Catholic Relief Services Senior Project Officer - Private Sector Engagement and Markets Jobs in Uganda
Project Overview
The Forest Flavors (FF) initiative is a three-year project (FY26–FY29) implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) under its Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation portfolio.
The project applies a market systems development (MSD) and private-sector-led approach to strengthen inclusive, commercially viable and nature-positive agroforestry value chains.
Priority value chains include coffee, cocoa, vanilla and spices.
The project operates across Uganda's Central Region (Luwero, Masaka and Lugazi), Western Region (Kasese) and Northern Region (Gulu).
Job Summary
Based in Kampala, the Senior Project Officer (SPO) – Private Sector Engagement and Markets will coordinate and support implementation of Forest Flavors activities under the Church Lands and Private Sector Engagement (CL3) project.
The role focuses on diocesan engagement, private sector partnerships, business development services and facilitating linkages with finance providers, technical assistance partners, standards and certification bodies, and other market actors.
The SPO will support the design and scaling of commercially viable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable agroforestry business models.
This is a technical coordination role with no direct supervisory responsibilities.
Roles and Key Responsibilities
Lead planning, coordination and implementation of assigned activities in line with approved work plans, budgets and CRS quality standards.
Identify, map and onboard potential Private Sector Actors (PSAs) across target value chains.
Collaborate with stakeholders to co-create commercially viable business models for coffee, cocoa, vanilla and spices.
Maintain implementation trackers to monitor milestones, risks, deliverables and progress.
Coordinate technical assistance and business development support for private sector partners, MSMEs and dioceses.
Follow up on agreed actions to strengthen commercial performance, market access and investment readiness.
Ensure gender equality, youth inclusion and social inclusion are integrated into diagnostics, business model development, service delivery and access to assets and finance.
Coordinate implementation follow-up with private sector actors and project stakeholders through monitoring visits and partner engagement.
Identify implementation bottlenecks and coordinate corrective actions.
Support learning processes and portfolio reviews to determine whether interventions should be expanded, adapted, paused or discontinued.
Represent the project in technical meetings with private sector actors, financial institutions, service providers, government agencies and church stakeholders as delegated.
Monitor expenditure against approved budgets and identify implementation or resource risks.
Coordinate technical inputs required to achieve project deliverables and timelines.
Work closely with
finance, operations and technical teams to ensure timely planning of resources and administrative processes.
Compile progress updates and maintain evidence of milestone completion.
Support preparation of project reports and learning documentation.
Maintain organized records including due diligence documentation, business cases, partnership agreements, lessons learned and case studies.
Strengthen partnerships with dioceses, church institutions and partner organizations through CRS partnership principles and approaches.
Required Language Skills
Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
Fluency in local Ugandan languages from the Central, Western or Northern regions is an added advantage.
Travel Requirements
Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% of the time.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound judgment.
Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to work effectively with local partners and diverse stakeholders.
Results-oriented, proactive and service-focused approach.
Strong attention to detail, accuracy and timeliness.
Deep commitment to land restoration, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
Supervisory Responsibilities
None.
Key Working Relationships
Internal
Project Manager – Church Lands and Private Sector Engagement (CL3).
Program Manager – Partner Capacity Strengthening (PCS).
Head of Programs.
Senior Agriculture, Markets and Livelihoods Advisor.
Head of Operations.
MEAL Team.
Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) Team.
Operations and Finance Teams.
Regional and Headquarters Forest Flavors Teams.
External
Church and Diocese focal persons.
Local partner organizations and staff.
National, district and local government stakeholders.
Community leaders and private sector partners.
CRS Core Competencies
Personal Accountability.
Acts with Integrity.
Builds and Maintains Trust.
Collaborates with Others.
Open to Learn.
Agency Leadership Competencies
Lead Change.
Develops and Recognizes Others.
Strategic Mindset.
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; Catholic Relief Services Senior Project Officer - Private Sector Engagement and Markets Jobs in Uganda
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