PROJECT OFFICER - ANBAR

Core Details

Iraq Context

Oxfam’s programme has been established in 2014 in response to the ISIS conflict in Iraq. Oxfam implemented activities during the past few years was built around the delivery of 3 main areas: A) Lifesaving humanitarian assistance b) Recovery assistance, and C) Promotion of Women Rights.

• Lifesaving humanitarian assistance: to newly displaced populations residing in camps or host communities. The bulk of this work was done around the Mosul Operation with activities implemented in the governorates of Erbil, Salah Al Din, Anbar, Diyala and Ninewa. Activities included: Establishment/rehabilitation of safe water (boreholes, repair of infrastructure); Emergency water supply (distribution of water through trucking and bottled water); Setting up water tanks and networks in camps; Distribution of hygiene items; construction of latrines; Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), Cash for Work opportunities inside the camps to allow construction work and solid waste management; and Distribution of emergency winterisation kits.

• Recovery assistance: to returnees, local host communities and IDPs to recover from the post-conflict and to cope with protracted displacement. The main activities implemented under these areas of work include: Rehabilitation of water infrastructure; Supporting local authorities to rehabilitate essential public services (schools and hospitals); Grants to returnees to recover damaged businesses; Provision of livestock to support farmers; Cash for Work opportunities contributing to income for vulnerable families and supporting rehabilitation of infrastructure of public interest (irrigation canals, main roads).

• Promotion of Women Rights: through contributing to the implementation of the National Plan for 1325 UN Resolution, and economic empowerment of women through provision of training and grants to establish/rehabilitate businesses.

In order to serve these three objectives, Oxfam work aimed to integrate the following key sectors together for every intervention in a given location:

• Water Sanitation and Hygiene
• Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods
• Non-food-Items and Shelter
• Protection of lives and rights of civilians
• Gender Justice
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
• Advocacy and Media work

JOB PURPOSE

Project Officer position is responsible for implementation, technical assessments, coordination and reporting of the GIZ funded project in Anbar titled “Strengthening Community Engagement and Citizen–Government Relations in Local Development Planning.”. Under the supervision of the field program manager, Project Officer will draft weekly, monthly implementation plan/reports and ensure team is well equipped with all the information and resources to implement the plan. This position requires a good understanding of climate change issues, policy, citizen’s engagement measures, and governance frameworks in Iraq, as well as the ability to implement solutions in the field, coordinating closely with project stakeholders in the governorate of Anbar.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Delivery and Coordination

Project Delivery and Technical Leadership

• Lead the planning and implementation of the 13 citizen participation measures in Heet, Fallujah, and Ramadi, ensuring alignment with project outcomes and outputs.
• Provide technical guidance and oversight to the Project Assistant in coordinating logistics, documentation, and reporting.
• Facilitate and/or co-facilitate community dialogues, town halls, multi-stakeholder forums, and public consultations with local authorities and community groups.
• Ensure all project activities integrate gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches (minimum 30% women’s participation), with particular attention to marginalized groups (youth, returnees, women-headed households, and persons with disabilities).
• Draft detailed activity plans, terms of reference (for consultants/experts), and technical briefs to guide project implementation.

Stakeholder Coordination and Representation

• Serve as the primary focal point for local government authorities, community committees, CSOs, and other stakeholders engaged in project activities.
• Coordinate with government counterparts (Directorates of Agriculture, Water, Environment, Municipalities, etc.) to secure their active leadership and ownership of participatory processes.
• Build strong relationships with women’s rights organizations (WROs), youth groups, and local NGOs to enhance community engagement and inclusivity.
• Represent Oxfam in relevant coordination meetings, workshops, and forums at the district and governorate levels.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Learning

• Oversee the collection and verification of activity data, ensuring compliance with MEAL requirements and donor standards.
• Prepare high-quality narrative reports, success stories, and lessons learned to feed into donor and internal Oxfam reporting.
• Ensure activity outcomes (recommendations, action points, community priorities) are systematically documented and shared with local authorities for follow-up.
• Support the MEAL team in conducting baseline, midline, and endline assessments, and use findings to inform adaptive project management.

Risk Management, Safeguarding, and Compliance

• Monitor project risks and challenges (programmatic, security, reputational) and escalate to the Program Manager as needed.
• Ensure safeguarding, accountability, and “Do No Harm” principles are applied across all project activities.
• Comply with Oxfam’s financial, procurement, and operational policies, ensuring transparency and accountability in all project processes.

