Position Title: Economic Strengthening Technical Officer
Reports to: Regional Manager/ Economic Strengthening Technical Director
Duty stations: Bahir Dar (1) & Addis Ababa (1)
FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in Health, Education, Nutrition, Environment, Economic Development, Civil Society, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology– creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories. For USAID project focusing on highly vulnerable children in Ethiopia, FHI 360 is seeking qualified candidate for the position of Economic Strengthening Technical Officer to be based in Addis Ababa (for Central Cluster) and Bahir Dar ( for the Amhara Region)
Position Description
The USAID Caring for Vulnerable Children Activity (CVC) project, a five-year project led by FHI 360 that aims to reach a minimum of 325,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) who are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS, the Economic Strengthening Regional Program Officer (ESRPO) will be responsible for coordinating and leading the implementation at a regional level of economic strengthening (ES) activities to assist vulnerable households (HHs) to properly and sustainably care for, safeguard, and support the development of OVC in their care. This will include working with adolescents (especially females) to expand their economic toolkits – especially savings – so they can pursue post-secondary education and/or sustainable livelihoods. The ESRPO will support ES staff of Local Implementing Partners (LIPs); engage with CVC project sub-partners, local and regional government officials, business leaders, and leaders of social welfare, health and development organizations; and interact with and complement other CVC project members working in HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care activities.
Accountabilities:
· Help identify, design, implement, support and supervise appropriate ES interventions that strengthen OVC HHs and promote livelihoods development for OVC caregivers and adolescents, including Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), vocational skills training, business development services, microenterprise development, financial capability training, entrepreneurship education, and perma-gardening
· Actively participate in and help lead the processes of household economic vulnerability assessment, market assessment, and contextualization of training programs
· Advise and support LIPs on their work plans related to ES programming and also ensure that ES activities are implemented with quality and efficacy
· Establish effective communication system between FHI 360 and LIPs.
· Provide technical assistance to LIPs in organizing and managing networking and relations with key stakeholders (both government and private) to meet local and regional ES needs
· Build the capacity of LIPs’ ES support staff and volunteers and social support workers (SSWs) to effectively plan, implement, and monitor ES activities
· Establish and strengthen linkages with other service providers such as banks, MFIs, Micro and small enterprises agencies, TVED, and UJCFSA
· Collaboratively work with Plan International - Ethiopia, Retrak, ESSWAA and other CVC project staff to conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of project activities
· Prepare and submit periodic progress reports on the ES components, and document and share and lessons learned, promising practices, and challenges.
Minimum Requirements:
· University degree in Economics, Business Development, or a related field
· A minimum of 5 years’ experience implementing livelihoods programming and ES activities for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) HHs in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, treatment, care and support.
· Demonstrated ability to motivate, guide, train and support young professionals and community volunteers to deliver ES interventions, especially VSLAs and business development services and training
· Extensive knowledge of VSLAs and business development for the poor VSLAs
· Experience designing and leading Training of Trainers in ES topics is desired.
· Familiarity with market assessment tools, HH vulnerability assessment methodologies, and youth employment interventions, and the US Government’s PEPFAR OVC guidelines
· Strong reading, writing, and speaking abilities in Amharic and English. Knowledge of other languages spoken in the indicated regions is a plus.
Travel Requirements:
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