Project Officers (5 Positions) Full Time

Title: Project Officers

Department: Programming (Restore Africa)

Report to: Project Manager

Duration: Full-time

Job Location: Mubende, Kiboga, Kassanda, Lyantonde, Ssembabule

Vacancies: Five (5)

About CRS:

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion, or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.

CRS’ Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Portfolio

Under the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation strategic priority area, CRS aims to ‘drive uptake and scaling of nature-based solutions and novel financing mechanisms to support national and community level efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change’. CRS currently has three projects which fall explicitly under this strategic priority area, and is in discussions with other donors to start additional and related programs:

• Restore Africa, which aims to restore 560,000 hectares of land with 352,500 smallholder farmers across 31 districts (Climate Asset Management funded)
• Accelerating and Scaling Climate Smart Jobs within Restore Africa – Market Linkages for Livelihoods and Land Restoration (M4R – FCDO funded) in 17 districts, focusing on 60,000 small-holder farmers and 40,000 hectares also engaged in Restore Africa.
• Mixed-Use Agroforestry in Refugee Hosting Districts (World Bank / MinWE funded), targeting 17,550 hectares and 87,782 smallholder farmers

These projects aim to assist smallholder farmers, with an average landholding of 2 hectares (minimum 0.5 hectares, maximum 20 hectares) to diversify production within their agroforestry systems, including through payments for carbon sequestration through integration of trees into their plots. The projects also aim to incentivize smallholder farmers to be able to invest in activities which restore health to their soil and increase productivity over time, as well as meet their own food security and economic needs.

Job Summary:

As a member of the Restore Africa team, you will be responsible for monitoring and reporting on all project activities in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. Your thorough, service-oriented approach will help ensure that the project consistently applies best practices and continually improves its impact on the communities we serve.

You will support the Project Manager by coordinating land restoration activities within the district, ensuring effective management of community-based facilitators, delivering agroforestry technical support through local group structures, and maintaining close collaboration with tree monitors. This role is central to achieving project deliverables related to sustainable land management, community engagement, and tree survival.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Activity Coordination: Support the coordination and implementation of all assigned project activities as outlined in the Detailed Implementation Plan, ensuring alignment with CRS program quality principles, donor requirements, and best practices. This includes developing district-level work plans.
• Monitoring and Adaptive Management: Monitor and report any challenges or gaps identified during implementation to inform adjustments to plans and schedules. Support partners in reflecting on project experiences to strengthen learning and continuous improvement.
• MEAL and Accountability: Strengthen accountability by coordinating project evaluation activities and supporting partners in the collection and analysis of project data using approved mechanisms and tools. This includes working closely with tree monitors to track tree planting, survival rates, and tree health, ensuring accurate and timely data collection, reporting, troubleshooting, and adaptive management based on monitoring feedback.
• Reporting: Prepare and submit high-quality reports in line with the established reporting schedule.
• Capacity Strengthening: Gather information on capacity needs and technical assistance needs of community-based facilitators, LCDA groups, lead farmers, and tree monitors. Monitor the delivery and effectiveness of capacity-building and technical support interventions.
• Documentation: Complete project documentation for assigned activities and support the identification of information for case studies, success stories, and reports on promising practices.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Representation: Contribute to representation efforts with local government, community leaders, and other key stakeholders to foster collaboration and local ownership. Represent the project in district-level meetings, forums, and coordination platforms.

Basic Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in project management, agriculture, agroforestry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in project support; fresh graduates may be considered for the role.
• Experience in agroforestry, livelihoods, extension services, or related fields, preferably within an NGO setting.
• Experience in participatory action planning and community engagement.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data preferred.
• Minimum of 3–5 years’ experience in community-based project implementation.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in MS Windows and MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Strong observation, active listening, and analytical skills, with the ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Effective relationship management skills and ability to work collaboratively with local partners, stakeholders, and community members.
• High attention to detail, with strong accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented approach to work.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines.

Required Languages: Excellent command of written and spoken English required knowledge of local languages from districts where RESAf is implemented an advantage.

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% in the CRS field location.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Personal Accountability—consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity—consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust—shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others—works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn—seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change—continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others—builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset—understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team principles.

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory Responsibilities: Will oversee coordination of Community Based Facilitators.

Internal: Project Management Team and other CRS staff.

External: Partner staff, staff from other peer agencies.

“Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.”

Tagged as: Catholic Relief Services, Uganda