The humanitarian organization CESVI has announced a short-term job opportunity for a Senior Livestock Professional in Riohacha, Colombia. The position is part of a humanitarian project focused on strengthening food security and restoring livelihoods in Indigenous Wiwa communities. The role is designed for experienced professionals in animal production and rural development who are interested in contributing to community-based recovery and sustainable agriculture initiatives.
This assignment is part of a donor-funded intervention aimed at improving food access, promoting sustainable poultry production, and supporting Indigenous women’s economic activities through artisan production.
About the Humanitarian Project and Its Context
The project targets four Wiwa Indigenous communities in the municipality of Riohacha, located in La Guajira. It addresses urgent food insecurity while also building long-term resilience through productive livelihood strategies.
Key project components include:
- Emergency food assistance for nearly 700 people over a three-month period
- Strengthening of 178 family-based poultry production units
- Economic empowerment of 120 Indigenous Wiwa women through artisan production
- Training programs based on practical, hands-on learning methodologies
- Integration of gender, protection, and cultural relevance approaches
The initiative combines immediate humanitarian response with early recovery strategies, ensuring families can gradually rebuild sustainable sources of income and nutrition.
Role Purpose: Strengthening Livestock-Based Livelihoods
The Senior Livestock Professional will lead the technical implementation of the poultry production component. The position focuses on ensuring that family poultry units are productive, sustainable, and aligned with food security goals.
The role is highly field-oriented, requiring continuous travel to remote Indigenous communities to provide technical support, monitoring, and training.
Core objectives of the position include:
- Improving poultry production systems at the household level
- Ensuring technical quality of livestock interventions
- Strengthening food security through animal protein production
- Supporting community capacity building using participatory methods
Key Responsibilities of the Position
The selected professional will be responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of the livestock component. Duties are both strategic and operational in nature.
Main responsibilities include:
- Leading implementation of the early recovery livestock strategy
- Designing and validating training modules for poultry management
- Supervising field technicians and ensuring consistent technical guidance
- Conducting technical assessments of family poultry units
- Monitoring field activities and ensuring compliance with project standards
- Preparing technical reports and contributing to donor reporting requirements
- Identifying risks and proposing mitigation measures in field implementation
- Coordinating with community leaders and internal project teams
The role requires strong coordination skills, technical expertise, and the ability to translate agricultural knowledge into practical community learning.
Technical Focus Areas of the Job
The position requires advanced knowledge of small-scale poultry production and rural agricultural systems. The technical framework of the project emphasizes sustainability and resource efficiency.
Key technical areas include:
- Poultry production and animal husbandry
- Biosecurity practices in rural environments
- Animal welfare standards
- Efficient water use in livestock systems
- Organic fertilizer production from poultry waste
- Sustainable waste management practices
These components are integrated into training sessions and field demonstrations to ensure long-term adoption by beneficiary families.
Candidate Profile and Requirements
The organization is seeking a highly qualified professional with both academic background and field experience in livestock systems and rural development.
Minimum requirements include:
- University degree in animal science, agricultural engineering, or related fields
- At least 3 years of experience in livestock or rural livelihood projects
- Proven experience in technical assistance in rural communities
- Experience delivering training using participatory or practical methodologies
- Strong report writing and communication skills in Spanish
Preferred qualifications include:
- Specialization in poultry production, rural development, or food security
- Experience working with Indigenous communities
- Background in early recovery or humanitarian projects
- Basic English reading skills
Personal competencies expected:
- Leadership and team coordination abilities
- Strong planning and organizational skills
- Effective communication in field environments
- Adaptability to remote and culturally diverse contexts
Work Environment and Conditions
The position is based in Riohacha, with frequent travel to rural Indigenous communities. Field conditions may involve logistical challenges due to remote locations.
Important conditions include:
- Fixed-term employment contract based on project duration
- Monthly salary provided under humanitarian project standards
- Continuous field visits to multiple communities
- Coordination with multidisciplinary humanitarian teams
- Compliance with safeguarding and ethical conduct policies
The role requires flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and readiness to work in dynamic humanitarian settings.
Application Process and Deadline
Interested candidates must submit their application through email with the required documents.
Application requirements include:
- Updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Cover letter explaining suitability for the role
Submission details:
- Email: colombia@cesvioverseas.org
- Subject line: “Senior Livestock Professional – WIWA Project”
- Deadline: 10 May 2026
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further stages of the selection process. The recruitment is subject to donor approval and project funding confirmation.
Strategic Impact of the Role
This position contributes directly to humanitarian recovery efforts in vulnerable Indigenous territories. By strengthening poultry production systems and improving household nutrition, the role supports both immediate food security and long-term economic resilience.
Expected impacts include:
- Improved dietary diversity through animal protein production
- Increased household income from livestock activities
- Enhanced technical knowledge within Indigenous communities
- Strengthened resilience against food insecurity shocks
- Empowerment of women through complementary livelihood activities
Conclusion
The Senior Livestock Professional role represents a unique opportunity to combine technical expertise in animal production with humanitarian impact. The position plays a central role in supporting Indigenous Wiwa communities in rebuilding sustainable livelihoods while addressing urgent food needs.
It is a field-intensive, technically demanding role suited for professionals committed to rural development, food security, and community-driven agricultural transformation.
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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
