Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Officer Full Time NEW

Job Overview/Summary: 

IRC is planning to implement Irish Aid funded BRIDGE Project-to Building Resilience, Inclusion, and Durable Growth for Empowerment of Women, Youth, and Other Shock-Affected Communities in East Hararghe (Chinaksen and Gursum) and Gambella (Itang especial woreda and Lare) woreda, Ethiopia. The primary Goal of the project is to Improve food security and resilience of vulnerable population against shocks and stress (Resilient Livelihoods and Food Security) in the intervention areas.

The Economic Recovery and Development Officer will be responsible for the planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring and reporting of economic recovery, income generation, enterprise development, employment, market systems and financial-inclusion interventions under the BRIDGE project.

The position will support vulnerable women, youth, displaced persons, refugees, returnees, host communities, smallholder farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, SMEs, cooperatives and other targeted groups to strengthen their economic resilience, diversify livelihoods, access decent employment, establish and expand businesses, access financial services and participate in functioning and inclusive markets. The ERD Officer will lead or support climate-aware and gender-transformative economic opportunity assessments; skills development; green and circular enterprises; productive asset and LGF capital support; business development services; Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs); linkages to formal financial institutions; cooperative and producer organization strengthening; market linkages; and private-sector engagement.

The position will ensure that economic recovery interventions are market-oriented, inclusive, climate-resilient, gender-responsive, conflict-sensitive and sustainable, and that they contribute to improved household income and economic security.

Major responsibilities include:

Project planning and implementation:

• Support the Project Manager in planning and implementing economic recovery and development interventions in accordance with approved project plans, budgets and donor requirements.
• Develop detailed activity plans and implementation schedules for economic recovery activities.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor implementation, identify challenges and provide technical support.
• Ensure targeted beneficiaries are selected transparently and according to approved criteria.
• Ensure interventions are based on market demand, economic opportunity, beneficiary capacity and local context.
• Promote sustainable economic recovery approaches that reduce household dependency on humanitarian assistance.
• Ensure economic recovery interventions are linked with broader livelihoods, food security, resilience and social protection pathways.
• Integrate gender equality, youth empowerment, climate resilience, conflict sensitivity and social inclusion throughout implementation.

Economic Opportunity and Market Assessments

• Lead or support climate-aware and gender-transformative assessments of economic and microenterprise opportunities in target areas.
• Conduct or coordinate market and value-chain assessments to identify viable business and employment opportunities.
• Analyze local market demand, supply constraints, competition, price trends, business risks and opportunities.
• Identify sectors with potential for women and youth employment and entrepreneurship.
• Assess barriers faced by women, youth, displaced persons, refugees and other vulnerable groups in accessing markets, finance, productive assets and employment.
• Translate assessment findings into practical livelihood and enterprise interventions.
• Regularly update market information to ensure project support remains relevant and market driven.

Women and Youth Economic Empowerment

• Support the identification and selection of women and youth for economic empowerment interventions.
• Facilitate gender-responsive life skills, entrepreneurship, business and employability training.
• Support women and youth to develop viable business and employment plans.
• Promote women’s economic participation, ownership of productive assets and decision-making in household and business activities.
• Support youth to access employment, self-employment, vocational opportunities and entrepreneurship.
• Address structural and social barriers that limit women’s and youth participation in economic activities.
• Facilitate networking and mentoring opportunities for women and youth entrepreneurs.
• Promote safe, inclusive and decent work opportunities.

Enterprise Development and Business Development Services

• Support establishment and strengthening of micro, small and medium enterprises.
• Facilitate development of business plans and business models for targeted entrepreneurs.
• Provide or coordinate business development services, including financial management, marketing, costing, pricing, record keeping and customer management.
• Support entrepreneurs to identify viable markets, suppliers and buyers.
• Facilitate access to productive assets, start-up capital and business development services in line with project guidelines.
• Monitor supported enterprises and provide follow-up coaching and mentoring.
• Identify business challenges and facilitate appropriate technical or market-based solutions.
• Promote sustainable and commercially viable enterprises rather than grant-dependent business models.
• Support enterprise owners to develop strategies for growth, diversification and risk management.

