Economic Recovery and Development Officer

Requisition ID: req6518

Job Title: Economic Recovery and Development Officer

Sector: Economic Recovery & Livelihood

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Buea, Cameroon

Job Description

Context

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC started operations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram, in the Far North of the country.  Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering lifesaving programming to increase access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerable displaced and host communities, cash programming to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programming, including meeting specific needs of women and girls.  The Coordination office is located in Maroua, with a field base in Kousseri and a representation office in Yaounde.

Following the increasing crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, the IRC expanded its operations into the South West region in August 2018. The IRC is delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, with a field base in Buea.

IRC Cameroon is committed in its 2020 Strategic Action Plan, to continue to provide essential humanitarian services, with a focus on safety in communities and ensuring affected populations can meet their basic needs, whilst also building the resilience of beneficiaries, especially women and girls. IRC Cameroon is funded by European and American donors

The Economic Recovery Development officer position is fundamental in the implementation of the food and non -food voucher programs, and livelihood activities in the IRC interventions sites in the South West. The ERD Officer will spendmost of his /her time on the field ; identifying target communities, establishing relationships with community authorities, overseeing the implementation of field activities such as community mobilization, the identification of potential beneficiaries, the selection of beneficiaries using a participatory approach, the distribution of vouchers, the supervision of voucher redemption activities, the identification of merchants, the management of complaints and the support of beneficiary households on the proper management of their resources, supervise the activities of community mobilizers, train facilitators and provide them with any other necessary support.

Objectives

• Establish and maintain transparency in the process of implementing activities and build a functional relationship with the target community,
• Ensure daily activities on the field are according to the IRC 's standards,
• Ensure the success of the distribution process and voucher redemption
• Act as mediator between beneficiaries, implementation partners and IRC,
• Produce quality activity reports
• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, promote team spirit, and provide oversight and direction to enable supervisors effectively perform their duties.

Qualifications

• Degree in Economics, International Development, Sociology / Psychology, Agronomy or Nutrition, or relevant significant and equivalent professional experience
• Minimum 1-2 years of experience in implementing NGO-initiated activities with good emergency background in community development projects
• Excellent understanding of the process of beneficiary identification, selection and registration with community involvement
• Aptitudes in the development of business plans and their implementation
• Able to be multitasking
• Have excellent computer skills: Word, Excel, Power Point and MS Outlook.
  
• Have a sense of organization and a strong ability to work under pressure
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and team spirit
• To be able to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Have the ability to work efficiently and effectively in a timely manner.
• Have a mastery of projects and the coordination of staff working under his/her department.
• Have excellent planning and communication skills.
• Proficiency in French and some local languages, cultures and traditions (Arabic choa, kanouri and kotoko)
• Ability to speak English and Pidgin fluently