MOJA-VAW Project Coordinator job at Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA )

Background

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network is a regional feminist network of women’s rights organizations and activists working across the Greater Horn of Africa to advance gender equality, women’s rights, peace, security, and social justice. Through partnerships with grassroots organizations, women-led organizations, civil society actors, and regional institutions, SIHA implements programmes that strengthen feminist movements, promote women’s leadership and participation, respond to violence against women and girls, advance economic and climate justice, and influence policies and systems that affect the lives of women and girls. SIHA operates through a regional secretariat and country teams, working closely with local partners to deliver high-quality, accountable, and evidence-driven programmes across the region.

The Mobilizing Organizations for Justice and Action (MOJA) to End Violence against Women Programme is SIHA’s flagship five-year regional initiative funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands under the Combating Violence against Women and Supporting Women’s Rights and Women Human Rights Defenders (FemFocus/CVAW-WHRDs) framework. “Moja,” meaning “one” in Swahili, reflects the programme’s commitment to collective action, solidarity, and a unified women’s movement to end violence against women. Implemented across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, the programme seeks to strengthen an enabling ecosystem in which women-led organizations, women’s rights organizations, women human rights defenders, and civil society actors are better equipped to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls while advancing gender equality and women’s rights.

Through a combination of flexible and responsive grant-making, institutional and technical capacity strengthening, accompaniment, movement building, dialogues, networking, collective learning, and survivor-centered service delivery, the programme strengthens both individual organizations and the broader ecosystem in which they operate. By investing in locally led organizations and supporting collaboration, learning, and long-term institutional resilience, MOJA aims to build stronger, more sustainable feminist movements capable of delivering quality services, influencing policy, protecting women human rights defenders, and driving systemic change across the region.

Overall Purpose

The MOJA (FemFocus) Project Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Mobilizing Organizations for Justice and Action (MOJA) to End Violence against Women Programme across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, ensuring that programme activities are delivered effectively, on time, within budget, and in compliance with donor and organizational requirements.

Under the supervision of the Regional Programme Director, the Project Coordinator serves as the central operational focal point for the programme, working closely with Country teams, implementing partners, Grants, Finance, MEL, Communications, and other support functions to ensure the integrated delivery of all programme components. The position coordinates programme planning, grant implementation, partner accompaniment, institutional strengthening, capacity development, movement building, learning, advocacy, and survivor-centered service delivery, ensuring these components are implemented in a coherent, mutually reinforcing manner.

The role is responsible for driving collaboration across participating countries, partners, and programme components; monitoring programme performance; coordinating donor reporting and compliance; facilitating adaptive management and organizational learning; and ensuring that programme investments collectively strengthen the institutional capacity, sustainability, and influence of women’s rights organizations and contribute to a more resilient feminist ecosystem across the Greater Horn of Africa.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Coordination and Implementation:

• Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of the MOJA Programme across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda to ensure activities are delivered in accordance with approved work plans, budgets, timelines, and donor commitments.
• Work closely with Country Coordinators, Project Officers, implementing partners, consultants, and regional support teams to monitor implementation progress, address operational challenges, coordinate programme delivery across countries, and support adaptive planning to ensure achievement of programme objectives.
• Coordinate programme governance processes, including implementation planning meetings, technical coordination meetings, annual reviews, and cross-country planning sessions, ensuring effective communication and collaboration among all programme stakeholders.
• Coordinate the integration of programme components—including grants, accompaniment, capacity strengthening, service delivery, advocacy, movement building, and learning—to ensure they reinforce one another and contribute to the programme’s ecosystem strengthening objectives.

Partnership, Accompaniment and Ecosystem Coordination

• Coordinate the implementation of the programme’s feminist accompaniment model by working closely with women’s rights organizations, women-led organizations, women human rights defenders, implementing partners, and ecosystem actors throughout the programme cycle.
• Coordinate and oversee institutional strengthening and accompaniment support provided to implementing partners, ensuring that technical assistance, peer learning, networking opportunities, and organizational development interventions respond to partner needs and contribute to long-term organizational resilience.
• Support the coordination of ecosystem-building initiatives, including learning exchanges, dialogues, coalition-building activities, and advocacy efforts that strengthen collaboration among feminist actors and advance the program’s broader systems-change objectives.

Programme Planning, Performance Monitoring and Adaptive Management

• Coordinate annual, quarterly, and monthly implementation planning processes and maintain programme work plans, implementation trackers, risk registers, and performance dashboards.
• Working closely with the MEL team, monitor progress against indicators, milestones, budgets, and implementation schedules, identify implementation risks and bottlenecks, and coordinate timely corrective actions.
• Promote adaptive management by facilitating regular programme reflection sessions, reviewing implementation evidence, documenting emerging lessons, and supporting programme adjustments based on learning and contextual changes.