Green and Circular Economy Development

• Support development and promotion of green, circular and environmentally sustainable enterprise models.
• Identify business opportunities linked to recycling, waste reduction, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and other green economic activities.
• Promote environmentally responsible production and consumption practices.
• Support women and youth to access emerging green employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
• Ensure enterprise support considers climate risks, resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.
• Facilitate partnerships with private-sector actors and service providers involved in green economic development.

Employment and Vocational Skills Development

• Support identification of labour-market opportunities for women and youth.
• Coordinate training and skills development based on identified market demand.
• Support selection and training of beneficiaries in vocational and employability skills.
• Strengthen linkages between trained youth/women and employment service providers.
• Facilitate relationships with employers, businesses, training institutions and other labour-market actors.
• Promote apprenticeships, internships, job placement and self-employment opportunities where appropriate.
• Track employment outcomes and income changes among supported participants.
• Ensure vocational training is linked to realistic employment and market opportunities.

Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance

• Support interventions that expand access to appropriate, affordable and inclusive financial products and services.
• Facilitate establishment and strengthening of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).
• Train and mentor VSLA members on savings, internal lending, financial literacy and group governance.
• Support linkages between VSLAs and formal financial institutions.
• Facilitate access to appropriate credit, savings, insurance and other financial products where feasible.
• Work with financial service providers to identify products appropriate for women, youth, SMEs and vulnerable groups.
• Promote responsible borrowing and financial management.
• Monitor the performance and sustainability of supported savings groups.
• Identify barriers preventing vulnerable groups from accessing formal financial services and support appropriate solutions.

Market Systems and Value Chain Development

• Support market systems development activities benefiting smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists, SMEs and other targeted economic actors.
• Facilitate linkages among producers, cooperatives, traders, processors, buyers, financial institutions and service providers.
• Strengthen relationships between producer organizations and potential markets.
• Support market information systems and dissemination of relevant information to beneficiaries.
• Identify opportunities for local value addition and business development.
• Facilitate business-to-business meetings, market fairs, exhibitions and other market linkage activities.
• Support identification and reduction of market barriers affecting women and youth entrepreneurs.
• Promote inclusive market systems that create sustainable income and employment opportunities.
• Monitor market changes and advise project management on emerging risks and opportunities.

Cooperative and Producer Organization Strengthening

• Support strengthening cooperative and producer organizations in organizational governance and business management.
• Provide training and technical support in business planning, financial management, marketing and member services.
• Facilitate linkages between cooperatives, producer organizations and private-sector buyers.
• Support organizations to identify market opportunities and negotiate with buyers.
• Promote inclusive participation of women and youth in cooperative leadership and economic activities.
• Support cooperatives to improve sustainability and commercial orientation.
• Monitor the performance and development of supported organizations.

Productive Assets and Economic Recovery

• Support vulnerable households and economic actors to recover and strengthen productive assets affected by climate, conflict or other shocks.
• Support transparent identification and targeting beneficiaries for productive asset assistance.
• Ensure productive asset support is aligned with viable livelihood and market opportunities.
• Monitor utilization, productivity and sustainability of distributed or financed productive assets.
• Promote asset protection and risk reduction measures.
• Support linkages between asset recovery and longer-term livelihood and economic development pathways.

Resilience, Climate Risk and Economic Recovery

• Integrate climate and disaster risk considerations into economic recovery and enterprise development.
• Promote climate-resilient business models and income-generating activities.
• Assess climate-related risks affecting supported enterprises and market systems.
• Support beneficiaries to develop business continuity and risk management strategies.
• Coordinate with project teams on early warning and anticipatory action initiatives where these affect livelihoods and economic assets.
• Promote diversification of income sources to reduce vulnerability to climate and conflict shocks.

Community Engagement and Inclusion

• Mobilize communities and facilitate participation in economic recovery planning and implementation.
• Work with women’s groups, youth groups, displaced people, refugees, returnees, host communities and other vulnerable groups.
• Promote equitable access to economic opportunities and productive assets.
• Facilitate community consultations to identify economic priorities and barriers.
• Ensure beneficiaries understand selection criteria, available services and project expectations.
• Establish effective feedback mechanisms and respond to beneficiary concerns.
• Promote community ownership and sustainability of economic development interventions.

Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Work closely with the MEAL team to monitor economic recovery and development indicators.
• Collect and maintain accurate data on supported individuals, enterprises, groups and institutions.
• Monitor changes in employment, income, business performance, access to finance and market participation.
• Conduct regular post-training, post-support and post-distribution monitoring.
• Track sustainability and performance of supported businesses and economic groups.
• Document lessons learned, success stories and innovative approaches.
• Support baseline, end line, market assessments and other project studies.
• Ensure beneficiary feedback is collected and incorporated into project improvements.
• Use monitoring evidence to inform adaptive management and project decision-making.

Reporting and Documentation

• Prepare timely and high-quality monthly, quarterly and annual activity reports.
• Contribute donor and project narrative reports.
• Prepare field visit reports, training reports, market assessment reports and enterprise monitoring reports.
• Maintain accurate records of beneficiaries, enterprises, training, productive assets and financial inclusion groups.
• Document market linkages, employment outcomes and enterprise performance.
• Maintain project documentation in accordance with organizational and donor requirements.
• Provide timely information to the Project Manager and MEAL team.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with relevant government offices.
• Coordinate with employment service providers, vocational training institutions and business development service providers.
• Develop relationships with financial institutions, MFIs, banks and other financial service providers.
• Engage private-sector companies, employers, traders, buyers and other market actors.
• Coordinate with cooperatives, producer organizations and community-based organizations.
• Participate in relevant livelihoods, economic recovery, market systems and development coordination forums.
• Coordinate with other project technical officers to ensure integrated programming.
• Represent the project in technical meetings as delegated by the Project Manager.

Representation and coordination

• Represent IRC at zonal, woreda and kebele levels and serve as focal person for any information shared with or received from field level humanitarian organizations and surrounding community representatives; prepare and report required updates and regular reports; assist the country office in facilitating donor monitoring visits where needed.
• Work closely with government and other key partners in the operation area for BRIDGE project.
• Make ensure that the interventions are coordinated with other actors in the operation area with no duplication of effort.
• Actively participate in the bi-weekly project management meeting and work on the agreed action points.
• Participate at zonal and woreda levels coordination meeting and provide any meeting feedback to ERD technical team.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in economics, Business Management, Development Studies, Agricultural Economics, Entrepreneurship, Business Management, Finance, Rural Development, Livelihoods, Marketing or a related field.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• 2 years of relevant experience with the first Degree or Diploma with 5 years of experience or 1 year of relevant experience plus post graduate Degree in economic recovery, livelihoods, enterprise development, market systems, financial inclusion, employment promotion or related programmes.
• Demonstrated experience working with women, youth, SMEs, entrepreneurs and vulnerable households.
• Experience implementing donor-funded development or humanitarian economic recovery programmes.
• Practical experience in business development, market linkage and enterprise support.
• Experience with VSLA, savings groups or other financial inclusion approaches.
• Experience conducting or supporting market assessments and value-chain analysis.
• Experience facilitating entrepreneurship, vocational, employability or business skills training.
• Experience working with private-sector actors, financial institutions, cooperatives and government institutions.
• Experience in green enterprises, circular economy or climate-resilient livelihood programming is an advantage.
• Experience working in conflict, drought- or flood-affected environments is desirable

Technical Skills and Competencies

• Strong understanding of economic recovery and livelihood programming.
• Good knowledge of microenterprise and SME development.
• Knowledge of market systems and value-chain development.
• Strong understanding of financial inclusion and savings mechanisms.
• Knowledge of business development services and entrepreneurship.
• Understanding of labor markets, employment and vocational skills development.
• Knowledge of gender-responsive and inclusive economic programming.
• Understanding of climate-resilient and green economic development.
• Strong market research and analytical skills.
• Strong training, facilitation and mentoring skills.
• Good data collection, analysis and reporting skills.
• Strong stakeholder and partnership management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Experience with digital data collection and monitoring systems is an advantage.

Language Skills:

•  Strong oral and written communications skills in English, Amharic and ability to speak local language is advantageous