Job by: SOPHOS AFRICA Ethiopia Country Office

Programme Officer: Governance and Leadership Development

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (with regular travel within Ethiopia)

Reports to: Programme Manager

Required Number: One

Employment type: Full time

Salary: As per the organization’s Salary Scale

About SOPHOS AFRICA

SOPHOS AFRICA is a registered civil society organisation operating in Ethiopia with supporting entities in the United Kingdom and the United States. Through its newly established SOPHOS AFRICA Institute for Social Change, the organisation seeks to inspire, equip, and mobilise a critical mass of ethical leaders, change agents, and value-driven entrepreneurs who will contribute to resilient and flourishing societies in Ethiopia and beyond.

The Centre for Good Governance leads SOPHOS AFRICA’s capacity development work by promoting ethical leadership, accountable governance, social cohesion, stewardship, and values-based institutional transformation.

Purpose of the Position

The Programme Officer will coordinate and support the planning, implementation, monitoring, and expansion of the Centre for Good Governance’s programmes, particularly the Praxis Programme, leadership development initiatives, Breakfast Clubs, dialogue forums, and institutional partnerships.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of all activities under the Centre for Good Governance.
• Support the Programme Manager and SOPHOS AFRICA’s management in planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Lead the development and growth of the Centre for Good Governance by strengthening its programmes, institutional partnerships, systems, and strategic initiatives in line with SOPHOS AFRICA’s vision and organisational framework.
• Serve as the focal person for Christian Aid-SOPHOS AFRICA partnership that currently focuses on the Governance and Rights/People in Action (PiA) Programme. Along this line, in consultation with the Programme Manager and the Executive Director, she/he
  • Coordinates the programme.
  • Maintains communication with Christian Aid.
  • Represents SOPHOS AFRICA at regional and national partners’ meetings.
  • Ensures compliance with programme requirements.
  • Supports effective planning, implementation, monitoring, learning, and reporting.
• Ensure that the establishment, delivery, and evaluation of Praxis discussion and training groups are properly carried out.
• Support with the module development for the Praxis Programme.
• Supervise the Praxis Coordinator in the recruitment, training, mentoring, and ongoing support of Praxis facilitators and volunteers.
• Coordinate the organisation of webinars, seminars, Breakfast Clubs, public dialogue forums, and stakeholder consultations.
• Support the development and periodic review of training curricula, facilitation guides, and learning materials.
• Work closely with the Centre for Strategic Research to integrate research findings into programme design and public engagement.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of SOPHOS AFRICA Regional Chapters and the SOPHOS Ambassadors network.
• Monitor programme performance, collect data, prepare case studies, and document lessons learned and impact stories.
• Undertake any other duties assigned by the Programme Manager and/or Executive Director.
• Track and manage programme budgets, monitor expenditure burn rates, and ensure all activities are delivered cost-effectively.
• Prepare high-quality, timely narrative reports and support financial reporting in strict compliance with SOPHOS AFRICA and donor guidelines.
• Coordinate baseline and endline assessments to accurately measure the societal impact of the governance and leadership programmes.

• At least Master’s degree in Public Administration, Governance, Political Science, Development Studies, leadership, Sociology, Theology, Law, Peace and Conflict Studies, or a related discipline.
• At least 3-5 years’ relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience organizing training programmes, workshops, stakeholder engagement, or institutional capacity development initiatives.
• Professional experience in designing, implementing, and managing Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems.
• Strong report writing, communication, facilitation, and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build partnerships across government, civil society, faith, and academic institutions.
• Strong command of the English language.
• Fluency in Amharic is essential.

Personal Attributes

• Strong personal integrity and commitment to moral standards and ethical values.
• Passion for good governance, societal transformation, and human flourishing.
• Excellent planning and coordination abilities.
• Self-motivated, innovative, and sense of urgency and ownership.
• Independent manager and team player.
• Willingness to travel regularly within Ethiopia.
• Critical thinker,
• Conscientious/excellent work ethic
• Adaptability, motivated and ready to take initiative.
• Attention to detail with demonstrable analytic skills.