Grant Portfolio Coordination and Partner Accompaniment

• Coordinate the implementation of the programme’s grant portfolio in collaboration with the Regional Grants Manager, Finance, and Country Coordinators.
• Monitor partner implementation progress, reporting schedules, budget utilization, and compliance with grant agreements while supporting partner onboarding, implementation planning, and performance monitoring.
• Coordinate communication between grant recipients and SIHA’s regional support functions to ensure timely technical support, effective problem-solving, and successful implementation of partner-led interventions.

Donor Compliance, Reporting, and Financial Oversight

• Coordinate the preparation of donor narrative reports, annual work plans, annual reports, presentations, and other contractual deliverables by consolidating inputs from programme teams, MEL, Finance, Communications, Grants, and implementing partners.
• Ensure timely submission of high-quality reports that accurately reflect programme achievements, challenges, learning, and results.
• Monitor programme implementation against donor agreements, approved budgets, procurement plans, safeguarding commitments, visibility requirements, contractual obligations, and SIHA policies, working closely with Finance and Grants teams to identify compliance risks and support corrective actions.
• Monitor programme expenditure, budget utilization, burn rates, and financial forecasts in collaboration with Finance to support timely decision-making and achievement of programme implementation targets.

Learning, Knowledge Management, and Quality Assurance

• Promote high-quality implementation by supporting consistent application of SIHA’s programme management standards, tools, and quality assurance processes across all participating countries.
• Coordinate documentation of programme innovations, lessons learned, good practices, case studies, success stories, and knowledge products.
• Support the generation and dissemination of evidence, learning products, case studies, policy briefs, and communication materials that demonstrate programme results and contribute to influencing policy and practice.
• Facilitate internal learning events, cross-country exchanges, reflection meetings, and knowledge-sharing processes that strengthen programme quality and contribute to organizational learning.

Representation and Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent SIHA and the MOJA Programme in programme coordination meetings, technical working groups, partner forums, donor meetings, learning events, monitoring missions, and relevant regional platforms as delegated by the Regional Programme Director.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with donors, consortium members, implementing partners, women’s rights organizations, government institutions, regional bodies, consultants, and other stakeholders to strengthen programme implementation, collaboration, and visibility.
• Support the identification and development of strategic partnerships and opportunities that strengthen programme influence, resource mobilization, and ecosystem collaboration.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in development studies, International Development, Project Management, Gender Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or another relevant discipline.
• Professional Experience: A minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, including at least five (3) years coordinating complex, multi-country donor-funded programs. Demonstrated experience working with women’s rights organizations, feminist movements, civil society organizations, or international development organizations is required. Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously, supervising multidisciplinary teams, and coordinating programmes funded by institutional donors is essential.
• Technical Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of programme cycle management, results-based management, project planning and implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), grants management, budget monitoring, donor compliance, safeguarding, and organizational learning. Knowledge of gender equality, women’s rights, Women, Peace and Security (WPS), humanitarian and development programming, and protection programming within the Greater Horn of Africa is highly desirable.
• Technical Knowledge: Demonstrated understanding of feminist programming, organizational accompaniment, ecosystem strengthening, locally led development, and institutional capacity strengthening approaches is highly desirable.
• Skills and Competencies: Excellent programme coordination, planning, organizational, and analytical skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet competing deadlines. Strong facilitation, problem-solving, report writing, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex programmes while maintaining attention to detail and high-quality standards.
• Computer Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, is required. Experience using programme management, monitoring, collaboration, and online project management platforms is an added advantage.
• Personal Attributes: Demonstrated integrity, accountability, professionalism, and sound judgment, with a proactive and solution-oriented approach to programme management. The successful candidate should possess excellent relationship management skills, adaptability, initiative, and the ability to work effectively under pressure while upholding SIHA’s feminist values, commitment to women’s rights, and safeguarding principles.

• Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of the MOJA Programme across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda to ensure activities are delivered in accordance with approved work plans, budgets, timelines, and donor commitments.
• Work closely with Country Coordinators, Project Officers, implementing partners, consultants, and regional support teams to monitor implementation progress, address operational challenges, coordinate programme delivery across countries, and support adaptive planning to ensure achievement of programme objectives.
• Coordinate programme governance processes, including implementation planning meetings, technical coordination meetings, annual reviews, and cross-country planning sessions, ensuring effective communication and collaboration among all programme stakeholders.
• Coordinate the integration of programme components—including grants, accompaniment, capacity strengthening, service delivery, advocacy, movement building, and learning—to ensure they reinforce one another and contribute to the programme’s ecosystem strengthening objectives.
• Coordinate the implementation of the programme’s feminist accompaniment model by working closely with women’s rights organizations, women-led organizations, women human rights defenders, implementing partners, and ecosystem actors throughout the programme cycle.
• Coordinate and oversee institutional strengthening and accompaniment support provided to implementing partners, ensuring that technical assistance, peer learning, networking opportunities, and organizational development interventions respond to partner needs and contribute to long-term organizational resilience.
• Support the coordination of ecosystem-building initiatives, including learning exchanges, dialogues, coalition-building activities, and advocacy efforts that strengthen collaboration among feminist actors and advance the program’s broader systems-change objectives.
• Coordinate annual, quarterly, and monthly implementation planning processes and maintain programme work plans, implementation trackers, risk registers, and performance dashboards.
• Working closely with the MEL team, monitor progress against indicators, milestones, budgets, and implementation schedules, identify implementation risks and bottlenecks, and coordinate timely corrective actions.
• Promote adaptive management by facilitating regular programme reflection sessions, reviewing implementation evidence, documenting emerging lessons, and supporting programme adjustments based on learning and contextual changes.
• Coordinate the implementation of the programme’s grant portfolio in collaboration with the Regional Grants Manager, Finance, and Country Coordinators.
• Monitor partner implementation progress, reporting schedules, budget utilization, and compliance with grant agreements while supporting partner onboarding, implementation planning, and performance monitoring.
• Coordinate communication between grant recipients and SIHA’s regional support functions to ensure timely technical support, effective problem-solving, and successful implementation of partner-led interventions.
• Coordinate the preparation of donor narrative reports, annual work plans, annual reports, presentations, and other contractual deliverables by consolidating inputs from programme teams, MEL, Finance, Communications, Grants, and implementing partners.
• Ensure timely submission of high-quality reports that accurately reflect programme achievements, challenges, learning, and results.
• Monitor programme implementation against donor agreements, approved budgets, procurement plans, safeguarding commitments, visibility requirements, contractual obligations, and SIHA policies, working closely with Finance and Grants teams to identify compliance risks and support corrective actions.
• Monitor programme expenditure, budget utilization, burn rates, and financial forecasts in collaboration with Finance to support timely decision-making and achievement of programme implementation targets.
• Promote high-quality implementation by supporting consistent application of SIHA’s programme management standards, tools, and quality assurance processes across all participating countries.
• Coordinate documentation of programme innovations, lessons learned, good practices, case studies, success stories, and knowledge products.
• Support the generation and dissemination of evidence, learning products, case studies, policy briefs, and communication materials that demonstrate programme results and contribute to influencing policy and practice.
• Facilitate internal learning events, cross-country exchanges, reflection meetings, and knowledge-sharing processes that strengthen programme quality and contribute to organizational learning.
• Represent SIHA and the MOJA Programme in programme coordination meetings, technical working groups, partner forums, donor meetings, learning events, monitoring missions, and relevant regional platforms as delegated by the Regional Programme Director.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with donors, consortium members, implementing partners, women’s rights organizations, government institutions, regional bodies, consultants, and other stakeholders to strengthen programme implementation, collaboration, and visibility.
• Support the identification and development of strategic partnerships and opportunities that strengthen programme influence, resource mobilization, and ecosystem collaboration.

• Excellent programme coordination, planning, organizational, and analytical skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet competing deadlines.
• Strong facilitation, problem-solving, report writing, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex programmes while maintaining attention to detail and high-quality standards.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, is required.
• Experience using programme management, monitoring, collaboration, and online project management platforms is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated integrity, accountability, professionalism, and sound judgment, with a proactive and solution-oriented approach to programme management.
• Excellent relationship management skills, adaptability, initiative, and the ability to work effectively under pressure while upholding SIHA’s feminist values, commitment to women’s rights, and safeguarding principles.

• Master’s degree in development studies, International Development, Project Management, Gender Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or another relevant discipline.
• A minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, including at least five (3) years coordinating complex, multi-country donor-funded programs.
• Demonstrated experience working with women’s rights organizations, feminist movements, civil society organizations, or international development organizations is required.
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously, supervising multidisciplinary teams, and coordinating programmes funded by institutional donors is essential.
• Demonstrated knowledge of programme cycle management, results-based management, project planning and implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), grants management, budget monitoring, donor compliance, safeguarding, and organizational learning.
• Knowledge of gender equality, women’s rights, Women, Peace and Security (WPS), humanitarian and development programming, and protection programming within the Greater Horn of Africa is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated understanding of feminist programming, organizational accompaniment, ecosystem strengthening, locally led development, and institutional capacity strengthening approaches is highly desirable.