Project Officer

Job Summary

The Project Officer, Education leads field-level operational schedules, guides community volunteers, and monitors teaching environments to meet ZOA and Government of Uganda quality benchmarks. This position serves as the primary ground interface for data logging, success story documentation, and local stakeholder coordination for the SHINE initiative.

Key Roles & Operational Responsibilities

1. Project Implementation & Quality Assurance

• Coordinate and execute localized primary education activities in strict alignment with the UNICEF SHINE project proposal and log frames.
• Direct and support day-to-day work tasks executed by community volunteers within the assigned school network.
• Verify that all classroom and community interventions comply with the education policies and operational standards set by both ZOA and the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) of Uganda.

2. Child Safeguarding & Accountability

• Enforce institutional child protection protocols across all project activities, serving as the frontline focal point for identifying and reporting potential safeguarding concerns.
• Sensitize school administrations, local service providers, government representatives, and parents regarding ZOA’s institutional feedback and grievance mechanisms.
• Document and log all incoming community complaints or observations accurately following standard operational reporting workflows.

3. Monitoring, Reporting & Knowledge Management

• Collect, organize, and compile project monitoring and evaluation data according to ZOA’s internal monitoring systems.
• Draft routine activity logs, provide direct inputs for monthly progress summaries, and flag field execution challenges to the Project Manager.
• Identify, write, and submit high-quality field success stories and document lessons learned to support overall institutional learning.
• Participate actively in district-level technical education working groups and relevant coordination meetings.

Foundational Capabilities & Prerequisites

Required Technical Profile & Experience

• Academic Foundation: Minimum of a University Degree in Education, Adult and Community Education, or a closely related community development discipline.
• Professional Experience: At least three to four (3–4) years of successful experience as a project officer managing education or community-centric field initiatives in Uganda, with a strong preference for past work within the Karamoja sub-region.
• Field Mobility: Must possess a valid riding license and demonstrate a verified ability to ride a motorcycle independently over rugged field terrain.
• Communication & Tools: Excellent written and spoken English, paired with strong facilitation skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word and Excel).
• Local Insight: Solid comprehension of the local socio-cultural context, traditional dynamics, and languages spoken across the Karamoja landscape.

Desired Attributes

• Funding Context: Prior experience implementing projects backed by major institutional donors (e.g., UNICEF) or executing programs in direct collaboration with local partner organizations.
• Mission Alignment: Full personal and professional support for the vision, mission, and core Christian values championed by ZOA International.
• Inclusivity Note: Persons with disabilities who meet the core criteria are strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: 1,872,000 UGX gross per month (Recruited under Grade 3 of the ZOA Uganda compensation architecture).
• Additional Terms: Benefits and remuneration packages aligned with standard INGO frameworks in East Africa, alongside a flexible working hour framework to accommodate field-based travel demands.

Skills Required:

• Education / Teaching / Training