Position Title: Project Officer
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (with potential for occasional travel within the region)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Reports To: Project Manager
Application Deadline: January 31, 2026
Start Date: February, 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

About Our Organization

Positive Peace Ethiopia (PPE) is a youth-led civil society organization built on a strong commitment to peace, justice, digital rights, and human rights. Registered in September 2021 under the Ethiopian Authority for Civil Society Organizations with Registration No. 5821, PPE operates through its 17 regional chapters across Ethiopia, actively involving youth and women in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and social integration activities. Our regional chapters, supported by the core team in Addis Ababa, include locations such as Jimma, Adama, Bule Hora, Mizan Aman, Welkite, Assosa, Dessie, Samara, Ari-Jinka, Arbaminch, Jigjiga, Dire Dawa, Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Gondar, and Raya.

Vision: Creating a just, inclusive, and sustainably peaceful Ethiopia.

Mission: Empowering youth and women with the skills and tools for peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Social Objective: To strengthen the capacity of communities to withstand challenges and ensure inclusiveness by equipping women and youth with necessary peacebuilding approaches, encouraging peace and reconciliation, and advocating for solving conflicts by focusing on their sustainable causes.

Our core values guide all our work: Sustainability, Partnership, Inclusivity, Resilience, Empowerment, Integrity—focusing on long-term peace and development, collaborating with local and global stakeholders, prioritizing youth, women’s, and persons with disabilities’ (PWD) voices, empowering communities to overcome challenges, upholding transparency and accountability, and building leadership skills for change-makers.

PPE’s focus areas include Youth Digital Rights, Youth Peace and Security, Women Peace and Security, and Media Literacy and Fact Checking. We implement key peacebuilding initiatives by youth, such as:

• Digitalise Youth: Equipping journalists and digital content creators to debunk misinformation trends while mitigating hate speech.
• HaqSemi: Fact checking, conflict resolution, hate speech mitigation, peace journalism, and MIL (Media and Information Literacy).
• Women Economic Empowerment: Equipping women entrepreneurs in the digital economy with long-term hybrid mentorship.
• Peace Ambassadorial Programs and Youth Dialogues: Community, university, and school-based programs.
• #defyhate now Ethiopia: Countering hate speech and misinformation, knowledge transfer, community engagement, and building a peace network.
• Peace Weavers: Trauma healing, art for peace, and peaceful conflict resolution.

Current programs highlight our impact:

• Digitalise Youth: A major two-year pan-African project launched in January 2025, aimed at empowering young activists and civil society organizations (CSOs) through digital literacy and civic technology. Funded by DANIDA, with the consortium led by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) in partnership with the French Media Development Agency (CFI). This initiative covers three regions of Ethiopia and Addis Ababa, promoting digital rights, ethical rights, and peace journalism.
• The #defyhate now Project: An EU-funded initiative focused on mitigating misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, in collaboration with the Berlin-based r0g agency.
• The HaqSemi Project: Implemented in partnership with ELiDA Ethiopia and Search for Common Ground, building upon prior experience. Currently executed with the Life & Peace Institute.
• The National Peace Weavers: Started in Tigray as Peace Weavers of Tigray, now expanded nationally in partnership with ActionAid Ethiopia.

Our impact includes directly affecting over 3,600 youth, training 390 community leaders, preparing 1,200+ university peace ambassadors, and supporting 56 women entrepreneurs.

Youth matter profoundly at PPE because, in Ethiopia’s future, they are at the forefront, often facing challenges in conflict and migration. Youth have been both victims and perpetrators in conflicts, recruited by armed groups due to lack of employment and education opportunities. Their role in peacebuilding initiatives and conflicts has been influential, and involving them is crucial as they represent a large portion of the population and are key to sustaining long-term peace.

Recent developments underscore our growth: PPE has joined the Global Forum on Media Development (GFMD), the largest global community of media development and journalism support organizations. Additionally, we are partnering with CFI on the “Digitalise Youth” initiative.

We aim to expand youth peacebuilding programs to more regions and integrate more youth into the process. PPE invites international organizations, governments, and civil society to collaborate in empowering youth for peace and sustainable development in Ethiopia. Our partnerships include organizations such as VSO, CIPE, Ministry of Peace, CFI, ELiDA, ActionAid, Life & Peace Institute, SCPS, Digital Democracy Initiative, UNICEF, GFMD, UNOY, IPHRD, and various higher educational institutions like Wollo University, Adama University, Mekelle University, Bahir Dar University, and Hawassa University, among others.

For more information, visit www.ppeth.org.

Position Overview

The Project Officer will play a pivotal role in supporting the planning, implementation, and monitoring of various projects aligned with PPE’s mission. This position requires a proactive individual with strong organizational skills, excellent communication abilities, and a passion for project management in the context of peacebuilding and youth empowerment. The successful candidate will handle a diverse range of tasks, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, stakeholder engagement, document development, and event facilitation. This is an exciting opportunity for someone eager to make a tangible difference in community-focused programs while working in a collaborative and supportive environment dedicated to positive peace.

