Microfinance Practice: [MFP] recruiting African Economic Empowerment Director

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Associate Director of African Regional Economic Empowerment

Founded in 1993, Women for Women International (WfWI) is an INGO headquartered in Washington, DC and operating in eight countries around the world with a mission to provide women victims of war and other conflicts with tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty into stability and self sufficiency.

The Women for Women International (WfWI) Africa Regional Office oversees Country Office programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan. Women for Women International has an immediate opportunity for an experienced Associate Director of Africal Regional Economic Empowerment. This position will be based out of the Africa Regional Office located in Nairobi, Kenya with 40% travel to the Country Offices.

The Associate Director of Africal Regional Economic Empowerment guides implementation of Women for Women International’s economic programming in the four countries of Africa; and is the primary point of contact between WfWI’s Country Offices, Regional Office, and Headquarters Office for all issues related to the organization’s economic empowerment initiatives. S/he has overall responsibility for inspiring innovation, ensuring quality, and encouraging learning on all areas related to economic empowerment not limited to: market based approaches, savings and loans, financial inclusion and literacy, vocational training, business and numeracy training, and and entrepreneurship.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Economic Empowerment Program oversight:

Serve as the primary support, technical assistance, and monitoring point of contact for economic empowerment units in Country Offices
Carry out regular monitoring and technical assistance visits to Country Offices to support the effective implementation of their economic development programming
Advise Country Offices in the development of annual operational plans

· Provide strategic advice to regional and senior management to guide policy, planning and on-ground programmes delivery

Quality of Economic Empowerment Program:

Provide substantive advice to help ensure the quality of economic empowerment programming in the Country Offices
Review and analyze global and country-specific outcome indicator data, and other evaluation reports related to economic development programming
Monitor adherence to program guidelines

Capacity Building and Staff Development:

Provide direct formal or informal training to Country Office staff, including to trainers, especially on training content, delivery and quality as well as on operational tasks
Provide direct hands-on operational support in the field to the IG Managers and teams to assure quality of program implementation
Link each office with local, regional, and international training development resources

Program Design:

Contribute to the development and stimkulation of innovation of new economic empowerment initiatives
Provide substantive contributions to refinement of existing economic development activities
Contribute to the development of new initiatives that complement main income generation program services, to include linkages to financial service providers, private sector opportunities, or markets
Offer technical contribution for grant proposals, new project concepts and reports as needed
Maintain up to date knowledge of international developments, best practices, and innovations in entrepreneurship, economic skills training, business development, financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, etc.

Leadership and partnership:

· Provide leadership for field economic teams undertaking regional initiatives

· Engage in establishment and cultivation of relationships with economic teams and relevant stakeholders in the region to include other NGOs, regional trade initiatves, private sector, etc

· Work with Country Offices’ teams to identify opportunities across various value chains leading to improved efficiency, performance and resilience of women participants

Communication & Teamwork:

· Regular communications with Country Offices, Regional office and Headquarters

· Coordination with other departments, including Sponsorship, Grant Management and Monitoring and Evaluation as well as the other Regional Offices

· Represent the organization as needed at conferences and other speaking engagements

Required Skills & Qualifications:

Minimum Master’s degree, in international development, economics or related field;
Minimum eight (8) years of relevant work experience in international development, with emphasis on grassroots development, of which at least 5 years must be at managerial level (prior experience at a Regional role highly desirable);
Minimum four years work experience in conflict impacted countries;
Working experience in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan and across Africa preferably at a regional level with oversight to multiple country offices;
Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to support a large, complex, ethnically mixed team of people through a participatory and enabling management style;
Successful at establishing internal and external relationships, building trust, and inspiring;
Very strong skills for, and experience with, staff development and capacity building in development management and field implementation of programs;
Analytical ability and experience with creating project implementation plans and guiding their completion as well as budgeting;
Demonstrated capacity to serve as a coach or mentor of individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds;
Demonstrated knowledge of relevant social development issues such as women’s rights and empowerment, gender and conflict;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; working knowledge of French and Kiswahili required. Knowledge of other local languages would be an advantage;
Good judgment skills, positive attitude to work, demonstrates initiative and problem solving skills;
Commitment and respect for Women for Women International’s mission and values;
Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel, internet, email applications.

Application Instructions: All interested candidates should submit an updated CV, cover letter and 3 professional references to the WfWI Career page: http://www.womenforwomen.org/about-women-for-women/careers.php latest by May 23, 2014. Due to urgency of the recruitments, applications will be

Shortlisted on a regular basis and we may offer the positions before the closing date.

Women for Women International provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Kassie McIlvaine

Regional Director, Africa

+ 254 721 392222

Skype: Kassie.mcilvaine

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Women for Women International

www.womenforwomen.org
http://www.facebook.com/womenforwomen

ONE WOMAN CAN CHANGE ANYTHING.

MANY WOMEN CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING.

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