Economic Recovery and Gender Inclusion Officer at African Youth for Peace Development and Empowerment (AFRYDEV)

Position Overview

• 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.
• Conduct 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.
• Maintain 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.
• Monitor 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.
• Support 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.

Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Integration:

• Serve as the GESI focal point at LGA level: Act as the primary point of contact for all gender and social inclusion matters at the Local Government Area (LGA) level, ensuring alignment with organizational and donor GESI commitments.
• Ensure meaningful participation of all groups: Guarantee the meaningful participation and representation of women, youth, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and other marginalized groups in all project activities, meetings, and decision-making processes.
• Support community consultations on GBV risks: Facilitate community consultations to identify and document gender-based violence (GBV) risks associated with accessing integrated services (livelihoods, health, WASH, governance).
• Conduct gender and social inclusion mapping: Lead or support gender and social inclusion mapping exercises to identify barriers, opportunities, and entry points for inclusive programming.
• Train AFRYDEV field assistants and volunteers on GESI models: Conduct training and capacity-building sessions for field assistants, community volunteers, and partners on the Social Analysis and Action (SAA) and Wakilan Sauyi models.
• Document success stories on women's empowerment and inclusion– Identify, document, and disseminate success stories, case studies, and best practices highlighting women's empowerment, disability inclusion, and positive social norm change.
• Ensure GESI indicators in MEAL tools: Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure that GESI-specific indicators are integrated into all monitoring, evaluation, and reporting tools and that data is disaggregated by sex, age, and disability.

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.
• Support 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:

• Conduct 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.
• Provide weekly and monthly updates: Prepare and submit weekly and monthly progress updates to the State Program Manager, highlighting achievements, challenges, and recommended actions.
• Support 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.
• Prepare 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.
• Ensure 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.
• Develop 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, Gender 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:

• 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, MEAL Manager, 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.