Description of COOPI in the country
Since 1999, COOPI has been present in Colombia, supporting communities affected by armed conflict and natural disasters. As part of its work, COOPI, together with Fondazione L’Albero della Vita, HIAS, and HI, has formed the URABÁ-PAÍS consortium within the framework of the project: “URABÁ-PAÍS Project: Protection, Humanitarian Assistance, and Socioeconomic Integration for Migrants, Refugees, and Victims of Conflict in the Department of Antioquia, Colombia,” funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The project will be implemented in the Urabá region of Antioquia, specifically in the municipalities of Necoclí, Turbo, and Apartadó.
The project has 3 outcomes:
Result #1: Humanitarian assistance provided to improve the living conditions of refugees and migrants in transit or with the intention of remaining (mixed migration flows), as well as internally displaced persons and local population, to address the needs arising from the prolonged internal armed conflict.
Result #2: Improved access to basic health services, sexual and reproductive health and mental health, with special attention to the specific needs of women, children and people with disabilities.
Result #3: Strengthened socio-economic integration and social cohesion among refugees, migrants, victims of armed conflict and local communities, through mediation by women and youth, vocational training, labor insertion and actions aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence.
Job description
Under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator, MEAL Officer, and Consortium Coordinator, the Cooperativism Expert will focus their efforts on Outcome 3 of the project, paying particular attention to developing activities related to identifying and supporting circular production initiatives that promote association and cooperative organizations. The Cooperativism Expert will also support entrepreneurship and employability processes related to grassroots feminist, youth, or marginalized or excluded populations.
Areas of responsibility
Project Implementation
- Develop and implement the work plan for activities related to your role, oriented towards the project objectives, especially those related to Result 3.
- Provide support in the development of market assessments and studies, cooperative analysis and circular economy that derive from the project.
- Focus on communities, CBOs and specialized organizations in action processes framed in cooperative association, associative productive initiatives and incipient ventures with an associativity approach.
- Support the design and dissemination of the communication campaign, aimed at promoting inclusion actions and mitigating violence, xenophobia and discrimination.
- Present the programmatic and technical progress of the activities under your responsibility, providing effective, relevant and pertinent information for the actions.
- Develop the activities framed within the project, aimed at fulfilling the goals established in the action description, particularly in relation to Result 3.
- Support the project management, contributing to the achievement of the established goals.
- Facilitate the collection and analysis of data on the indicators of Result 3.
- Develop all activities for the identification and training of leaders and associative and circular economy organizations.
- Support the project and Consortium coordination in specific tasks when required.
Desired Profile
Essential requirements: 45 points
- Undergraduate university degree in Economics, Rural Development, Sociology, or related areas. Up to 15 points
- Proven experience working with humanitarian organizations, and/or NGOs, and/or grassroots organizations. Up to 15 points
- Minimum of two (2) years of experience in implementing community work strategies. Up to 10 points
- Experience in coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including field teams, implementing partners, and local communities. 5 points
Desirable Requirements: 10 points
- Experience in designing learning strategies and capitalizing on best practices in projects focused on cooperativism, the circular economy, and/or associations. Up to 5 points
- Postgraduate studies in Project Management, International Cooperation, International Humanitarian Law, Cooperativism, Circular and Associative Economies, and/or related fields. Up to 5 points
Relevant skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Sense of organization and teamwork, flexibility.
- Ability to work independently and in an often uncomfortable environment.
- Ability to produce high-quality technical and narrative reports.
- Ability to integrate the approach of gender, disability and cultural relevance in the field.
- Experience in the use of office software.
- Respect for COOPI’s values/mission.
- Excellent command of the Spanish language.
How to apply
Send your resume, academic and professional credentials, and cover letter to seleccion.colombia@coopi.org . The application period opens on November 17th and closes on November 23rd, 2025. Any application received after 11:59 PM on this date will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
*Applications that do not include the aforementioned requirements will not be considered in the selection process
To apply for the vacancy, please consult the full Terms of Reference at the following link: [** https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QVZK_Wg_DAB55O0aaOx3RlgBNqrT0-L-/view?usp=sharing**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QVZK_Wg_DAB55O0aaOx3RlgBNqrT0-L-/view?usp=sharing)