Overview
The Economic Recovery Assistant provides operational, field-level, and administrative support to the Economic Recovery Officer to ensure effective delivery of economic recovery and financial inclusion programs.
Key Responsibilities
- Support day-to-day implementation of economic recovery and financial inclusion activities.
- Assist in establishing and registering new Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and support ongoing groups.
- Support the rollout of income-generating activities (IGAs), vocational skills training, and business development sessions.
- Assist with organizing input distributions and technical training.
- Mobilize beneficiaries and provide logistical support for training sessions.
- Support beneficiary verification and assist in the distribution of startup kits, business grants, and livelihood inputs.
- Mobilize community members to participate actively in program activities.
- Conduct awareness sessions to explain program objectives, benefits, and eligibility criteria.
- Serve as a key liaison between communities and program staff.
- Coordinate closely with refugee committees, local kebele leaders, and community-based structures.
- Collect and manage field-level data including VSLA membership, savings, attendance registers, and training assessments.
- Conduct monitoring visits to pilot/garden demonstration sites, women led businesses, and other program activities.
- Document beneficiary success stories and obtain photographs with consent.
- Maintain accurate beneficiary lists and distribution records.
- Prepare and submit regular field activity reports.
- Provide logistical support for training and field activities.
- Maintain inventories of training materials, startup kits, and other program assets.
- Support procurement processes and payment requests related to field activities.
- Promote meaningful participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
- Support awareness-raising sessions on gender equality, women's economic empowerment, and prevention of gender-based violence (GBV).
Required Experience
- Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience in Agriculture, Livelihood Development, alternative financing mechanisms such as Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) financial inclusion, micro and small enterprise development, or business development.
- Proven experience working with and a deep understanding of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) income-generating activities (IGAs), or other community-based savings and credit groups.
- Practical understanding of livelihood programming, community mobilization, and engagement with local authorities or private sector actors.
- Good understanding implementing livelihoods, self-reliance, gender mainstreaming, peacebuilding/social cohesion, protection, or advocacy interventions.
- Field experience in refugees, internally displaced people (IDP), or host community settings is highly advantageous.
- Demonstrated skills in community mobilization, outreach, and effective engagement with beneficiaries, with an emphasis on women, youth, and vulnerable populations.
- Exposure to multisector program collaboration involving government agencies, UN bodies, NGOs, and local community structures.
- Experience in supporting logistics training, facilitation, and mentoring at the community level.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, internet, email, and Windows.
- Personal integrity, ethics, and confidentiality in professional conduct.
Qualifications
• BA in Development Economics; Development management, Accounting and finance Agriculture, Rural Development, Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, Cooperative and SMEs development or other relevant fields, or bachelor’s with relevant work experience.
