Girls First Initiative (GFI / Msichana Kwanza) is inviting applications from qualified and experienced professionals for two full-time positions in Tanzania. The available opportunities are Project Officer – Tanga and Monitoring & Evaluation Officer – Dar es Salaam.
These positions offer an opportunity for professionals who are passionate about improving the lives of adolescent girls and young women through education, health, economic empowerment, and evidence-based programming.
About Girls First Initiative
Girls First Initiative (GFI) is a locally led, women-driven organization based in Tanzania. The organization works to break the cycle of poverty by investing in the education, health, and economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women in underserved communities.
GFI delivers its work through three programme pillars: Her Education, Her Health, and Her Economy. The organization has reached more than 30,000 girls and young women across 21 schools in five regions of Tanzania.
1. Project Officer – Tanga
Location: Tanga Region, Tanzania, with travel within Tanga districts
Department: Programmes
Reports to: Program Manager
Employment Type: Full-time
Position Summary
The Project Officer will be responsible for coordinating the day-to-day implementation of GFI programmes across schools and communities in Tanga Region.
The successful candidate will work closely with schools, local government representatives, community leaders, caregivers, and community volunteers to ensure that programmes are effectively implemented and reach vulnerable girls and young women.
Key Responsibilities
The Project Officer will:
- Coordinate and oversee the daily implementation of GFI programmes across schools and communities in Tanga.
- Establish and maintain relationships with Ward Executive Officers, teachers, community leaders, and caregivers.
- Help identify and support vulnerable girls within programme communities.
- Organize and facilitate school outreach activities, life skills sessions, and menstrual health education.
- Support the distribution and tracking of scholarships, learning materials, and menstrual health tools.
- Mobilize and support caregiver groups and women-led cooperatives under the Her Economy programme.
- Support savings groups and entrepreneurship training activities.
- Maintain accurate records of beneficiaries, programme activities, and outcomes.
- Prepare regular reports for the Program Manager and M&E team.
- Identify and document success stories, case studies, field challenges, and programme lessons.
- Coordinate logistics for community events, trainings, and infrastructure activities in Tanga.
- Ensure safeguarding standards are followed when working with adolescent girls and young women.
- Represent GFI at relevant local government and community forums when required.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should have:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Community Development, Education, Public Health, or a related field.
- At least 2 years of experience implementing community-based programmes.
- Experience working on programmes involving girls, gender, education, health, or related areas will be an advantage.
- Strong knowledge of the local context, culture, and communities in Tanga Region.
- Experience working with schools, local government structures, and community leaders.
- Good record-keeping and basic reporting skills.
- Fluency in Kiswahili.
- Working knowledge of English is preferred.
- Willingness to travel regularly within Tanga districts, including rural and hard-to-reach communities.
- A strong commitment to girls’ and young women’s rights, gender equality, and safeguarding principles.
Key Competencies
- Strong interpersonal and community engagement skills.
- Ability to work independently while maintaining effective coordination with the Dar es Salaam head office.
- Good organizational and planning skills.
- Reliability in managing field schedules and programme activities.
- Integrity and discretion when working with adolescent girls and their families.
2. Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with regular travel to Mwanza, Tanga, Pwani, Lindi, and other programme regions
Department: Programmes
Reports to: Founder & Executive Director
Employment Type: Full-time
Position Summary
The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will lead the design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems across GFI’s programme areas.
The role will focus on ensuring that programme data is collected accurately, analyzed effectively, and used to improve programme quality, demonstrate impact to donors and partners, and support organizational decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
The Monitoring & Evaluation Officer will:
- Design and maintain GFI’s M&E framework, including indicators, tools, and data collection systems.
- Ensure M&E systems align with the organization’s Theory of Change.
- Lead data collection, verification, and management across Her Education, Her Health, and Her Economy programmes.
- Develop and maintain databases and dashboards for tracking beneficiaries, outcomes, and programme indicators.
- Train field teams and community volunteers on M&E tools and data collection procedures.
- Conduct regular data quality assessments and field verification visits.
- Carry out spot checks across programme regions.
- Analyze programme data and prepare reports, success stories, and impact briefs.
- Coordinate baseline, midline, and endline assessments.
- Support periodic surveys linked to grants and specific programme initiatives.
- Provide accurate data and analysis for proposal development and donor reporting.
- Facilitate learning reviews with programme teams.
- Help translate M&E findings into practical programme improvements.
- Promote ethical data collection practices, including informed consent.
- Ensure sensitive information relating to adolescent girls is appropriately protected.
- Maintain documentation systems for case studies, testimonials, and other qualitative evidence.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should have:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Monitoring & Evaluation, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Health, or a related field.
- At least 3 years of relevant M&E experience.
- Experience working with an NGO focusing on gender, education, health, youth, or economic empowerment will be an advantage.
- Demonstrated experience developing M&E frameworks, logframes, or Theory of Change-aligned indicator systems.
- Proficiency in data management and analysis tools such as Excel, KoboToolbox, ODK, or similar platforms.
- Strong report-writing skills.
- Ability to translate complex data into clear and useful narratives.
- Experience conducting field visits and working with community-level teams and beneficiaries.
- Fluency in both Kiswahili and English, spoken and written.
- Willingness to travel regularly to programme regions across Tanzania.
- A strong commitment to girls’ and young women’s rights, gender equality, and safeguarding principles.
Key Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple data streams and deadlines.
- Ability to work collaboratively with programme, finance, and communications teams.
- High levels of integrity and discretion when handling sensitive information.
Who Can Apply?
These opportunities are suitable for qualified Tanzanian professionals with relevant academic backgrounds and practical experience in programme implementation, community development, monitoring and evaluation, education, health, gender, or youth-focused development work.
Applicants should carefully review the requirements for their preferred position and demonstrate relevant experience in their CV and cover letter.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit:
- An updated CV.
- A cover letter outlining relevant experience and suitability for the position.
Applications should be sent by email to:
Applicants must use the appropriate subject line:
Project Officer – Tanga Application
or
M&E Officer Application
Application Deadline
1 September 2026
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply early rather than waiting until the deadline.
Important: Applicants are instructed not to call. Follow the application instructions and submit your application by email.
Final Thought
The Girls First Initiative vacancies provide meaningful career opportunities for professionals who want to contribute to programmes supporting adolescent girls and young women in Tanzania. Whether your expertise is in community programme implementation or monitoring and evaluation, these positions offer an opportunity to contribute to initiatives focused on education, health, economic empowerment, and gender equality.
