Animal Science Expert – Field – GWEDE

About the LEVEL UP Project

LEVEL UP is a three-year initiative focused on making Borena’s food system more inclusive, climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive, and market-oriented by strengthening the economic participation, leadership, resilience, and agency of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist women and female youth.

The project focuses on three high-potential value chains:

• Poultry
• Irrigation-based horticulture
• Small ruminants

The project operates across Arero, Yabello, and Gomole woredas.

Position Summary

The Animal Science Expert – Field will provide technical leadership for climate-resilient poultry and small-ruminant value chains at field level.

The position will support women- and female youth-led livestock enterprises to become more productive, resilient, and commercially competitive through improved production practices, animal health services, feed systems, market linkages, and sustainable private-sector engagement.

Reporting To

GWEDE Market System Development (MSD) Expert – Field Coordinator

Duty Station

Yabello, Borena Zone, with frequent travel to Arero and Gomole

Employment Information

• Job Title: Animal Science Expert – Field
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Level of Effort: 100%
• Number of Positions: 1
• Job Family Level: B1
• Application Deadline: September 13, 2026

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct technical assessments of poultry and small-ruminant production systems, constraints, market opportunities, and participant needs
• Support selection and registration of women and female youth participating in livestock-related enterprises
• Develop production packages, technical standards, training materials, and implementation guidelines
• Train and coach participants on animal husbandry, feeding, breeding, housing, hygiene, biosecurity, animal welfare, and record-keeping
• Support climate-resilient poultry production, including breed selection, housing, vaccination, disease prevention, and heat-stress management
• Support small-ruminant fattening through animal selection, feeding plans, housing, health management, and finishing schedules
• Assess feed resources and promote affordable feed production, formulation, conservation, and forage development
• Support women-led feed enterprises and connect them with producers, suppliers, cooperatives, and other market actors
• Work with veterinary authorities and service providers to strengthen vaccination, disease surveillance, treatment, referral, and extension services
• Provide technical support to female-youth veterinary-service enterprises in coordination with qualified veterinary professionals
• Develop technical specifications and quality standards for livestock, poultry, feed, housing materials, equipment, and other project-supported inputs
• Support technical evaluation, procurement, distribution, and post-distribution monitoring of livestock-related inputs
• Facilitate linkages among producers, input suppliers, veterinary-service providers, traders, aggregators, processors, financial institutions, and insurance providers
• Promote market-oriented production that meets buyer requirements for quality, quantity, timing, and food safety
• Integrate nutrition-sensitive practices related to the safe production, handling, consumption, and marketing of eggs and other animal-source foods
• Ensure women's priorities, workloads, safety, access to productive assets, and control over livestock-related income are considered
• Participate in market-systems assessments and identify opportunities for sustainable private-sector engagement
• Monitor livestock performance, mortality, disease incidence, weight gain, egg production, adoption of improved practices, enterprise profitability, and market access
• Conduct regular field supervision, identify technical challenges, recommend corrective actions, and document lessons and good practices
• Coordinate with woreda livestock offices, research institutions, cooperatives, private service providers, community structures, and project partners
• Contribute to workplans, budgets, procurement plans, progress reports, participant databases, and MEAL activities related to livestock components

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• MSc or BSc in Animal Science, Animal Production, Veterinary Science, or a closely related field
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience with an MSc
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience with a BSc
• Relevant experience in livestock/poultry development, preferably in pastoral or agro-pastoral contexts
• Practical knowledge of climate-resilient livestock production, animal health, and feed/fodder systems
• Experience working on NGO-implemented livelihoods, market systems, or resilience projects

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluency in Afaan Oromo and Amharic, with working knowledge of English
• Experience working in Borena Zone or similar lowland pastoral settings
• Familiarity with Market Systems Development (MSD) and gender-responsive programming
• Strong communication skills
• Strong attention to detail

Equal Opportunity and Safeguarding

GWEDE is an equal opportunity employer. Women, youth, persons with disabilities, and candidates from pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in Borena Zone are strongly encouraged to apply.

GWEDE maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment (PSEAH), fraud, and corruption. All staff are required to comply with GWEDE's safeguarding and code of conduct policies.

GWEDE does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application through the following KoboToolbox application link:

Apply Here – KoboToolbox

For technical issues with the application, contact:

info@gwede.org

📅 Application Deadline: September 13, 2026

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.