DRR Officer

The DRR Officer is responsible for community engagement, local disaster risk reduction planning, and stakeholder partnerships under the AQUA Project. The role leads the setup and operation of community and local government early warning and preparedness mechanisms, supports the integration of water security and climate risk considerations into local plans and budgets, and organizes and strengthens community water and sanitation associations. The DRR Officer ensures inclusive community participation, leads community and institutional engagement for nature-based source protection, and builds working relationships with local governments, water districts, and partner agencies to support sustainable project outcomes. The position reports to the Project Manager and is based in Virac, Catanduanes or Canlaon, Negros Oriental, with regular travel to supported communities.

DRR, Early Warning and Climate Planning

• Accountable for the establishment and effective operation of community and local government early warning and preparedness mechanisms, including triggers, roles, communication channels, and response arrangements.
• Lead capacity building, coaching, and simulation exercises for barangay disaster risk reduction and management committees, local responders, and municipal counterparts.
• Support the integration of water security, drought preparedness, and climate risk considerations into barangay and municipal disaster risk reduction and management plans, climate and disaster risk assessments, local climate change action plans, and contingency plans.
• Advise local governments on the programming and use of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund for water security, preparedness, and early action.
• Coordinate with the WASH Engineer to link water source monitoring and technical thresholds to early warning triggers and preparedness actions.
• Ensure early warning and preparedness approaches are inclusive, gender-responsive, and accessible to women, persons with disabilities, and other at-risk groups.

Community Organizing and Engagement

• Lead community consultations and participatory processes, including community consent, priority setting, and preparation of beneficiary information for validation by the MEAL Officer.
• Organize, train, and strengthen community water and sanitation associations in governance, financial management, record keeping, and community mobilization.
• Facilitate community awareness and behavior change activities on safe water, hygiene, and disaster preparedness, using technical content provided by the WASH Engineer.
• Ensure meaningful participation of women, persons with disabilities, older persons, and other marginalized groups, in coordination with the Protection, Gender and Inclusion Officer.
• Establish and operate accessible and confidential feedback and complaints channels, and refer cases following CARE protocols.
• Coordinate with the Project Support Assistant on household kit distribution and community logistics.

Local Government and Stakeholder Partnerships

• Build and maintain working relationships with barangay councils, municipal governments, disaster risk reduction and management offices, water districts, environment offices, and other local stakeholders.
• Negotiate and document stakeholder roles and commitments for operation and maintenance, local financing, governance, and source protection.
• Develop and monitor a written sustainability arrangement for each supported community, starting at project mobilization and verified before project closeout.
• Support the formal handover of facilities and project outputs to community associations and local government counterparts.
• Represent the project in local coordination meetings, and inform the Project Manager of emerging issues and opportunities.
• Coordinate with the Project Manager on engagement with provincial offices and national agencies.

Nature-Based Solutions and Source Protection

• Lead community and institutional engagement for nature-based source protection measures suited to each project area.
• Facilitate agreements with barangays, local governments, environment offices, and community groups on roles for planting, care, protection, and monitoring.
• Mobilize volunteers and community groups to implement and sustain nature-based interventions and demonstration sites.
• Coordinate with the WASH Engineer, who leads technical design and monitoring, to ensure community actions follow technical specifications.
• Monitor the condition of nature-based measures with communities, and report maintenance needs and risks to the WASH Engineer.
• Document community and risk reduction benefits of nature-based measures.

Monitoring, Reporting and Learning

• Collect and report activity data, participation, and community feedback in coordination with the MEAL Officer.
• Prepare activity reports, case stories, and inputs for project and donor reporting.
• Monitor community and local government progress against project targets, and escalate risks and delays to the Project Manager.
• Maintain accurate beneficiary, participation, and activity records in line with project MEAL and data protection requirements.
• Participate in learning sessions, reviews, and the After Action Review, and share community-level lessons.
• Coordinate plans, risks, and field visits with the area team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Disaster Risk Management, Environmental Science, Public Administration, Community Development, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Master's degree or advanced training in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation, Development Management, or a related field.
• Training in community-based disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, facilitation, or safeguarding.
• At least 3 years of experience in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, community organizing, or humanitarian and development programming with local governments and communities.
• Knowledge of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (Republic Act 10121), local disaster fund rules, and local planning processes such as climate and disaster risk assessments and local climate change action plans.
• Experience facilitating community consultations, trainings, and participatory processes.
• Experience coordinating with local government units, community organizations, and partner agencies.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and reporting skills in English and Filipino.
• Experience with community-based early warning systems, nature-based solutions, or water user associations.
• Experience with donor-funded disaster risk reduction, WASH, resilience, or climate adaptation projects.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, gender equality, and disability inclusion principles.
• Ability to communicate in the local language of the project area.