Senior Project Officer

AI summary

Senior Project Officer needed in Katsina State to support Mercy Corps Nigeria’s flood and drought resilience project. The role coordinates field implementation, supervises technical teams, and manages stakeholder relationships to deliver climate-resilient infrastructure and agricultural interventions.

• Based in Katsina State, Nigeria
• Focus on food security and climate resilience
• Coordinate field activities and supervise technical teams
• Work on watershed restoration and solar-powered water systems

Original source description

Senior Project Officer at Mercy Corps Nigeria ⏲ Aug 3, 2026, 12:23 PM ⋕ View all NGO & Humanitarian / Nonprofit Organizations jobs Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disasters, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps Nigeria implements a variety of programs with the goal of building productive, secure and just communities. Our work covers the following sectors: economic development, livelihoods / food security, adolescent girls & boys’ empowerment, financial resilience, conflict management, and humanitarian response. Common themes include community engagement, inclusive development, gender, and working in partnership with local government, the private sector, and civil society actors. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Senior Project Officer Requisition Number: SENIO006958 Location: Katsina Job Category: Programming Department Summary The Senior Project Officer will be part of Mercy Corps Nigeria's Resilience and Climate Adaptation portfolio and will support the implementation of the Protecting Food Security Against Flood & Drought Cycles project in Katsina State. Key interventions include watershed restoration, construction of solar-powered water systems, development of community food and fodder storage facilities, and promotion of climate-smart agriculture and rangeland management practices. The Senior Project Officer will provide day-to-day technical and operational leadership for field implementation, ensuring that project activities are delivered efficiently, on time, within budget, and in accordance with Mercy Corps standards, donor requirements, and government regulations. The project aims to improve food security and community resilience through integrated flood and drought mitigation measures, climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable land management, and capacity strengthening of farmers and pastoralists. The Position Working under the supervision of the Technical Project Manager, the Senior Project Officer serves as the primary field focal point for implementation and ensures effective coordination between technical, operations, procurement, finance, MEAL, contractors, and community stakeholders. The Senior Project Officer is responsible for coordinating field implementation of project activities across target communities, supervising technical teams and community facilitators, managing relationships with local stakeholders, monitoring implementation progress, and ensuring high-quality delivery of project outputs. Essential Responsibilities: Project Coordination and Implementation: Coordinate implementation of project interventions including Flood and drought mitigation measures, Climate-resilient water infrastructure, and community storage facilities. Coordinate day-to-day implementation of all project activities across assigned Local Government Areas and communities. Ensure activities are implemented according to technical standards, work plans, budgets, and donor requirements. Develop detailed implementation plans and monitor progress against approved work plans. Monitor implementation timelines and proactively address implementation bottlenecks. Ensure project documentation is complete, accurate, and maintained according to Mercy Corps procedures. Technical Support and Quality Assurance: Support technical assessments, baseline studies, and site selection processes. Support quality assurance and quality control processes for all project interventions. Conduct routine field supervision to ensure quality implementation of infrastructure activities. Monitor contractor performance and verify completed works before certification. Ensure compliance with Mercy Corps Infrastructure Minimum Standards and relevant national regulations. Identify technical issues during implementation and recommend corrective actions. Assist in reviewing engineering designs, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), technical specifications, and implementation plans. Community Engagement and Capacity Strengthening: Promote community ownership and sustainability of project investments. Organize and facilitate technical trainings on Flood and drought preparedness, Water infrastructure management, and Operation and maintenance of community assets Support establishment and strengthening of community management committees. Coordinate community mobilization and stakeholder engagement activities. Facilitate participatory planning meetings with community leaders, farmer organizations, pastoralist groups, women's associations, and local authorities. Contractor and Infrastructure Supervision: Support procurement processes by preparing technical inputs and monitoring delivery of construction materials. Verify quality of construction materials and workmanship. Ensure compliance with environmental, health, safety, and safeguarding standards. Assist with infrastructure commissioning and handover to communities. Monitor construction schedules and ensure adherence to approved technical specifications. Coordinate daily supervision of contractors and construction activities. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: Document success stories, lessons learned, innovations, and best practices. Conduct routine field monitoring visits and beneficiary verification. Support donor monitoring visits and technical assessments. Support implementation of the project's Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) framework. Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly implementation reports. Track progress against project indicators and milestones. Collect, verify, and submit high-quality implementation data. The Senior Project Officer will contribute to achieving key project targets, including: Protection of productive land through flood and drought mitigation measures. Construction or rehabilitation of solar-powered water systems. Development of climate-resilient food, seed, and fodder storage facilities. Coordination and Partnership Management: Represent Mercy Corps at community coordination meetings and technical forums as delegated. Maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders at state, local, and community level. Ensure regular communication between field teams and project management. Financial and Administrative Management: Verify invoices and contractor payment documentation. Monitor field activity budgets and expenditures. Support preparation of procurement plans and activity budgets. Ensure efficient utilization of project resources. Maintain complete activity documentation and filing systems. Team Supervision: Provide day-to-day supervision and mentoring of partner Project Officers, Community Facilitators, and Technical Assistants. Coordinate work schedules for field teams. Promote teamwork, accountability, and high performance. Support staff capacity development through coaching and on-the-job mentoring. Risk Management and Compliance: Identify implementation risks and recommend mitigation measures. Report incidents, challenges, and emerging risks in a timely manner. Ensure compliance with donor regulations, Mercy Corps policies, safeguarding requirements, and security procedures. Promote environmental and social safeguards throughout implementation. Success Factors They will be highly organized, solutions-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in dynamic environments. Success in this role requires strong leadership, effective communication, technical problem-solving, and the ability to build trust with communities, contractors, government counterparts, and project teams while consistently delivering high-quality results. The successful Senior Project Officer will possess strong project coordination skills, sound technical knowledge, and excellent field management capabilities. Risk Levels Risk Level: Level 3, Level 2, Level 1. Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children. Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data. Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability. Supervisory Responsibility May supervise Project Officers, Community Facilitators, Field Assistants, Technical Assistants, Enumerators, and Casual labor teams during implementation activities. Also provides technical oversight to contractors during field implementation. Accountability: Reports Directly To: Technical Project Manager Works Directly With: Program Team, MEAL Team, Operations & Procurement Team, Finance Team, Security Team, Government Counterparts, Contractors, Community institutions. Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support accountability to program participants, community partners, government institutions, and donors by promoting participation, transparency, inclusion, and feedback mechanisms throughout project implementation. Requirements: Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills: Experience: supervising contractors and managing community-based implementation. Experience: working with rural communities and local government institutions. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and mobile data collection platforms. Demonstrated experience: supervising construction or community infrastructure projects. Fluency in English is required; knowledge of Hausa and other local languages spoken in Katsina State is highly desirable. Strong planning, coordination, reporting, and organizational skills. Professional certification in Project Management (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) is an advantage. 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience: implementing donor-funded infrastructure, climate resilience, agriculture, or natural resource management projects. Master's Degree is an added advantage. Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills. Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Environmental Management, Agriculture, Water Resources Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Project Management, or a related field. Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions: The position is based in Katsina State, with extensive travel to rural and remote project communities. The incumbent must comply with all Mercy Corps security and safety protocols. Field assignments may require travel to areas with limited infrastructure and seasonal accessibility. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply Note Ongoing Learning: In support of Mercy Corps' commitment to continuous learning, team members are encouraged to dedicate 5% of their working time to professional development, technical learning, and knowledge sharing. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. We recognize that diversity and inclusion are a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. Equal Employment Opportunity: We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV / AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status, or any other protected group in the locations where we work. Safeguarding & Ethics: As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. Application Deadline: 14th August, 2026. View all Jobs in Nigeria Katsina State Senior Project Officer job vacancies in Nigeria