Position Title:  Projects Officer, Food Security and Livelihoods

Reports To:       Program Supervisor

Division:             Programs

Department:     Humanitarian & Development

Job Location:    Kazumba, DRC

Grade Level:     Grade 5, National

Introduction

Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around

the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. CWS does

not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age,

disability, or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

Church World Service (CWS) is implementing a five-month cash-based food assistance project in Kazumba

Territory from August to December 2026. To support this response, CWS seeks to engage a Projects Officer,

Food Security and Livelihoods, to support effective implementation of food assistance, cash transfers,

agricultural production, and livelihoods activities in Kazumba Territory, Kasai Central Province, DRC. The

role will mobilize and identify project participants, coordinate cash distributions, support training in crop

production, maintain accurate project documentation, strengthen accountability to affected communities

and work closely with contracted service providers, local stakeholders, and community leaders in the Mboie

and Mutefu sectors. The position will contribute to improved community food security, preparedness, and

resilience while ensuring compliance with project objectives, CWS requirements, donor expectations, and

relevant humanitarian standards.

Supervision

The position reports to the Food Security and Livelihoods Program Supervisor.

Key relationships

Internal to CWS

• Senior Regional Advisor, Program Quality & Development
• Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Associate Director, Governance and Operations
• Program Supervisor
• Project Officer

External to CWS

• Donor representatives, Food Security Cluster members, local authorities, contracted service providers, community leaders, advisory committees, lead farmers, and project participants

Working Environment

• The position will be based in an office environment with regular travel to villages in Kazumba Territory, including field visits to project sites and communities as required.

Project Implementation (50%)

• Leads day-to-day implementation of food assistance, cash transfer, agricultural production, and livelihoods activities in Kazumba Territory, ensuring activities are delivered on time, in line with approved workplans, distribution plans, community engagement procedures, and project quality standards.
• Mobilizes and identifies project participants, coordinates with community structures, and supports capacity-building for advisory committees, lead farmers, local staff, and community members.
• Conducts training and capacity-building activities, including training of trainers, for local staff, advisory committees, lead farmers, and community members on crop production, food security, livelihoods practices, and relevant project procedures.
• Supervises, mentors, and supports junior project staff, advisory committees, and lead farmers to strengthen performance, motivation, and effective delivery of project activities.
• Supports monitoring and evaluation activities, including baseline, annual, and endline surveys.
• Adapts and uses training materials and ensures existing training materials are kept up to date.
• Establishes and manages collaborations with stakeholders at the territory, sector, and community levels.
• Promotes a collaborative, inclusive, and respectful working environment that encourages teamwork, shared responsibility, and community-centered engagement.

Report and documentation (30%)

• Prepares accurate, timely, and comprehensive reports for internal teams, donors, and stakeholders, documenting project progress, outputs, outcomes, challenges, risks, lessons learned, and recommended follow-up actions.
• Maintains up-to-date project documents, files, activity reports, distribution records, and supporting documentation to ensure accurate reporting and effective knowledge management.
• Provides regular project updates to the Program Supervisor.

Compliance and accountability (15%)

• Ensures project activities, transactions, processes, and documentation comply with CWS policies, donor requirements, approved procedures, and international humanitarian standards.
• Ensures alignment of project components with project goals, CWS requirements, and international standards.
• Maintains effective communication and coordination with local authorities, service providers, NGOs, project participants, and community stakeholders to promote transparency, feedback, complaints handling, and responsive service delivery.
• Identifies and communicates risks, vulnerabilities, and issues affecting project delivery, and supports follow-up actions to strengthen accountability to affected communities.
• Communicate regularly with project, operations, finance, logistics, and monitoring teams to resolve issues affecting cash transfers, distributions, documentation, and service delivery.
• Ensures efficient, transparent, and compliant management of project resources, including budgets, supplies, and equipment.

Additional Roles and Responsibilities (5%)

• Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor in line with project objectives, organizational standards, and accountability requirements.

Qualifications and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and extension, community development, agronomy, agriculture, food security, livelihoods, or a related field with at least four years of relevant experience;

Experience

• At least four years of relevant experience in food security, livelihoods, agriculture, cash-based assistance, emergency response, or community-based programming is required.
• At least one year of experience supervising staff, volunteers, community structures, lead farmers, or field teams is required.
• Experience implementing emergency response, food assistance, cash transfer, agriculture, or livelihoods projects is
• Experience writing reports is
• Previous experience conducting community training or presentations is preferred.
• Previous experience supporting monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning, data collection, or project reporting is preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• Thorough knowledge of emergency response implementation.
• Thorough knowledge of agricultural extension and community development implementation.
• Excellent written communication
• Excellent organizational and time management
• Strong computer skills, particularly in Microsoft
• Knowledge of food assistance, agricultural production, and livelihoods programming.
• Fluency in French is required. Proficiency in English, Kiswahili, and relevant local languages, including Tshibindi and Tshiluba, is preferred.

Abilities

The Project Officer must have the ability to:

• Ability to resolve problems and develop solutions with minimal supervision.
• communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• follow instructions with a positive and receptive attitude.
• deal effectively and courteously with collaborators, government agencies, and members of the public.
• conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner to represent the best interests of CWS Africa.
• maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail.
• carry out all the duties of the position efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.
• take initiative in the development and completion of projects within the specified timeframe
• maintain strict confidentiality with CWS and operational information.
• manage a large and diverse workload under pressure with competing Priorities. 
• work well as a team in a multi-cultural environment while maintaining a high level of motivation.
• effectively manage CWS resources; and adhere to CWS values

Important Requirements

• Strong English and French communication skills, both written and oral, are required for reporting, coordination, and communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee
• Remain alert and responsive to any child safeguarding and PSEAH (Prevention of Sexual, Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment) risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding PSEAH practices, understand the child safeguarding and PSEAH Policies and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Child Safeguarding and PSEAH Policies

• The candidate should be in good health, willing and able to travel extensively to field locations in Kazumba Territory under difficult road, weather, and security conditions, and able to maintain a high degree of flexibility.
• This position is based in Kazumba, DRC.
• This position requires regular use of laptops, and competence in Microsoft Office packages is required.
• This position may require travel within DRC on short notice and under sometimes difficult conditions to meet the demands of a dynamic operational
• Background checks, including reference checks and verification of education and criminal records, are required before the start of employment.
• Full-time availability is required.
• All employees should be prepared to work from the CWS office in their location of hire.