Regional Project Associate (MOJA) 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 Regional MOJA Project Associate supports the implementation and coordination of the Mobilizing Organizations for Justice and Action (MOJA) to End Violence against Women Programme across the region while serving as the country focal point for programme implementation in Uganda. Working under the supervision of the MOJA Project Coordinator and in close collaboration with the Regional Programme Director, Regional Grants Manager, Finance, MEL, Communications, and country teams, the Project Associate provides technical, operational, and administrative support to programme planning, grant management, partner accompaniment, monitoring, reporting, knowledge management, and learning. The role also supports the implementation of programme activities in Uganda, ensuring effective coordination with local partners and timely delivery of country-level outputs.

Key Responsibilities

• Regional Programme Coordination and Support: Support the MOJA Project Coordinator in the day-to-day coordination and implementation of the MOJA Programme across participating countries. Assist with regional planning, implementation tracking, partner follow-up, coordination meetings, grant monitoring, reporting, documentation, and knowledge management to ensure timely delivery of programme activities. Work closely with country teams, the Regional Grants Manager, MEL, Finance, Communications, consultants, and implementing partners to facilitate effective communication, resolve implementation challenges, and strengthen collaboration across the programme.
• Uganda Programme Implementation and Partner Coordination: Lead the implementation of the MOJA Programme in Uganda in collaboration with the Uganda team, ensuring activities are delivered in accordance with approved work plans, budgets, timelines, donor requirements, and SIHA policies. Coordinate programme activities, provide technical and operational support to implementing partners, monitor implementation progress, strengthen partner relationships, and ensure timely delivery of programme outputs, documentation, and reporting.
• Grants Coordination and Partner Accompaniment: Support the implementation of the MOJA grant portfolio by coordinating partner onboarding, grant implementation, reporting schedules, compliance follow-up, and partner communications. Work closely with the Regional Grants Manager and Finance team to monitor grant performance, facilitate partner accompaniment and capacity strengthening, identify implementation challenges, and ensure grants are implemented in accordance with donor agreements and SIHA policies.
• Monitoring, Reporting and Knowledge Management: Support programme monitoring by coordinating the collection of implementation data, success stories, lessons learned, case studies, and evidence of programme results. Prepare activity reports, briefing notes, implementation updates, and donor reporting inputs, while maintaining accurate programme documentation and supporting organizational learning across the programme.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Representation: Support engagement with women’s rights organizations, women-led organizations, women human rights defenders, civil society organizations, government institutions, and other programme stakeholders. Represent SIHA in programme coordination meetings, technical working groups, partner consultations, and relevant events in Uganda, and support regional coordination meetings and learning events as delegated by the MOJA Project Coordinator or Regional Programme Director.
• Financial, Operational and Administrative Support: Work closely with Finance, Procurement, and Operations teams to support activity planning, procurement, logistics, budget monitoring, and financial accountability. Monitor programme risks, ensure compliance with safeguarding, donor, and organizational requirements, and provide administrative support to facilitate the efficient implementation of programme activities at both the regional and Uganda levels.
• Required Qualifications and Competencies
• Education: Master’s degree in Development Studies, Gender Studies, International Development, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Project Management, or another relevant discipline. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree and substantial relevant professional experience will also be considered.
• Professional Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience implementing donor-funded programs within civil society, women’s rights organizations, or international development organizations. Demonstrated experience managing grants, coordinating implementing partners, and supporting organizational capacity strengthening is required. Experience working with women’s rights organizations or feminist movements is highly desirable.
• Technical Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge of programme management, grants management, donor compliance, monitoring and evaluation, safeguarding, organizational capacity strengthening, and partnership management. Knowledge of women’s rights, gender equality, violence against women and girls, the Women, Peace and Security framework, and feminist programming is highly desirable.
• Skills and Competencies: Excellent coordination, planning, organizational, communication, and report-writing skills. Strong facilitation, relationship management, problem-solving, and analytical skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple partners and priorities simultaneously while maintaining high-quality programme delivery.
• Computer Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required. Experience using online collaboration platforms, grants management systems, project management tools, and Kobo or similar digital data collection platforms is an advantage.
• Personal Attributes: Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, accountability, and sound judgment, with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in multicultural environments. The successful candidate should demonstrate commitment to feminist principles, women’s rights, safeguarding, and locally led development, with the flexibility to work in complex and evolving contexts.

