Project Officer

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to serve the poor and vulnerable, CRS operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The organization focuses on various sectors including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. CRS is committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults, ensuring that its processes and policies reflect this commitment. The agency welcomes individuals from diverse faiths and secular traditions who share its values and dedication to serving those in need.

Job Overview:
The Project Officer will play a crucial role in the Forest Flavors project team, focusing on monitoring and reporting all project activities to support CRS's mission. This position requires a thorough and service-oriented approach to ensure that the project applies best practices and continuously improves its impact on the communities served. The Project Officer will provide technical support to project partners, particularly in implementing coffee value chain interventions aimed at enhancing farmer incomes and climate resilience through integrated agroforestry, market linkages, and enterprise strengthening. The role involves coordinating project activities, monitoring challenges, assisting partners in reflection and evaluation, and ensuring accountability through data collection and analysis.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Project Officer's duties include supporting the coordination and implementation of project activities as per the detailed implementation plan, monitoring and reporting on challenges, assisting partners in reflecting on project experiences, and coordinating evaluation activities. Specific responsibilities under the Forest Flavors Project include supporting agroforestry training initiatives, providing technical advisory on coffee-agroforestry models, promoting reforestation practices, updating value chain mapping, facilitating market linkages, and coordinating with government agencies and financial service providers. The officer will also support monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) activities, ensuring gender equity and social inclusion in project participation and benefit sharing.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Forestry, Rural Development, Agribusiness, or a related field. A minimum of 2-3 years of work experience in value chain projects and related support is required. Experience in participatory action planning, community engagement, and working with farmer organizations and public-private partnerships is essential. Competence in MEAL and GIS/digital farm data tools is also necessary.

Educational Background:
The educational requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Agriculture, Agronomy, Forestry, Rural Development, or Agribusiness. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of agricultural systems and value chains, which are central to the role.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 2-3 years of relevant work experience, particularly in value chain projects. Candidates should have experience in participatory action planning, community engagement, and working with farmer organizations, extension systems, and public-private partnerships. Experience in monitoring and evaluation, as well as data collection, is preferred.

Languages:
Fluency in written and spoken Filipino and English is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in these languages is essential for effective communication with project partners, stakeholders, and community members.

Additional Notes:
The position may require travel up to 75%. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants and community members from exploitation and abuse. The successful candidate will be expected to adhere to CRS's Code of Conduct and participate in safeguarding training. The organization prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where CRS operates. The job description is not exhaustive and may evolve based on organizational needs.