Team Management and Capacity Support

• Supervise and mentor the Project Assistant, delegating responsibilities and providing continuous feedback and capacity building.
• Provide orientation and guidance to short-term consultants engaged in specific project measures.
• Contribute to building the knowledge and capacity of local authorities through on-the-job coaching and participatory facilitation methods.

General Responsibilities:

• Implement the citizen’s engagement measures for Anbar districts (Fallujah, Ramadi, and Heet).
• Under the supervision of the field program manager, draft weekly, monthly implementation plan/reports and ensure team is well equipped with all the information and resources to implement the plan.
• Ensure gender mainstreaming for all project activities with inclusion of women in all program support and facilitate the women group at different stages of program implementation.
• Work with youth groups and women groups to identify and address special needs of both for inclusion and support in to shape citizen participation processes and to support the resilience of their communities against the impacts of climate change.
• As delegated by the line manager to supervise the implementation of citizen’s engagement measures for the program ensuring achievement of the set objectives and milestones.
• Participate in assessments, collation, and analysis of other primary and secondary information sources of relevance to contribute to contribute to agreed advocacy initiatives.
• Work closely with relevant government departments, especially Ramadi, Fallujah, and Heet Districts of Anbar Governorate, in overall implementation of project activities.
• Maintain good working relationships with relevant government departments, academia, and other key project stakeholders and ensure Oxfam interest is presented at all levels.
• Ensure project deliverables are achieved as stipulated in project design maintaining the Oxfam’s program quality standards and expectation of relevant stakeholders.
• Develop overall project documents including detailed implementation plans, budget and spending plans, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) plans, procurement plans and ensure the implementation of these plans.
• Keep tracking of project progress against approved implementation plan and update management about progress, bottlenecks causing delays in delivery, challenges encountered and suggested solutions.
• Work with MEAL team for monitoring and evaluating the project regularly, ensuring community participation as appropriate, as well as accountability towards communities.
• Follow up on MEAL activities and findings ensuring that learning from monitoring and evaluation is included and strategies and program implementation are adapted accordingly;

Reporting

• Develop project progress reports for the donor in collaboration with project staff, technical Leads, funding coordinator and support teams. Ensure narrative reporting and financial accounting meet Oxfam and donor’s requirements;
• Ensure that budgets are drawn up for all activities, and that activities costs are kept within budgets.
• Prepare monthly situation reports (financial and narrative) to update management on program progress achieved, program plans, changes in direction and challenges encountered.
• Ensure that program staff provide an appropriate level of accurate progress reports and conduct detailed revision to ensure accuracy before sending it for sign-off of management.
• Support and assist project staff and technical leads in development and implementation of appropriate monitoring systems and procedures for measuring both progress and impact.

Other

• Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• A minimum bachelor’s university degree in business management, sustainable

development, economics, development studies, peace and conflict studies or related field;

• 3-5 years of experience in project management, including experience working with government stakeholders in the field of climate change and citizen’s engagement.
• Good Knowledge of the issues, challenges and opportunities around climate change adaptation and policy dialogue and citizen engagement for climate advocacy.
• Experience and skills in playing a supportive role, demonstrating ability to support field teams’ members to deliver results for operational work.
• A good understanding of the Iraqi context and local cultures.
• Strong ability to be flexible and adaptable in times of unexpected challenges and provide creative solutions, whilst maintaining the ethos and objectives of the work at all times.
• Strong ability to work with diverse groups/individuals –ranging from local partners, local authorities, local community groups, the humanitarian community and the Academia.
• Proficiency in English and Arabic language (written and spoken) is required.
• Ability to travel and to work in difficult circumstances.
• MS Office operating skills (Word, Excel, Power point)

Desirable

• Experience in building the capacity of the team internally and of external stakeholders;
• Experience in working and jointly implementing projects involving local authorities and/or organizations as implementing partners.

Key Attributes

1. Good interpersonal, influencing and communication skills;
2. Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts.
3. Commitment to humanitarian principles and action.

Organizational Values

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.

At Oxfam, our job descriptions provide a guide to what might be expected in the role. Along with our strategy, the job profile is used to help to shape specific objectives for employees. Employees are supported to deliver these objectives and they are annually assessed against them as part of the Oxfam performance review process. This job profile is not incorporated into the employment contract.

Behavioral competencies (based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

Behavioral competencies (based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

How to Apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up-to-date CV and a cover letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.

• That the mentioned position is contingent on donor approval.
• And that female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

External Website:  https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/jobs/vacancy/23830/description

• That this  positions is  contingent to donor approval.
• And that female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.