement

International Foundation for Recovery and Development (IFRAD) is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding. Women, youth, and qualified candidates from the Teso region are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Support implementation of approved project work plans and activities within the Teso region.
• Coordinate field activities, including trainings, community mobilization, entrepreneurship sessions, and stakeholder engagements.
• Ensure project activities are delivered on schedule, within budget, and according to quality standards.
• Monitor progress against project indicators and targets.
• Coordinate the selection and training of Community-Based Trainers to facilitate group formation and project planning, and participatory approaches.
• Support beneficiary identification, verification, and profiling processes.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with district local governments, community leaders, youth groups, women's groups, cooperatives, and producer organizations.
• Build a strong and motivated team of community-based trainers, ensuring that they can ably support the group-level trainings.
• Represent the project in local coordination meetings and stakeholder forums.
• Support collaboration with financial institutions, training providers, and private sector actors.
• Promote group ownership and sustainability of project interventions.
• Collect field data and prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly progress reports.
• Support monitoring and evaluation activities, including surveys, assessments, and beneficiary tracking.
• Document success stories, lessons learned, best practices, and case studies.
• Ensure accurate maintenance of project records and activity documentation.
• Support preparation of donor reports and compliance documentation.
• Support activity budgeting and accountability processes.
• Ensure proper utilization and accountability of project resources.
• Prepare activity requests, field reports, attendance lists, and payment lists.
• Ensure compliance with organizational and donor policies and procedures.
• Mobilize producer groups in the Teso region for enterprise development trainings
• Facilitate Community-Based Trainer, training sessions, and capacity building
• Support entrepreneurship, financial literacy, employability, agribusiness, climate resilience, or livelihood activities.
• Provide mentorship and follow-up support to community-based trainers.

• Strong project coordination and community engagement skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good report writing and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and under minimal supervision.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles is an added advantage.
• Ability to ride a motorcycle with a valid riding permit is required.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies, Social Work & Social Administration, Community Psychology, Project Planning & Management, Agriculture, Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in project implementation or community development programming.
• Experience working with youth and women empowerment projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in selecting, training, and working with Community-Based Trainers is required.
• Familiarity with the Teso region and local context is highly preferred.