Livelihood Specialist

About Trickle Up

Founded in 1979, Trickle Up (TU) empowers people living in extreme poverty to take the first steps out of poverty, providing them with resources to build livelihoods for a better quality of life. TU partners with local agencies to serve marginalized groups including indigenous populations, scheduled castes and particularly vulnerable people within those groups such as women, single mothers, widows and people with disabilities. TU has a strong gender focus and 98% of participants are women.

TU's core capacities are rooted in the CGAP/Ford Foundation “Graduation Approach,” a proven global initiative that links elements of safety nets, microfinance and livelihoods in a carefully sequenced intervention. Graduation components include livelihood and household management training, regular household coaching, the use of cash transfers to jump-start or expand livelihood activities, savings group formation for financial inclusion and building social capital, and partnerships to increase access to information and public services.

TU leverages this expertise to equip large institutions to design and implement effective livelihood 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.

Trickle Up is headquartered in New York City, with regional offices in India, Guatemala and Burkina Faso. Seewww.trickleup.org for more information.

Position Overview

Trickle Up will hire two Livelihood Specialists, one to be based in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region and one in West Africa (WAF), both to be seconded to UNHCR. Each Livelihood Specialist will provide support to UNHCR livelihood staff in three countries in the region to achieve UNHCR’s Global Livelihood Standards and to increase the adoption of the Graduation Approach in the region. This is a one-year post that may be renewed for a second year.

Principal Functions:

The Livelihood Specialist will:

· Support the implementation of the UNHCR Global Livelihoods Strategy in three countries in the region, and advise field operations on the design and implementation of their country strategies;

· Support the completion of a livelihood needs assessment for displaced people and local populations;

· Ensure all livelihood projects comply with UNHCR Minimum Standards;

· Provide technical guidance to existing Graduation programs in the region; support the development and implementation of Graduation projects, and/or the strengthen existing livelihood projects using Graduation principles, Trickle Up and UNHCR best practices. and targeted training;

· Compile lessons learned and best practices to share with UNHCR, TU stakeholders and external audiences and ensure UNHCR monitoring and evaluation data is provided to Trickle Up.

Qualifications

Education requirements

· Bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in social sciences, international development, evaluation, business, or another related field

Experience requirements

· At least four (4) years of experience in international development, including experience in project management and/or capacity building for economic strengthening project(s);

· Experience and demonstrated interest in sustainable livelihoods, economic strengthening, and economic development for vulnerable populations (experience with refugees preferred); · Experience as a technical advisor to capacity building/training/reform programs;· Experience working in large-scale donor or host government-led capacity building programs. Experience with the UN preferred.

Knowledge and skills

· Strong, developed leadership ability;

· Effective as a team player;

· Excellent writing and speaking skills in English and French (WAF)/Arabic (MENA)

· Excellent ability in written and oral communications and presentation skills;

· Excellent training skills;

· Highly organized and analytical thinker;

· Self-starter with strong initiative;

· Proactive, creative problem-solver; and

· Flexible and productive under pressure.

Behavioral competencies

· Responsible, dedicated, independent worker.

· Proven ability to meet targets and deadlines.

· Good interpersonal and diplomacy skills.

· Cross-cultural sensitivity.

Other requirements

Position will be based in host country but position requires frequent travel to other countries in the region and occasional travel outside the region.

Salary and Benefits:

We offer a competitive salary and benefits for this full-time position. The successful applicant will join a dynamic, passionate, multicultural team deeply committed to the alleviation of extreme poverty. Trickle Up promotes a collegial, high-performing organizational culture in which staff communicate clearly and openly, and are reflective, innovative, and mutually accountable.

HOW TO APPLY:

To be considered, please click here, click the apply link at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions to upload your resume and cover letter. The resume must be one page. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until August 17, 2015. Early applications are encouraged. We are sorry we are unable to field phone calls related to this posting.

Trickle Up is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workforce and extend equal opportunity to all applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by law. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform essential job functions.