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Title: Economic Development Officer
Purpose Women for Women International (WfWI) provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. WfWI has an immediate opportunity for an experienced Regional Economic Development Officer. The position will be located in Nairobi, Kenya with 40% travel to the Country Offices.
The Regional Economic Development Officer (R-EDO) guides implementation of Women for Women International’s economic programming in the four countries of Africa; DRC, Nigeria, South Sudan and Rwanda. The Officer is the primary point of contact between the Country Offices, the Regional Office, and the Headquarters Office, for all issues related to the organization’s economic empowerment initiatives.
The R-EDO is overall responsible for inspiring innovation, ensuring quality, and encouraging learning on all areas related to economic empowerment not limited to: vocational training, business and numeracy training, financial literacy, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship. The R-EDO is expected to be up to date on best practices within the industry, well networked and lead WfWI to be at the cutting edge. He or she serves as a resource for the Income Generation Managers and other senior staff in each Country Office, who manage and implement economic development programming.
Duties and Responsibilities
Economic Development Program Management:
• Serve as the primary support, technical assistance, and monitoring point of contact for economic empowerment units in Country Offices;
• Carry out regular monitoring and technical assistance visits to Country Offices to support the effective implementation of their economic development programming;
• Communicate with Country Office staff in charge of specific grants to monitor the implementation of any relevant grant-funded economic development activities;
• Directly implement any specific HQ-based outputs included in donor-funded project workplans that are related to design, implementation, or management of the economic development program (for example, development of syllabus or guideline documents);
• Contribute to the strategic planning of the organization;
• Advise Country Offices in the development of annual operational plans;
• Provide strategic advice to regional and senior management to guide policy, planning and on-ground programmes delivery.
Quality of Economic Development Program:
• Provide substantive advice to help ensure the quality of economic empowerment programming in the Country Offices;
• Review and analyze global and country-specific outcome indicator data, and other evaluation reports related to economic development programming;
• Monitor adherence to program guidelines.
Capacity Building and Staff Development:
• Provide direct formal or informal training to Country Office staff, including to trainers, especially on training content, delivery and quality as well as on operational tasks;
• Provide direct hands-on operational support in the field to the IG Managers and teams to assure quality of program implementation:
• Link each office with local, regional, and international training development resources.
Program Design:
• Contribute to the development of new IG strategies, market assessments and other program improvements.
• Provide substantive contributions to refinement of existing economic development activities.
• Contribute to the development of new initiatives that complement main income generation program services, to include linkages to financial service providers, private sector opportunities, or legal counseling;
• Offer technical contribution for grant proposals, new project concepts and reports as needed.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of international developments, best practices, and innovations in entrepreneurship, economic skills training, business development, financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, etc.
Leadership and partnership:
• Provide leadership for field economic teams undertaking regional initiatives;
• Engage in establishment and cultivation of relationships with economic teams and relevant stakeholders in the region;
• Work with Country Offices’ teams to identify opportunities across various value chains leading to improved efficiency, performance and resilience of women participants.
Communication & Teamwork:
• Regular communications with Country Offices;
• Communications with Africa Regional Director and VP, Programs in the HQ;
• Coordination with other departments, including Sponsorship, Grant Management and Monitoring and Evaluation as well as the other Regional Offices;
• Communication with colleagues;
• Represent the organization as needed at conferences and other speaking engagements.
Professionalism:
• Accepts constructive feedback;
• Positive attitude;
• Judgment;
• Work ethic;
• Initiative and proactive problem solving;
• Commitment and respect for Women for Women International’s mission and values;
• Discretion with sensitive materials
Qualifications:
• Minimum Bachelor’s degree, preferably a Master’s degree, in international development, economics or related field;
• Minimum of six (6) years of relevant work experience in international development, with emphasis on grassroots development;
• Minimum four years work experience in conflict impacted countries;
• Direct experience with strategic planning;
• Working experience in Africa with emphasis on WfWI countries;
• Strong ability to plan projects, timetable activities;
• Very strong skills for, and experience with, staff development and capacity building in development management and field implementation of programs;
• Analytical ability and experience with creating project implementation plans and guiding their completion as well as budgeting;
• Demonstrated capacity to serve as a coach or mentor of individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds;
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant social development issues such as women’s rights and empowerment, gender and conflict;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; working knowledge of French, knowledge of Kiswahili would be an advantage
• Understanding of conflict environments;
• Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel, internet, email applications;
• Creative problem-solving skills;
How to apply:
All interested candidates should submit the following application materials: updated CV, cover letter and 3 professional references to http://www.womenforwomen.org/about-women-for-women/careers.php
Women for Women International provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.
