Livelihoods Specialist Full-Time

Organizational Context:

Trickle Up’s mission is to empower people living on less than $1.90 a day to build sustainable livelihoods for a better quality of life utilizing the Graduation Approach to livelihood development, a proven strategy that combines elements of social protection, livelihoods, and microfinance to move people out of poverty. With programs in India, Central America and West Africa, Trickle Up has established expertise in livelihoods for difficult-to-serve populations.

TU leverages this expertise by equipping large institutions to design and implement effective livelihoods programs for people living in extreme poverty, and its largest client is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Working in over 125 countries, UNHCR’s mandate is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees, displaced persons, and the stateless, and to seek lasting solutions to their plight. Together, TU and UNHCR have established the first-ever Graduation pilots working with displaced populations, including in urban areas.

Trickle Up will hire a Livelihoods Specialist to be seconded to and based in UNHCR’s Country Operation in Nampula, Mozambique. The post will provide support to UNHCR livelihoods staff in Mozambique to achieve UNHCR’s Economic Inclusion objectives and will lead the implementation of the Enhancing Self-Reliance in a Protracted Refugee Situation Graduation Pilot.  The objective of the project is to increase the self-reliance of refugee and host community households in and around Maratane Refugee Camp in Nampula Province. The project aims to eradicate extreme poverty through:

• Increased skills, knowledge, and access to services to support increased income;
• Increased access to markets and inclusion of refugees in national systems and services;
• Development of strategic partnerships and government capacity to scale up the Graduation model; and
• Generation and dissemination of evidence to inform policy and practice on graduation-based livelihoods programming and pathways out of extreme poverty.

The Livelihood Specialist will be supervised in close collaboration with the Senior Regional Livelihoods Officer, by the Head of Field Office in Nampula, and will receive administrative and technical support from Trickle Up’s Director of Technical Assistance and Program Manager. This position is grant-funded through August 31, 2019.

Principal Functions:

1. Support the implementation of the UNHCR Global Livelihoods Strategy and country-specific livelihoods strategy;
2. Support UNHCR Mozambique to implement livelihoods, and particularly the Graduation Approach intervention;
3. Ensure that livelihoods projects implemented by UNHCR Mozambique comply with UNHCR guidance note on economic inclusion and Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) to achieve better impact on people of concern;
4. Provide technical guidance to strengthen existing livelihoods projects using Graduation principles, through the utilization of Trickle Up and UNHCR best practices; and
5. Build capacity of UNHCR and partner staff on livelihoods and the Graduation Approach.

Qualifications

 Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Socio-Economic Development, Economics, Rural Development, or other related field and minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience; Master’s degree an advantage.

Experience

• At least 4 years’ international development experience, including in project management or capacity building for economic strengthening project(s);
• Sustainable livelihoods, economic strengthening, and economic development for vulnerable populations experience;
• Experience working with refugees, government, the private sector, development agencies;
• Experience as a technical advisor to capacity building/training programs;
• Practical knowledge of livelihoods in Mozambique preferred;
• Exposure to or involvement with the Graduation Approach is an asset;
• Experience with the UN is highly valued.

Knowledge and skills

• Proficient written and spoken Portuguese ability preferred; proficiency in written and spoken Spanish will be considered;
• Excellent English writing and speaking skills;
• Strong leadership skills;
• Advanced written and oral communications and presentation skills;
• Excellent training skills;
• Good interpersonal and diplomacy skills;
• Self-awareness and cross-cultural sensitivity.
• Knowledge and/or experience integrating gender in livelihoods interventions;

Behavioral competencies

• Highly organized, analytical thinker;
• Independent worker who also performs as an effective and trusted teammate;
• Dedicated self-starter who shows creative problem-solving abilities;
• Meets targets and deadlines;
• Demonstrates flexibility and productivity under pressure.

Compensation and Benefits

As this is a full-time position, we offer a competitive salary and complete benefits program, including housing allowance; comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental and vision coverage; and life and disability insurance.

This position is based in Mozambique and grant-funded through August 2019.