Re-advertized) ERD Manager (National Only

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

Main Purpose of the Job:

The ERD Manager will provide overall support, guidance, and leadership in the implementation of field activities aimed at enhancing the economic well-being and livelihoods of rural and urban communities in the target province of Afghanistan. The primary responsibilities include working collaboratively with local actors such as partners, private sectors, business communities, and youth groups at the field level. The ERD Manager is tasked with expanding the scope, impact, and quality of livelihood programs for returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) while ensuring these initiatives do not undermine the livelihood strategies of the host population.

Key Responsibilities:

- - Collaborate with local partners, private sectors, business communities, and youth groups to enhance the economic well-being of communities. - Work closely with community leaders, CDC (Community Development Committee) shura members, and advocate for returnees' access to land. - Address protection threats faced by beneficiaries and ensured the security of livelihoods for returnees and IDPs and their families. - Collaborate with ERD Technical Specialist and ERD Coordinator to ensure program quality. - Participate in the development of new ERD projects that align with identified economic opportunities, protection, women's empowerment, food security, vocational training centers, and economic outcomes. - Collaborate with staff from other sectors to ensure a holistic approach, linking economic opportunities with protection, women's empowerment, and food security initiatives. - Play a key role in providing leadership and support to field teams to ensure the successful implementation of livelihoods programming. - Engage with community leaders, CDCs, and relevant stakeholders to create partnerships and foster positive relationships for program success. - Provide technical expertise in the implementation of the livelihoods program, including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting components. - Support the design of monitoring tools for livelihood projects and establish community engagement and accountability systems. - Review and contribute to post-distribution monitoring tools. - Draft and submit donor narrative reports to ERD Program Coordinator/Head of Livelihoods. - Support data collection, design case studies, and success stories. - Conduct regular process monitoring missions in implementation provinces. - Develop detailed work plans for core livelihoods center services, establishing clear targets and performance indicators for staff. - Provide effective technical support for the implementation of active livelihood grants. - Contribute to the design of operations manuals and tools, including standard operating procedures, terms of references, and project databases. - Conduct training and orientation for project teams. - Design community mobilization strategies and approaches. - Map and select livelihood beneficiaries. - Develop market-oriented economic activities for project beneficiaries. - Lead assessments and selection of Financial Service Providers. - Oversee procurements and administrative works associated with the livelihoods program. - Ensure smooth and timely implementation of core center activities, including client intake, registration, procurement, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and client payments. - Support the integration of livelihood center services, including vocational and on-the-job training, micro-enterprise support, and legal and job placement services. - Collaborate with the Program Coordinator to develop or review tools, processes, guidance, and support materials. - Lead assessments and shape new project proposals. - Represent IRC at external meetings or forums at the provincial level. - Support the coordination with technical teams for appropriate payment processes and modalities. - Prepare and support donor and internal reporting. - Develop and oversee the yearly implementation plans, manage project budgets, and propose necessary budget realignments. - Collaborate with Finance Manager, Logistics Manager, and finance and logistics staff to ensure well-scheduled budgets and procurement plans. - Work closely with rural and urban communities, conducting focus group meetings to identify beneficiaries and ensure community consent. - Assess beneficiary needs and support the design and implementation of responsive interventions. - Link and integrate trained apprentices and farmers into the local market. - Promote gender equality mainstreaming in program strategies. - Establish and maintain strong relationships with relevant government departments and committees. - Promote community development committees, local resilience committees, and Food Security Clusters for effective management and sustainability. - Design and conduct student learning achievement tests, evaluations, and case studies to identify best practices and lessons learned. - Coordinate with technical specialists and advisors to share best practices and attend relevant trainings. - Provide leadership to the project team, ensuring clarity on plans and priorities. - Foster effective teamwork and collaboration with other sectors and the overall project team for large-scale projects. - Abide by IRC policies. - Perform any other job-related duties assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in development studies, Agriculture, Business Development, Social Science, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience will be considered. - Demonstrated 4 up to 5 years of experience in managing or leading economic well-being programs, such as Cash Programming, Livelihood, Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Business Grants, Economic Recovery, and Market Systems (ERMS). - Proven ability to deliver effective and timely program outputs. - Highly developed skills in budget monitoring and management. - Strong commitment to supporting and developing the capacity of national staff. - Demonstrated ability to develop a second layer of leadership. - Proven management ability and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative and team-oriented approach. - Strong problem-solving skills and effective leadership qualities. - Proficiency in common computer software, including word processing and spreadsheets. - Ability to deal with challenging and often frustrating work situations. - Skill in managing conflicting priorities within personal workload. - Familiarity with exit strategies and sustainability issues in development programs. - Previous experience dealing with protection issues associated with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugee populations. - Demonstrated ability to work well under pressure and in dynamic environments. - Excellent communication and negotiation skills. - High ethical standards and integrity. - Certification or training in relevant areas. - Familiarity with international humanitarian standards and principles. - Language proficiency relevant to the project area.