Key Responsibilities

• Stakeholder Communication and Relationship Management: Serve as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, donors, partners, and beneficiaries. Develop and maintain effective communication channels to ensure alignment on project goals, timelines, and deliverables. This includes preparing regular updates, responding to inquiries in a timely and professional manner, and facilitating meetings or calls to resolve issues or gather feedback. Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify key influencers and potential risks, and implement strategies to build strong, long-term partnerships that enhance project outcomes, particularly in youth and women empowerment initiatives.
• Development of Concept Notes, Terms of Reference (ToR), and Reports: Lead the creation of high-quality project documentation to support planning, funding, and evaluation processes. Draft concept notes that outline project objectives, methodologies, expected impacts, and resource requirements, ensuring they are aligned with PPE’s core values, strategic focus areas, and donor guidelines. Prepare detailed Terms of Reference for consultants, vendors, or team members, specifying scopes of work, timelines, deliverables, and evaluation criteria. Compile comprehensive reports, including progress reports, mid-term reviews, and final evaluations, incorporating data analysis, lessons learned, and recommendations. Utilize tools such as Microsoft Office Suite or project management software to produce polished, evidence-based documents that meet professional standards and compliance requirements, with a focus on peacebuilding metrics.
• Management and Facilitation of Workshops and Trainings: Oversee the end-to-end organization and delivery of workshops, trainings, and capacity-building sessions tailored to youth, women, and community leaders. This involves coordinating logistics such as venue selection, participant invitations, agenda development, and resource procurement. Facilitate sessions effectively, employing interactive techniques to engage participants, encourage knowledge sharing, and achieve learning objectives related to digital rights, media literacy, conflict resolution, and peace journalism. Manage budgets for events, track expenditures, and ensure cost-effectiveness. Post-event, conduct evaluations to assess effectiveness, gather participant feedback, and prepare summary reports with actionable insights for future improvements. Collaborate with subject matter experts to tailor content to diverse audiences, ensuring inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and alignment with PPE’s initiatives like HaqSemi or Peace Weavers.
• Additional Duties: Assist in project planning and budgeting, including risk assessment and mitigation strategies relevant to conflict-prone areas. Monitor project milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs), providing regular updates to the Project Manager. Support grant proposal development and fundraising efforts by contributing research and data on youth involvement and peace impacts. Ensure adherence to organizational policies, ethical standards, and relevant regulations, including those related to digital rights and hate speech mitigation. Participate in team meetings, contribute to strategic discussions, and mentor junior staff or interns as needed. Undertake other project-related tasks as assigned to support overall organizational goals in sustainable peace and development.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Development, Social Sciences, Peace and Conflict Studies, or a related field. A Master’s degree or relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) will be an advantage.
• Experience: Minimum three years of professional experience in project coordination, preferably in the non-profit, development, or peacebuilding sector. Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement, document preparation, and event management is essential. Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements is highly desirable.
• Skills and Competencies:
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Amharic or other local languages is a plus.
  • Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with a keen eye for detail and the capacity to work under tight deadlines.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, or MS Project).
  • Analytical mindset with the ability to synthesize information and produce insightful reports on peacebuilding outcomes.
  • Interpersonal skills to build rapport with diverse stakeholders and facilitate group dynamics in multicultural settings.
  • Commitment to ethical practices, cultural sensitivity, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, aligning with PPE’s focus on youth and women.
• Personal Attributes: Proactive, adaptable, and team-oriented with a problem-solving orientation. Ability to work independently while thriving in a collaborative setting. Passion for sustainable development, peace journalism, and youth empowerment, with a willingness to learn and grow.

Salary and Compensation

Salary is competitive and will be determined based on the project’s capacity and the organization’s scale, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

What We Offer

• Comprehensive benefits package, including, paid leave, and professional development opportunities.
• A supportive work environment with opportunities for career advancement and exposure to impactful projects in peacebuilding.
• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid options where feasible.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents via email to recruitment@ppeth.org with the subject line “Application for Project Officer Position”:

• A cover letter (maximum 1 page) explaining your interest in the role and how your experience aligns with the responsibilities.
• An updated CV (maximum 3 pages) highlighting relevant experience and achievements.
• Contact details for at least two professional references.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. We encourage applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and underrepresented groups. Positive Peace Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, or any other protected status.

Join Our Team

If you are qualified and interested in contributing to peacebuilding and youth empowerment in Ethiopia, send your CV via recruitment@ppeth.org with the subject line “Applying for Project Officer.”

For more information about our organization and ongoing projects, visit our website at www.ppeth.org. We look forward to receiving your application and potentially welcoming you to our team!