Project Officer (Cotabato City)

Title: Project Officer

Location: BARMM

Travel: Travelling to the project sites is necessary

Job Family and Level: T3 - Technical

Pre-hire checks: This role is classified as requiring standard pre-employment checks

Important Note:
This recruitment is part of a pre-positioning effort. Submission of an application and participation in the selection process do not guarantee engagement. Any engagement will be contingent upon project activation, funding availability, and final approval.

1. Scope

Responsibility: Country level

Department: Programs Department

Reporting to: Humanitarian Program Manager/Project Manager

Direct reports: NA

Budget responsibility: NA

Relationship management: Programs team, MEAL, Support, BARMM ministries, LGUs, and implementing partner

2. Context

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience, and promote long-term health and well-being.

Currently, we work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education, and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France, and Relief International-Europe. Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

About the Philippines Country Program

Relief International Philippines operates with a strong focus on peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and development programming in areas affected by conflict, natural disasters, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Since establishing its presence in the country, RI has worked closely with local communities, civil society organizations, and government institutions to support conflict-affected populations, promote social cohesion, and deliver life-saving assistance. The country's program integrates gender equality, youth empowerment, and community resilience across its portfolio, ensuring that interventions address both immediate needs and long-term structural challenges.

RI Philippines implements programs in the Mindanao and other high-risk regions, supporting initiatives on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), protection, education in emergencies, nutrition, and health. It also plays a role in disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness, responding to both conflict- and climate-induced emergencies. Through a localized and participatory approach, RI Philippines strengthens local capacities and promotes inclusive development, aligning with national frameworks and global humanitarian and development standards.

3. Job Profile

The Project Officer will support the implementation, coordination, monitoring, and day-to-day operational management of the DG ECHO-funded humanitarian health emergency response project in BARMM. The position will ensure the timely delivery of project activities related to emergency health, community-based surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, RCCE, routine immunization support, and community engagement interventions in target municipalities and barangays.

The Project Officer will work closely with Rural Health Units (RHUs), BARMM-MOH, local government units, community volunteers, BHERTs, and partner organizations to facilitate effective implementation of field activities and ensure compliance with humanitarian standards, donor requirements, and organizational policies.

The role will also contribute to strengthening coordination, monitoring, documentation, and reporting mechanisms to support quality humanitarian programming and effective emergency response operations.

4. Key Responsibilities

Technical Responsibilities

• Support implementation of project activities in accordance with approved work plans, targets, timelines, and DG ECHO commitments.
• Coordinate closely with RHUs, LGUs, BARMM-MOH, barangay officials, and community structures to facilitate implementation of emergency health preparedness and response activities.
• Organize and support trainings, simulation exercises, meetings, outreach activities, and community engagement sessions related to health emergency preparedness and response.
• Support implementation of community-based surveillance (CBS), event-based surveillance (EBS), RCCE, routine immunization outreach, and outbreak response activities in target areas.
• Facilitate coordination among field teams, community volunteers, and partner organizations to ensure timely, integrated health service delivery.
• Assist in organizing logistical and operational requirements for field implementation, including transportation, venue coordination, supplies, and activity preparations.
• Monitor and support the deployment of mobile health teams and vaccination teams in the communities during outreach.

Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting

• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to track implementation progress, identify operational challenges, and support timely resolution of issues.
• Support collection, consolidation, verification, and submission of activity data, beneficiary information, and project accomplishments.
• Maintain organized project documentation including attendance sheets, reports, monitoring tools, means of verification, and activity records.
• Assist in preparation of internal updates, donor reports, situation reports, success stories, and other project documentation.
• Support monitoring of project indicators and targets to ensure timely achievement of deliverables.

Community Engagement and Capacity Strengthening

• Support mobilization and engagement of community volunteers, BHERTs, BHWs, CBS committees, and community leaders in project activities.
• Assist in facilitating RCCE and demand generation activities at community level, including awareness campaigns, community dialogues, and demand generation initiatives.
• Support training and mentoring activities for frontline workers and community-based structures to strengthen local preparedness and response capacities.
• Promote accountability to affected populations and ensure community feedback and concerns are appropriately documented and referred.

Emergency Response Support

• Support rapid response activities during disease outbreaks, emergencies, and disaster situations in coordination with RHUs and relevant authorities.
• Assist in field-level coordination for emergency deployment, assessments, and response operations when required.
• Support implementation of preparedness measures including contingency planning, simulation exercises, prepositioning activities, and emergency coordination mechanisms.

Behavior and Conduct

• Will ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Will be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members
• Will ensure own actions and the actions of the teams members they manage do not impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve
• Will ensure external stakeholders are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanisms
• Report any concerns

5. Person Specification

Essential criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Nursing, Midwifery, Community Development, Social Work, Health Sciences, or related field.
• Minimum of 2–4 years of experience in humanitarian, health, emergency response, or community-based programming.
• Experience working in BARMM or conflict-affected settings is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with humanitarian principles, public health programming, and community engagement approaches.
• Experience coordinating with LGUs, RHUs, community volunteers, and local stakeholders.
• Strong organizational, coordination, and communication skills.
• Experience in activity documentation, monitoring, and report writing.
• Ability to travel frequently to field locations and work in challenging environments.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to contribute to program management, learning, and evidence generation related to health and nutrition and emergency response programming.
• Experience in Health and Nutrition in Emergency, Anticipatory Action, Emergency Response Programming, and DRR programs.
• Experience working with consortium projects and multiple partners.
• Experience in rapid need assessment and in using related tools.
• Knowledge of GEDSI, safeguarding, and protection principles.

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability