CESVI has been active in Ethiopia since 2018, with ongoing operations in multiple regions. The organization focuses on strengthening community resilience and supporting humanitarian responses, particularly in areas affected by climate-related and socio-economic challenges. Its activities include promoting climate-smart agriculture and agroforestry to enhance the productivity and food security of smallholder farmers. This involves introducing resilient crops such as sorghum, encouraging the cultivation of moringa and legumes, and improving soil health through sustainable practices. CESVI also supports the development of local value chains by fostering farmer associations—especially among women and youth—and linking producers to micro-enterprises for processing and marketing. The agency combines technical expertise with community engagement and academic collaboration to promote sustainable, inclusive development aligned with global sustainability goals. CESVI’s intervention “Borena A.S.P.I.R.E.S.: Sustainable Agriculture, Pastoralism, and Inclusion for Economic Resilience and Stabilization in Borena”, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, adopts a systemic approach to strengthen community resilience by addressing urgent needs while building long-term solutions. The program includes the rehabilitation of water infrastructure and hygiene services, alongside support for agriculture and pastoralism through cash transfers and livestock restocking. Farmers receive seeds and tools, and agricultural and veterinary extension workers are trained to ensure ongoing support. Efforts also target improved nutrition and health for vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. Additionally, disaster risk reduction is a key focus, with community-based early warning systems and response plans in place. The initiative incorporates a Survivor and Community-Led Response (SCLR) approach, ensuring that local actions are integrated with regional and national strategies, helping to reduce inter-community conflicts and enhance disaster resilience.

Job Description

Job summary: The Community Facilitator will work closely with the Agronomist, WASH, and M&E Experts, the rest of the CESVI team in Borena, and government-relevant stakeholders to attain CESVI humanitarian response and development objectives in Ethiopia. The Community Facilitator will also technically report to the Senior Program Manager. The Community Facilitator will be responsible for facilitating community-based activities at kebele and woreda levels. He/ She will serve as a liaison staff at the woreda and community level.

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate project planning at community level.
• Collect information relevant to project planning process directly from the field.
• Provide inputs to planning process and ensure community level issue and concerns are included in the planning.
• Facilitate and organize community level tools such as FGDs, and other PRA tools.
• Mobilize communities for various project activities such as Irrigation scheme development, WASH and Livestock related actions
• Disseminate information about the project implementation modality to communities on time.
• Organize community group discussion and maintain positive relationship among CESVI Fondazione ETS, community and district level stakeholders.
• Ensure the Irrigation scheme development, WASH and Livestock related activities are implemented in accordance with the operational plan and as per the required standard.
• Closely work with WASH expert, and Livestock Expert and other CESVI team related to the project activities.
• Regular monitoring visit to project sites; and provide technical backstopping to community and local government stakeholders.
• Organize and facilitate various project level workshops and capacity building training for community groups pertinent line offices on irrigation system, WASH and Livestock related actions
• Develop clear beneficiary targeting criteria; ensure they are clearly communicated to target communities; receive complaint, feedbacks and act accordingly in consultation with the CFM expert and stakeholders.
• Ensure the humanitarian standards (LEGS, CHS, Sphere) are adhered at all stages of the project cycle.
• Collect information on lessons learned, best practices, and share with line experts.
• Support CESVI team in identifying beneficiaries for documenting human interest stories.
• Ensure the relevant stakeholders including line government offices and target communities are actively participating in the planning and implementation of the project activities.
• Closely follow up on the security situation and provide share information with CESVI Security focal point.
• Regularly engage with local customary institution in harmonizing traditional early warning system with conventional one.
• Take part in baseline, PDM and end line data collection as guided by the DRM expert and MEAL expert
• Prepare and submit regular monitoring report to the line manager as per the required timeline and template
• When she/he delegated by immediate supervisor, participate in, district level humanitarian coordination forums, meetings, networks, and ensure CESVI Fondazione ETS adequate representation. Brief his immediate supervisor about the contents and outcomes of these coordination forums.
• Facilitate joint monitoring and review sessions with relevant stakeholders.
• He/she has to actively represent district level taskforce meeting on regular bases
• Ensure complaints and feedbacks from target communities and stakeholders are regularly received, and appropriate actions are taken by the project office.
• Ensure adherence to quality and accountability humanitarian standards (CHS, Sphere minimum standard, etc.),
• Make sure CESVI Fondazione ETS complaint and feedback mechanism is fully exercised, and complaints are welcomed and timely responded.

Requirements

Essential requirements

• Diploma/Degree in Animal science, plant science and NRM. With more than five years experiences
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Spoken and written fluency in English, and Oromiffia, Amharic language
• Previous experience in working with International NGOs.
• Willingness to travel frequently to field locations.
• Familiarity with the local agricultural context and practices is an advantage

Other requirements:

• Excellent organizational, time management, and multitasking skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work across teams and with diverse stakeholders.

Safeguarding

CESVI has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a child or a vulnerable adult by any of our staff, related persons or partners.

CESVI commitment to being a safe organization begins with the staff recruitment process which includes meticulous checks, such as criminal records checks or check disclosure of previous convictions, to ensure children and vulnerable people are safeguarded and abuse is prevented. Safeguarding checks are part of the selection process performance

For further information regarding CESVI policies: https://www.cesvi.eu/who-we-are/transparency/our-policies/

How to Apply:

Persons qualified for this position are invited to submit their CVs (including 3 referees) and COVER LETTER ONLY to CESVI to the e-mail address: recruitment.nairobi@cesvioverseas.org. Please quote the Position in the subject line of your e-mail application. Please do not apply twice, applicants should not attach certificates at this stage. Inquiries by phone or e-mail will not be entertained.

This position is only open to Ethiopian Nationals, who must be eligible to live and work in Ethiopia. More information about CESVI can be found on cesvi.eu

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please note:

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 28th May 2025 at midnight EAT. However, Cesvi reserves the right to close the vacancy before the above-mentioned date in case a large number of applications is received. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.