JOB OPPORTUNITY

Internal/External

nternal/External

Reference No:  

REC/ 120/26

Job title:           

Value Chain and Natural Resource Management (NRM) Project Manager

Location:          

Hamer, Turmi with frequent travel (>70%)

Reports to:

Area Manager (Borena))

Number of Posts

 (1)

Closing date:   

September 05 ,2026& due to the urgency, applications will be reviewed on rolling basis

 

About GOAL

‘If the inherent capacities of vulnerable people are developed, the systems in which they live and work are strengthened, and positive global action is catalyzed, then communities facing crisis, poverty, and exclusion will achieve greater resilience and well-being.

Source: GOAL’s theory of change

 

GOAL has been working in Ethiopia for over 40 years, towards ensuring the poorest and most vulnerable, and those affected by humanitarian crises have access to the fundamental rights of life, including but not limited to adequate shelter, food, water and sanitation, healthcare, and education. GOAL Ethiopia implements a range of multi-sectoral development, resilience, and humanitarian responses, targeting refugees, internally displaced communities, vulnerable chronically poor pastoralist and rural smallholder farmers, street-connected children and youth, and communities affected by humanitarian and sudden onset emergencies – primarily drought, flooding, disease, and conflict. GOAL works closely with communities and local Government, addressing issues of poverty, building capacity to respond to shocks and stresses, and helping to prevent and mitigate the impact of disasters.

 

The program has a strong focus on the nutrition, health, WASH, food security, and economic development sectors, incorporating aspects of resilience building, market system development, systems strengthening, behavior change, and inclusion within our approaches. Gender and child protection are mainstreamed throughout all programming. Accountability to communities, project participants, and all stakeholders is an integral element of all responses. GOAL Ethiopia operates a country-wide response, currently operational in Oromiya, Somali, Afar, Gambella, SNNP, Benishangul Gumuze, Amhara, Tigray, and Addis Ababa.

 

GOAL envisages a world where poverty and hunger no longer exist, where communities are resilient and prepared for seasonal shocks, where structural and cultural barriers to growth are removed, and where every man, woman, and child, has equal rights and access to resources and opportunities.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE:

 

The Rangeland, Watershed and Pastoral Value Chain Development Project in the Ethiopian side of the Karamoja Cluster is designed to strengthen community and government capacities for inclusive, conflict-sensitive, and sustainable natural resource management while enhancing pastoral value chain systems.

 

The project integrates participatory rangeland restoration, invasive species management, watershed planning, water governance strengthening, and pastoral value chain development. It promotes indigenous knowledge systems, gender and youth inclusion, climate resilience, and peaceful coexistence among pastoralist communities.

Through participatory mapping, establishment of community governance structures, multi-stakeholder platforms, and institutional capacity building, the project aims to improve dry-season pasture access, strengthen market-oriented pastoral production systems, and ensure long-term ecological and livelihood resilience.

 

The Value Chain and Natural Resource Management (NRM) Project Manager will provide overall leadership, technical direction, and operational oversight for the integrated rangeland, watershed, and pastoral value chain project. The role will ensure coherence between ecological restoration and livelihood outcomes by integrating rangeland management, watershed planning, water governance, and pastoral value chain development. The Project Manager will supervise the Senior NRM Officer and NRM Officer(s), coordinate with government institutions and other stakeholders, ensure compliance with donor requirements, and lead quality implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all project activities.

 

Key Areas of Accountability/Duties

 

 

Through participatory mapping, establishment of community governance structures, multi-stakeholder platforms, and institutional capacity building, the project aims to improve dry-season pasture access, strengthen market-oriented pastoral production systems, and ensure long-term ecological and livelihood resilience.

 

The Value Chain and Natural Resource Management (NRM) Project Manager will provide overall leadership, technical direction, and operational oversight for the integrated rangeland, watershed, and pastoral value chain project. The role will ensure coherence between ecological restoration and livelihood outcomes by integrating rangeland management, watershed planning, water governance, and pastoral value chain development. The Project Manager will supervise the Senior NRM Officer and NRM Officer(s), coordinate with government institutions and other stakeholders, ensure compliance with donor requirements, and lead quality implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all project activities.

 

Key Areas of Accountability/Duties

1. Project Leadership & Strategic Integration

• Lead day-to-day technical and operational coordination of the project.

• Ensure integration between rangeland restoration, watershed management, and pastoral value chain development.

• Oversee development and implementation of annual work plans and budgets.

• Ensure alignment of project interventions with regional and woreda development priorities.

• Promote community ownership and sustainability mechanisms across interventions.

 

2. Rangeland & Watershed Management Oversight

• Provide technical oversight on participatory rangeland mapping, geo-referencing, and digitization.

• Oversee establishment and strengthening of community-based rangeland management groups.

• Ensure production and government endorsement of rangeland management plans.

• Guide invasive species management strategies and milestone-based restoration agreements.

• Support development/revision of integrated watershed management plans at woreda level.

• Ensure establishment and technical support to watershed management coordination platforms.

 

3. Pastoral Value Chain Development

• Ensure rangeland rehabilitation contributes directly to improved livestock productivity and market access.

• Facilitate establishment and strengthening of multi-stakeholder platforms for pastoral value chain coordination.

• Promote inclusive market systems approaches integrating women and youth.

• Support cross-learning through Pastoralist/Farmers Field Schools (PFS).

• Lead mapping and assessment of existing value chain platforms in Karamoja clusters.

• Establish and strengthen six (2) local innovation platforms (in Karamoja) for networking, cross-learning, and knowledge sharing.

• Organize and facilitate trade fairs, business-to-business forums, and livestock shows to promote market linkages and establish conflict-sensitive public-private partnerships (PPPs).

• Provide tailored training and coaching in production, processing, entrepreneurship, marketing, and access to finance.

• Establish and strengthen six 5fisheries groups with 125 fishermen/women, including training and provision of fishing gear.

• Facilitate market linkages and diversification of livelihoods for pastoralist groups.

• Oversee delivery of 14 rounds of business skills training targeting women and youth to boost entrepreneurship and enhances job creation.

• Provide technical support and capacity building for 50 government staff managing markets (25 per cluster).

• Lead development or improvement of two livestock market information platforms/tools to ensure reliable data and dissemination to value chain actors.

• Strengthen linkages between marketing groups, value chains, and market information systems.

4. Water Governance & Conflict Sensitivity

• Oversee identification and strengthening of existing water governance bodies.

• Ensure formal registration and institutionalization of new water management committees.

• Promote conflict-sensitive and socially acceptable resource management approaches.

• Facilitate cross-community dialogue to enhance peaceful coexistence in the Karamoja cluster.

 

5. Stakeholder Coordination & Partnerships

• Build strong relationships with woreda, zonal, and regional government offices.

• Coordinate with UN agencies, NGOs, academia/research institutions, and private sector actors.

• Facilitate biannual multi-stakeholder dialogues on pastoralism and watershed governance.

• Represent GOAL in relevant technical forums and coordination platforms.

 

6. Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Reporting

• Establish participatory Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) frameworks.

• Ensure quality data collection, documentation, and reporting in line with donor requirements.

• Document best practices, innovations, and lessons learned.

• Ensure adaptive management based on evidence and stakeholder feedback.

 

7. Team Management & Compliance

• Supervise and mentor the Senior NRM Officer and NRM Officer(s).

• Build team capacity on participatory, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive approaches.

• Ensure compliance with GOAL logistics, HR, finance, and safeguarding policies.

• Support donor visits, audits, and external evaluations.

 

Key Duties

• Overall management of the integrated Value Chain and NRM project.

• Coordination with government, NGOs, UN agencies, academia, and community institutions.

• Ensure preparedness and adaptability in response to environmental or socio-political shocks.

• Travel frequently to field sites to ensure quality and accountability.

• Carry out additional duties as requested by the line manager.

 

Job Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

Qualification ( Education, Experience , key qualities, skill and competence)

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Rangeland Management, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Environmental Science, Watershed Management, or related fields.

• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive experience in natural resource management, pastoral value chain development, or resilience programming.

• Demonstrated experience in managing integrated, multi-sectoral projects in pastoral contexts.

• Strong knowledge of participatory rangeland management, watershed planning, and market systems development.

• Proven experience working with government institutions and multi-stakeholder platforms.

• Experience in conflict-sensitive programming in cross-border pastoral settings.

• Strong leadership, coordination, and team management skills.

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and report writing skills.

• Willingness to travel frequently to remote field locations.

 

Desirable quality, skill and competence

•Prior experience in South Omo or Karamoja cluster. and local language

•Experience integrating ecological restoration with pastoral value chain outcomes.

 

Core Competencies

•    Strong strategic thinking and systems integration skills.

•    Commitment to community-driven and market-oriented approaches.

•    Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability.

•    Ability to work in multi-ethnic, cross-cultural environments.

•    Gender-sensitive, youth-inclusive, and conflict-sensitive programming capacity.

•        High integrity and accountability.

 

ADDITIONAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The job duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

 

GOAL has a Staff Code of Conduct, Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants and children from exploitation. GOAL also has a confidentiality policy ensuring the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever relating to the practices and business of GOAL, acquired in the course of duty, to any other person or organisation without authority, except in the normal execution of duty. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to these policies and other GOAL and Donor policies.

 

GOAL’s Conflict of Interest Policy applies to all recruitment processes. Staff will be required to declare Conflict of Interest during the process.

How To Apply

APPLICATION PROCEEDURE:

Interested and qualified applicants need to submit ONLY once their non - returnable application with CV for one vacancy. The vacancy reference number along with the title & Duty station need to be written in the application letter.

Applicants can directly apply online using www.ethioiobs.net

GOAL strongly encourages female candidates to apply!

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview and exam.

Shortlisted candidates will need to submit other supporting documents upon request at later stage.

Job Requirements The successful candidate should possess a Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Rangeland Management, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Environmental Science, Watershed Management, or a related field, with a minimum of 7–10 years of progressive professional experience in natural resource management, pastoral value chain development, resilience programming, or related areas. How to Apply Apply using the provided link below.