Livelihoods Specialist – Finnish Refugee Council
Development and Project Management, Economics, Management
Finnish Refugee Council
Finnish Refugee Council (FRC) (www.refugeecouncil.fi) is an international non-governmental organisation with Head Office in Helsinki. FRC advocates for the rights of refugees, displaced populations and migrants, and supports their new beginnings. By reinforcing equality and creating opportunities for everyone to lead a good life, FRC promotes the establishment of stable and peaceful societies.
Education forms the foundation of an equal society, and FRC´s activities in Ethiopia place emphasis on capacity building for the most vulnerable members of societies and supports their active participation in communities, thus strengthening basic democratic structures. At the core of FRC’s work is inclusion of vulnerable groups and therefore, special emphasis is placed on the protection of persons with disabilities, women and youth in all activities.
FRC has been registered in Ethiopia and accorded legal personality with Registry Number 4184 on 11th of June 2019 as a Foreign Organisation.
Purpose of the Position
The key purpose of the Livelihood Specialist role is to lead the development and implementation of the FRC specific livelihood approach that consists of – among others – financial literacy trainings, support to IGA and business initiatives, relevant skills trainings, including agriculture, for the FRC beneficiaries in urban and rural settings. He/She will also establish networks and represent FRC in appropriate livelihood forums and clusters. The Livelihoods Specialist will develop and lead on needs assessments to define the best approaches in FRC programming. He/She will also support reporting and M&E as a Livelihoods Technical Advisor.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities:
Provide technical expertise and lead on the planning, implementation and monitoring of all FRC Livelihoods related activities (40%)
- Assess, design, develop and implement innovative and appropriate livelihood activities that uplift the beneficiaries and diversify their economic opportunities,
- Identify the best livelihood opportunities for FRC beneficiaries and facilitate their implementation by guiding the field team,
- Guide on the identification and facilitate the livelihood/business/financial training of community/peer facilitators and group leads working in the refugee and host communities,
- Develop workplans and budgets for livelihood implementation with timeframes and activities
- Review and input to all Functional Adult Education courses to strengthen their livelihood content quality
- Identify livelihood beneficiaries in partnership with RRS/UNHCR and Addis Ababa City administration relevant offices, as well as other stakeholders
- Facilitate the Functional Adult Education graduates’ access and knowledge to a variety of livelihood opportunities by developing and maintaining partnerships with a variety of organizations, private sector and institutions strengthening the referral path.
- Take a lead in monitoring and following up on planned livelihood activities
- Represent FRC in appropriate livelihood clusters and working groups nationally and support the field staff to engage with the regional working groups
- Keep up to date with development issues and emerging trends about relevant themes and interventions in Ethiopia and in the humanitarian context
Capacity building and organizational development (20%)
- Identify knowledge gaps, provide technical support to FRC staff and partners in planning and implementing livelihood activities
- Build the capacity of the FRC staff and project stakeholders where needed
- Support knowledge sharing and staff development of FRC within your technical expertise
- Learning and Documentation Reporting (30%)
- Conduct regular monitoring visits to project sites and livelihood and learning groups in Gambella and Addis Ababa
- Develop plans and support groups’ self-monitoring
- Track progress of the groups, identify possible challenges and lead on solutions
- Compile quality monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, inclusive of success stories and lessons learnt
- Ensure proper representation or women, PWD, youth into the program as per the guidance and targets for FRC
- When appropriate/applicable, facilitate and participate in information sharing opportunities among FRC/partners/donors;
- Collect and file success stories, photos, other livelihood documentation
Other (10%)
- Project Design: closely work with the Program Manager, participating in needs assessments, and livelihood project identification;
- Support the development, design, and writing of proposals and concept notes for livelihood projects;
- Other tasks as assigned by the line manager
Duration: One year contract with possible extension
Category: Humanitarian/Development sector
Location: Addis Ababa with regular travel to operational areas
Professional Standards:
- FRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the FRC Code of Conduct.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Development Studies/Management, Entrepreneurship, Business Management or related field required, Master’s degree preferred
- Relevant professional experience of eight years with a Bachelor’s degree, and 6 years of professional experience with Master’s degree, preferably in the field of livelihoods and income generating activities
- Proven success of project delivery from design to completion, particularly in livelihood related projects (IGA, VSLA, agribusiness, Vocational Skills trainings, financial skills trainings etc)
- Experience in planning and managing surveys, developing and refining data collection tools, and with data quality assessments and oversight
- Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, set priorities, and meet deadlines
- Fluent in English; excellent written and oral communication skills, including facilitation and cross-cultural communication.
- Strong attention to detail, organizational. and time management skills
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% of time
- Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic livelihood expert who can confidently lead a diverse set of livelihood activities. You want to build something new and help us develop FRC further in Ethiopia. You have to be a self-starter and be able to manage your time and work independently but it is also important you are a strong communicator and team player.