SIHA is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and feminist workplace. We welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, religion, or any other protected status. As a women’s rights organization, qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to candidates currently residing in Africa, particularly those with demonstrated knowledge of and experience working in the Greater Horn of Africa.

• Support the MOJA Project Coordinator in the day-to-day coordination and implementation of the MOJA Programme across participating countries.
• Assist with regional planning, implementation tracking, partner follow-up, coordination meetings, grant monitoring, reporting, documentation, and knowledge management to ensure timely delivery of programme activities.
• Work closely with country teams, the Regional Grants Manager, MEL, Finance, Communications, consultants, and implementing partners to facilitate effective communication, resolve implementation challenges, and strengthen collaboration across the programme.
• Lead the implementation of the MOJA Programme in Uganda in collaboration with the Uganda team, ensuring activities are delivered in accordance with approved work plans, budgets, timelines, donor requirements, and SIHA policies.
• Coordinate programme activities, provide technical and operational support to implementing partners, monitor implementation progress, strengthen partner relationships, and ensure timely delivery of programme outputs, documentation, and reporting.
• Support the implementation of the MOJA grant portfolio by coordinating partner onboarding, grant implementation, reporting schedules, compliance follow-up, and partner communications.
• Work closely with the Regional Grants Manager and Finance team to monitor grant performance, facilitate partner accompaniment and capacity strengthening, identify implementation challenges, and ensure grants are implemented in accordance with donor agreements and SIHA policies.
• Support programme monitoring by coordinating the collection of implementation data, success stories, lessons learned, case studies, and evidence of programme results.
• Prepare activity reports, briefing notes, implementation updates, and donor reporting inputs, while maintaining accurate programme documentation and supporting organizational learning across the programme.
• Support engagement with women’s rights organizations, women-led organizations, women human rights defenders, civil society organizations, government institutions, and other programme stakeholders.
• Represent SIHA in programme coordination meetings, technical working groups, partner consultations, and relevant events in Uganda, and support regional coordination meetings and learning events as delegated by the MOJA Project Coordinator or Regional Programme Director.
• Work closely with Finance, Procurement, and Operations teams to support activity planning, procurement, logistics, budget monitoring, and financial accountability.
• Monitor programme risks, ensure compliance with safeguarding, donor, and organizational requirements, and provide administrative support to facilitate the efficient implementation of programme activities at both the regional and Uganda levels.

• Excellent coordination, planning, organizational, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Strong facilitation, relationship management, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple partners and priorities simultaneously while maintaining high-quality programme delivery.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience using online collaboration platforms, grants management systems, project management tools, and Kobo or similar digital data collection platforms is an advantage.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Gender Studies, International Development, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Project Management, or another relevant discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree and substantial relevant professional experience will also be considered.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience implementing donor-funded programs within civil society, women’s rights organizations, or international development organizations.
• Demonstrated experience managing grants, coordinating implementing partners, and supporting organizational capacity strengthening.
• Experience working with women’s rights organizations or feminist movements is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated knowledge of programme management, grants management, donor compliance, monitoring and evaluation, safeguarding, organizational capacity strengthening, and partnership management.
• Knowledge of women’s rights, gender equality, violence against women and girls, the Women, Peace and Security framework, and feminist programming is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, accountability, and sound judgment.
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural environments.
• Commitment to feminist principles, women’s rights, safeguarding, and locally led development.
• Flexibility to work in complex and evolving contexts.