Economic Recovery officer

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a qualified  Economic Recovery Officer  for our operations in Assosa, Ethiopia.

Instruction for applicants:
All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV in English. Please ensure that your CV does not exceed three pages. Applications with CVs longer than the specified limit may not be considered

Overall purpose of the role :

Under guidance of the Program Manager, the Economic Recovery Officer (MSD & Financial Inclusion) is responsible for carrying out the day to day implementation of DRC’s economic recovery program interventions in line with program quality standards and DRC’s strategic objective.

He/She will lead the strategic rollout and management activities of VSLA’s & IGAs, supporting them to build sustainable livelihoods. This will involve facilitating strategic linkages to formal financial services, viable market opportunities, private sector actors, and climate smart agricultural value chains, while embedding sustainable alternative economic models. In addition, the Economic Recovery Officer will contribute to market systems development by analyzing local economies, identifying systemic barriers and designing market based interventions that that promote economic integration, inclusive growth and long term resilience

The role work focused on improving livelihoods and economic inclusion through skills trainings, enterprise support, access to finance, and strengthened market linkages, an approach that combines short term income opportunities with long term strategies that promote self-reliance, private sector engagement, and integration into local economies.

The position holder should demonstrate technical expertise in food security and livelihood, cash based transfers, on/off farm based economic recovery, graduation models, youth employment schemes, financial inclusion, climate smart agriculture, resilience building and social protection. All activities are implemented in a gender-sensitive, conflict-aware, and protection-focused manner while upholding DRC’s core values and program principles.

The Economic recovery officer will work closely with DRC teams, consortium partners, government, RRS, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector actors, and community leaders to ensure program integration, coordination, and advocacy aligned with DRC’s strategic objectives.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

1. Technical Program Implementation & Management

• Provide technical support to the program manager in planning, coordination, and implementation of economic recovery activities, as well as supporting with implementation plans.
• Lead the expansion and sustainability of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), including mentor training and ongoing support.
• Facilitate the planning and management of income-generating activities (IGAs) and promote VSLA/IGA strategies among communities and stakeholders.
• facilitate delivery of integrated training packages covering entrepreneurship, market readiness, financial literacy, legal rights, and technical skills.
• Manage beneficiary identification & oversee distribution of startup kits, business grants, & livelihood inputs, ensuring compliance with targeting criteria.
• Provide technical support in developing of work plans, set targets, manage and establish performance measurement standards for effective program operations.
• Prepare periodical activity plans and field-level reports for submission to the Program Manager.

2. Market Systems Development (MSD) & Private Sector Engagement

• Conduct mapping and analysis of market systems, private service providers (PSPs), and financial institutions to identify opportunities and barriers for refugees and host communities.
• Facilitate formal linkages between mature VSLA groups and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), banks, or Digital Financial Services (DFS) platforms to promote financial inclusion.
• Work with the program manger to identify and engage private sector actors who are inclusive or willing to work with vulnerable groups as customers, suppliers, or employers.
• Work with the program manager to design market based solutions to address barriers to women’s economic participation, including workplace safety and mobility challenges.

3. Stakeholder Engagement, Partnership & Coordination

• Work in collaboration multi-stakeholder with government bodies, UNHCR, IRC, NGOs, private sector actors, and financial service providers to harmonize interventions
• Work closely with consortium partners (e.g., MCMDO, EWLA, MTI) to coordinate field activities and ensure smooth referrals.
• Apply inclusive systems programming principles to leverage local actors and structures for improved resilience across economic, social, and environmental systems.
• Collaborate with technical teams to build resilient and nutritious food systems through climate-smart agriculture interventions.
• Participate in local coordination platforms (Livelihoods, Protection, Economic Recovery working groups) and represent DRC in relevant field-level meetings.

4. Capacity Building & Team Supervision

• Provide tailored business development support and grant facilitation for income-generating activities, prioritizing women-led enterprises and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• Coordinate integrated training programs on entrepreneurship, legal rights, market readiness, financial literacy, and vocational skills based on labor market assessments.
• Conduct Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions for VSLA mentors and community facilitators covering methodology, soft skills, protection, and financial literacy.
• Provide technical supervision, daily guidance, and ongoing coaching to Economic Recovery Assistants.
• Build capacity of local partners and community-based structures to ensure long-term program sustainability.
• Utilize environmental and conflict sensitivity tools (e.g., Nexus Environmental Assessment Tool) during program design and implementation.

5. Collaboration, Learning & Adaptation

• Use monitoring data to track project progress, identify challenges early, and recommend adaptive management solutions to the Program Manager.
• Contribute to the preparation of high-quality weekly, monthly, and donor reports by providing accurate field data and narrative inputs.
• Document and share success stories, lessons learned, and best practices from the field.

Experience and technical competencies:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in livelihoods, economic recovery, microenterprise development, market systems development (MSD), or financial inclusion programs with proven exposure in refugee, IDP, or host community contexts.
• Strong understanding and practical application of the Markets4Poor (M4P) approach and market systems development facilitation.
• Experience in designing and implementing financial inclusion initiatives, income generating activities (IGAs), VSLA & cooperative development programs.
• Strong knowledge of gender and protection mainstreaming in livelihoods and economic recovery programs.
• Proven skills in community mobilization, training facilitation, and partnership coordination.
• Good knowledge of local market dynamics, informal finance mechanisms, and private sector engagement.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills in English and Amharic.
• Strong organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills including working with diverse staff and stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, internet, email, and Windows.
• Personal integrity, ethics, and confidentiality in professional conduct..

Education :

BA in Rural Development, Agriculture Economics, Development Management, Accounting and Finance, Agriculture, Rural Development, Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, Cooperative and SME Development, or other relevant fields.

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Proficient of English language
• Knowledge of local language is an advantage

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 

Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 12 Months

Contract Type: National Contract

Band: H2 – Non-Management

Designation of Duty Station: Assosa, Ethiopia

Start date: ASAP

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National employees

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than three pages) in English. A pplications sent by email will not be considered

Please ensure that your CV does not exceed three pages. Applications with CVs longer than the specified limit may not be considered.

Closing date for applications: August 26, 2026

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo .

Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels. In light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gender gap.
Equal Opportunities: DRC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees. We do 

not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethnic origin, colour, race, marital status, or other protected characteristics

We strongly encourage female candidates to apply for the position!

We encourage only qualified Ethiopian Nations to apply. DRC considers all applicants based on merit.