Economic Recovery Specialist (Resilience & Livelihoods) at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Under the supervision of the Economic Recovery Manager and the technical oversight of the Country and Regional Economic Recovery Coordinator, the Economic Recovery Specialist is responsible for the technical coordination of the SPADS project and will provide technical support to other projects within the Nigeria mission. Their support will focus on activities related to the Economic Recovery sub-sectors and the graduation approach. He/she will contribute to the development of technical strategies for Economic Recovery-related themes across DRC’s operations in Nigeria (particularly for the SPADS project). They will ensure the quality design and implementation of the graduation approach and the three Economic Recovery sub-sectors, while strictly adhering to DRC procedures. The Specialist will also coordinate with other stakeholders implementing food security and economic recovery projects in the DRC’s intervention areas. In a context of growing humanitarian crises and limited resources, the Specialist will provide technical support for fundraising efforts related to sectoral responses in target areas.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Coordination and Advisory

• Support the implementation of Graduation Approach activities (and more broadly the Economic Recovery sector) in the field through the development of technical guidance and accompaniment of field teams.
• Assist Project Managers in planning and monitoring sector-related activities.
• Contribute to the drafting and review of activity reports.
• Provide technical advice to Coordinators and program team on Food Security, Financial Inclusion, and Decent Livelihoods, with a strong focus on cash and voucher assistance, market systems, the Graduation Approach, “Go Green” and “Go Local” initiatives.
• Ensure the technical supervision of Team Leaders and Economic Recovery Officers, and participate in setting objectives and evaluating their performance, in collaboration with Project Managers, Sector Coordinators, and Programme Managers.
• Identify training needs for Economic Recovery personnel and contribute to strengthening their technical capacity.
• Provide direct support to field teams (e.g., in the event of staff gaps).
• Take technical lead in managing relationships with consultants under the SPADS project framework.

Strategic Development

• Define strategic directions for the Economic Recovery sector within the SPADS project and other relevant projects in the intervention areas.
• Establish quality standards to guide DRC's work at the mission level by developing a strategy for effective implementation of the Economic Recovery technical and programmatic approach.
• Contribute to the development of SOPs related to operational activities under the Economic Recovery sub-sectors and the Graduation Approach implemented by DRC.
• Ensure technical linkages between Economic Recovery programs and other DRC sectors, particularly Protection and Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding (HDP).
• Explore funding opportunities and collaboration prospects with humanitarian partners, the private sector, and state institutions.
• Proactively propose and support needs assessments to guide project development tailored to actual needs.
• Monitor the humanitarian and Economic Recovery context in the Sahel and across the mission.
• Contribute to DRC's strategic objectives within their area of responsibility.
• Make key decisions regarding the operations and positioning of the Economic Recovery sub-sectors and the Graduation Approach, based on DRC policies and standards.

External Coordination and Representation

• Ensure DRC’s active participation in sectoral collaborations and technical platforms (relevant clusters and working groups in intervention areas and within social protection platforms).
• Actively contribute to food insecurity assessments and classifications by monitoring the FSA context in project areas.
• Promote the development of beneficial partnerships for projects with national and international NGOs, government services, and other institutions aligned with the country's strategy.

Other Responsibilities

• Communicate proactively with the Economic Recovery Coordinator on departmental issues.
• Advise other DRC sectoral experts on Economic Recovery sub-sectors in the intervention areas and at the coordination level.
• Establish tools and mechanisms to monitor the quality of implementation.

In addition to the above, the Economic Recovery Specialist may be asked to carry out other duties requested by management, but always in the scope of this job description.

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• At least 5 years of experience in Food Security and Economic Recovery within an international NGO.
• Proven technical skills in project management and technical support, project development, and implementation of the Graduation Approach.
• Strong knowledge of market systems, CVA (Cash and Voucher Assistance), VSLA (Village Savings and Loan Associations), and Livelihoods interventions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.).
• Experience working in volatile and insecure contexts.
• Experience in partnerships with national partners, government authorities, and UN agencies.
• Good contextual knowledge of Nigeria.
• Full proficiency in English and professional capacity to work in local language(s)