Project Officer – Early Childhood Development (ECD)- Ethiopia

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PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges. 

PATH combines scientific and public health expertise, implementation experience, innovation, and strong partnerships with governments, communities, civil society, and development partners. In Ethiopia, PATH works closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, Regional Health Bureaus, health facilities, communities, local organizations, and development partners to strengthen health systems and expand access to high-quality, equitable health services.

PATH Ethiopia implements and supports health programs across multiple regions and city administrations, with a strong focus on maternal, newborn and child health, immunization, malaria, health systems strengthening, digital health, and other priority areas of the national health agenda.

About the Project

PATH is implementing Workforce Capacity Building for ECD Scale-Up: Integrating Parental Coaching into Ethiopia’s Health Extension Program in partnership with relevant government institutions and the African Centre for Early Childhood Development (ACfECD).

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of Ethiopia’s health workforce to integrate evidence-based early childhood development approaches, including parental coaching, into the Health Extension Program and contribute to the scale-up of quality ECD services.

Position Summary

The Project Officer – ECD will support the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, documentation, and reporting of project activities in prioritized regions.

The position will work closely with Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs), PATH technical and operational teams, ACfECD, local stakeholders, and other implementing partners to ensure that project activities are delivered on time, to a high standard, and in accordance with approved workplans and budgets.

The Project Officer will also contribute to ECD workforce capacity building, training delivery, knowledge management, documentation of lessons learned and promising practices, and coordination of training logistics and materials.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project Planning and Implementation

• Support the design, planning, and implementation of ECD project activities in assigned regions.
• Develop and maintain detailed activity workplans in collaboration with RHBs, ACfECD, PATH teams, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate implementation of project activities in accordance with approved workplans, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Track implementation progress and identify operational challenges and appropriate corrective actions.
• Ensure effective coordination between regional and national project stakeholders.

2. Government and Partner Coordination

• Serve as a key point of contact between PATH, Regional Health Bureaus, ACfECD, and other relevant stakeholders at the regional level.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with RHB technical teams and other government counterparts.
• Facilitate regular coordination and communication with government and project partners.
• Support government-led planning and implementation processes to promote ownership and sustainability of ECD interventions.
• Represent the project in relevant technical meetings, workshops, and coordination forums as assigned.

3. ECD Workforce Capacity Building and Training

• Support the adaptation, review, and finalization of ECD training materials and job aids.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate ECD training, orientation, workshops, and technical sessions as required.
• Support the training of health extension workers, supervisors, trainers, and other health-sector personnel.
• Coordinate with RHBs and training institutions to ensure effective delivery of capacity-building activities.
• Monitor training quality and document participant feedback and areas for improvement.

4. Training and Operational Logistics

• Coordinate logistical arrangements for project trainings, workshops, and other events.
• Support the timely printing, distribution, and availability of training materials and job aids.
• Coordinate transportation and other logistical requirements in collaboration with PATH operations and relevant partners.
• Ensure that training and project materials are appropriately managed and available when required.

5. Monitoring, Documentation, and Knowledge Management

• Support routine monitoring of project activities and deliverables.
• Collect, compile, and document project implementation data, achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and promising practices.
• Develop and document case studies and success stories demonstrating project results and learning.
• Contribute to the project's knowledge management and learning agenda.
• Maintain organized project documentation and ensure that key outputs and learning are appropriately captured and shared.
• Support periodic review of project performance and contribute to adaptive management.

6. Reporting and Communication

• Prepare clear, concise, accurate, and timely project activity reports.
• Contribute to quarterly, semi-annual, annual, and donor/project reports as required.
• Prepare meeting minutes, activity summaries, presentations, and other project documentation.
• Communicate implementation progress, risks, challenges, and opportunities to the Project Manager and relevant technical teams.
• Support preparation of project updates and communication materials highlighting project achievements and learning.

7. Coordination with PATH Teams

• Work closely with PATH technical, monitoring and evaluation, finance, operations, communications, and other relevant teams to ensure effective project implementation.
• Support appropriate coordination of project expenditures and activity-related requirements with the finance and operations teams.
• Contribute to cross-project learning and integration of ECD approaches within PATH's broader MNCH and health systems portfolio.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree in Public Health, Health Sciences, Early Childhood Development, Child Development, Social Sciences, Education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience working in Early Childhood Development (ECD), child health, maternal and child health, health systems, or related programs.
• Formal training or demonstrated knowledge in ECD, parental coaching, responsive caregiving, nurturing care, or related areas is highly desirable.
• Experience working with government health systems, particularly Federal Ministry of Health and/or Regional Health Bureaus, is strongly preferred.
• Experience in planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on health or development projects.
• Experience facilitating training, workshops, and technical meetings.
• Strong writing, documentation, reporting, and knowledge-management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with government counterparts, partners, communities, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple activities and competing priorities.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently to project implementation areas.
• Proficiency in English is required; fluency in one or more local languages spoken in the project implementation regions is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.