Project Officer – VSLA and Livelihoods

Recruiter: Southeastern Africa Consultant (A Recognizable Recruitment Firm in Malawi and Southern Africa)
Location: Mulanje, Malawi
Contract Type: Full-time (1-year contract, with possibility of extension)

About the Project
Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), in partnership with Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s, is delivering the “Mpanda” Project – Inclusive Finance for Resilient Tea Communities in Malawi. This initiative aims to promote anticipatory social protection among smallholder tea farmers.

The Role
We are seeking a dedicated Project Officer – VSLA and Livelihoods to drive local financial inclusion and economic empowerment. You will play a pivotal role in helping tea farmers establish self-managed savings groups, learn financial literacy, and build sustainable livelihoods.

Key Responsibilities:

• Community Engagement: Engage with local leaders, authorities, and target communities to raise awareness about VSLA and livelihood strategies.
• Planning & Implementation: Develop weekly, monthly, and quarterly work plans aligned with the project’s Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP).
• Field Work: Conduct regular community visits and facilitate meetings to ensure effective implementation of all VSLA and livelihood activities.
• Needs Assessment: Lead community consultations to identify needs, priorities, and opportunities for development.
• Capacity Building: Coordinate training on VSLA methodologies and livelihood activities to improve women’s capacity to lead income-generating activities.
• Stakeholder Relations: Build strong relationships with community members and local leaders to ensure community ownership and sustainability.
• Reporting & Monitoring: Support the monitoring of project activities and lead the development of all reports related to VSLA and livelihood components.

Minimum Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship, Social Sciences, Rural Development, or a highly related field.
• Experience: Minimum of 3–5 years of professional experience in livelihoods, economic recovery, or financial inclusion programming.
• Technical Expertise: At least 2–3 years of direct experience establishing or supporting VSLA models. Deep practical mastery of VSLA methodologies, group ledger tracking, and financial literacy facilitation is essential.
• Skills: Exceptional facilitation, conflict resolution, and community-mobilization skills.
• Language: Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and the dominant local languages of the field region (Mulanje).
• Integrity: A recognized reputation for integrity.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the resilience and economic independence of tea-farming communities in Malawi. You will work with a dynamic team dedicated to sustainable change.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit their applications through the following link:

https://forms.gle/7A1FrdbS6n4PKob79

Applications close Friday, 16th October 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Southeastern Africa Consultant is an equal opportunity recruiter. We encourage applications from qualified individuals regardless of gender, disability, or background.