Governance Officer

Job Summary

This governance role provides technical leadership and support for strengthening inclusive, accountable, and participatory local governance systems across the Amhara and Sidama regions. The position focuses on institutionalizing Integrated Community-Based Participatory Planning (ICBPP), enhancing the performance of local councils and sub-grantees, promoting social accountability mechanisms, and ensuring gender and social equity integration across development interventions.

Key Responsibilities

• Local Governance & Citizen Participation: Provide technical support on decentralization, good governance, citizen engagement platforms, interface dialogues, and grievance redress mechanisms.
• Participatory Planning & Accountability: Support the institutionalization of Integrated Community-Based Participatory Planning (ICBPP), Financial Transparency and Accountability (FTA), and Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) across project areas.
• Capacity Building & Mentoring: Conduct capacity assessments, design training programs, and provide hands-on coaching and mentoring to local councils, sub-grantees, CSOs, and CBOs.
• Monitoring, Learning & Adaptation: Conduct governance and conflict analyses, track progress against project targets, document lessons learned and best practices, and contribute to the scaling of civic engagement tools.
• Partnership & Coordination: Collaborate closely with government structures (regional, zonal, woreda, and kebele levels) and local partners to ensure sustainable, evidence-based project implementation.

Educational Qualification & Experience Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Governance and Development Studies, Civics and Ethics, Political Science, Public Administration, Development Studies, Law, Sociology, Social Work, Community Development, or related social science fields (Master's degree is an added advantage).
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in governance, decentralization, local government strengthening, citizen engagement, or social accountability programs, with demonstrated experience working alongside regional and local government structures in Ethiopia.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong facilitation, training, stakeholder mapping, and political economy analysis capabilities.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Amharic, with knowledge of Sidaminya serving as a strong asset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, virtual collaboration platforms, and basic data visualization tools.
• Required Skill Tags: Strong communication and reporting skills, excellent computer skills (including Microsoft Office and Outlook), and proven experience working with CSOs, networks, or local initiatives and communities.