Economic Recovery Officer at African Youth for Peace Development and Empowerment Foundation (AFRYDEV) – Damaturu

AFRYDEV is recruiting an Economic Recovery Officer for a five-month contract in Damaturu, Yobe State, with regular field visits. The officer will coordinate livelihoods, market access and inclusive economic recovery programmes.

Description

• The Economic & Social Inclusion Officer will lead field‑level implementation of economic recovery and gender/social inclusion activities.
• The role combines livelihoods support, vocational training coordination, business development, coordination and gender‑responsive inclusion strategies to ensure equitable participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups.

The officer will support beneficiary identification, profiling, training, IGAs, VSLA strengthening, and market linkages while ensuring that all activities integrate gender equality, disability inclusion, and conflict‑sensitive approaches.

Key Responsibilities

Economic Recovery and Livelihoods Implementation:

• Lead beneficiary identification, profiling, and registration: Oversee the identification, profiling, and registration of beneficiaries for income-generating activities (IGAs), VSLA training, and livelihood support, ensuring transparent and inclusive selection criteria.
• Undertake needs and market assessments: Lead the design and implementation of needs assessments, market assessments, and labour market surveys to inform evidence-based program design and activity selection.
• Keep updated beneficiary databases: Ensure that a comprehensive, up-to-date database of selected and non-selected participants is maintained for tracking, reporting, and audit purposes.
• Track field-level implementation: Oversee and monitor the field-level implementation of livelihood activities, providing technical support and guidance to field assistants and beneficiaries to ensure quality and timeliness.
• Strengthen linkages for cross-border trade, cooperatives, and private sector: Facilitate and strengthen linkages between beneficiaries and cross-border trade networks, cooperative societies, financial institutions, and private-sector actors to enhance market access.
• Identify market gaps and promote micro-enterprises: Identify market gaps, constraints, and opportunities; promote the development of viable, sustainable micro-enterprises tailored to local economic contexts.
• Contribute to value chain identification and development: Lead or support the identification, mapping, and strengthening of priority value chains (e.g., small ruminants, fish processing, vegetables, solar installation) with strong potential for women, youth, and vulnerable groups.

Community Engagement and Stakeholder Coordination:

• Mobilize communities and facilitate inclusive consultations: Lead community mobilization efforts and facilitate inclusive, participatory consultations that ensure representation of women, youth, PWDs, and other marginalized groups.
• Build strong relationships with community structures: Establish and maintain strong working relationships with community leaders, women’s groups, youth groups, PWD associations, faith-based organizations, and other local stakeholders.
• Contribute to multi-stakeholder dialogues and validation workshops: Organize and facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues, validation workshops, and community planning sessions to ensure collective ownership and alignment with local priorities.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Learning:

• Undertake routine monitoring of economic recovery and GESI activities: Perform regular field monitoring visits to track progress, identify challenges, and document results of economic recovery and gender inclusion activities.
• Deliver weekly and monthly updates: Prepare and submit weekly and monthly progress updates to the State Program Manager, highlighting achievements, challenges, and recommended actions.
• Contribute to MEAL teams with data collection and verification: Assist the MEAL team in data collection, beneficiary verification, documentation of lessons learned, and adherence to MEAL frameworks.
• Produce activity reports, field visit reports, and success stories: Produce timely and high-quality activity reports, field visit reports, and documented success stories for internal and external use.
• Make sure accessible accountability and feedback mechanisms: Ensure that accountability and feedback mechanisms (complaint hotlines, suggestion boxes, community feedback sessions) are accessible to women, youth, and PWDs, and that feedback is acted upon.
• Create detailed activity work plans, TORs, and procurement plans: Prepare detailed activity work plans, terms of reference (TORs), and procurement plans based on the project’s activity narrative (e.g., SO1, SO2, SO3).
• Supervise field-level implementation and provide technical assistance: Supervise field-level implementation, providing technical assistance to Economic Recovery and Gender Assistants, community volunteers, and CSO partners.
• Liaise with government MDAs and align with local development plans: Liaise with LGA authorities, RUWASA, SMOH, SEMA, and other government MDAs to ensure alignment with Local Development Plans (LDPs) and other relevant frameworks.
• Track progress against logical framework indicators: Monitor and track progress against logical framework indicators, reporting any delays, risks, or variances to the State Program Manager.
• Organize community dialogue forums, validation workshops, and multi-stakeholder meetings: Plan, coordinate, and facilitate community dialogue forums, validation workshops, and multi-stakeholder meetings to ensure participatory planning and feedback loops.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Master’s degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is an advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in economic recovery, livelihoods, or gender and social inclusion programming in humanitarian or development contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in VSLA formation and management, value chain development, market assessments, and income-generating activity (IGA) support.
• Proven experience in gender-transformative approaches (SAA, Wakilan Sauyi, or similar models) and GBV risk mitigation.
• Experience in community mobilization, stakeholder coordination, and working with local government authorities.
• Experience in conflict-affected or fragile contexts (e.g., Northeast Nigeria) is highly desirable.
• Experience working with donors such as EU, USAID, UN, or ECHO is an advantage.

Technical Skills:

• Strong knowledge of livelihood programming, market systems, value chains, and micro-enterprise development.
• Proficiency in gender analysis, social inclusion mapping, and integration of GESI across sectors.
• Good understanding of MEAL principles, indicator tracking, and data disaggregation.
• Strong facilitation, training, and capacity-building skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and data management tools.
• Report writing, documentation, and success story development.

Required Competencies:

• Strong commitment to gender equality, disability inclusion, and social justice.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse community groups (women, youth, PWDs, traditional leaders).
• Leadership, coordination, and team management abilities.
• Problem-solving, adaptability, and resourcefulness in challenging field environments.
• Cultural sensitivity and respect for local norms while advancing inclusion.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct.

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal:State Program Manager/project Coordinator, MEAL Consultant & MEAL Officer, Finance and Admin. Manager, Economic Recovery Assistants, Gender and Social Inclusion Assistants, Community Volunteers, CSO partners.
• External:LGA authorities, RUWASA, SMOH, SEMA, Ministry of Women Affairs, community leaders, women’s groups, youth groups, PWD associations, private sector actors, cooperative societies, and donor representatives.

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English (reading, writing, and speaking).
• Proficiency in Hausa is required or other local languages are an advantage.

Reporting Line:

• Reports to: State Programs Manager/Project Coordinator
• Direct Reports: Community Mobilizers, Field Assistants
• Collaborates with: Component Assistants, MEAL staff, Finance staff, Partners.

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English (reading, writing, and speaking).
• Proficiency in Hausa is required or other local languages are an advantage.

Benefits

• Salary: Competitive, commensurate with experience
• As per AFRYDEV organizational policy (includes health insurance, pension contribution, and annual leave).