The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Job Overview:
The refinance project, implemented under the ERMS portfolio, aims to expand responsible and inclusive access to finance for refugees, displaced and affected communities (DACs), and vulnerable host community households. The project contributes to humanitarian recovery and resilience by strengthening financial capability, promoting women-led savings and credit structures, improving access to MSME finance, and operationalizing a Loan Guarantee Fund (LGF) linked to Financial Service Providers (FSPs).
The ERD Officer will provide technical support for community engagement and financial inclusive interventions within IRC’s ERMS Economic Recovery and Market Systems (ERMS): programming in Benishangul Gumuz Region. The role supports humanitarian recovery and early economic resilience by strengthening financial access for crisis-affected populations through:
Refugee- and IDP-inclusive financial products
Borrower readiness and financial literacy
Strengthening Women-led Savings and Credit Associations (WSCAs/VSLAs)
Effective use of partial credit guarantees as alternative collateral
The position bridges communities, local financial institutions, government counterparts, and IRC ERMS teams to ensure that financial services are gender-responsive, protection-sensitive, conflict-aware, and aligned with responsible finance principles and IRC safeguarding standards.
Major Responsibilities:
Project Implementation
Provide support on mapping, assessment, and identification of potential FSP and stakeholders in intervention areas.
Support on design, adaptation and implementation of refugee friendly loan products, including repayment schedules, documentation requirements, and underwriting criteria
Support with FSPs on LGF operational processes, eligibility criteria, reporting requirements, and consumer protection standards
Provide technical backstopping support host and refugee clients, branch staff and credit officers on inclusive lending to refugees and vulnerable groups
Support operationalization of partial credit guarantees (30–80%) as alternative collateral for refugees and vulnerable host community MSMEs
Contribute to LGF operating manuals, SOPs, guarantee agreements, and compliance tools in alignment with IRC and donor requirements
Support portfolio monitoring, credit risk tiring, and borrower readiness assessment tools
work closely with the Fund Management Unit (FMU), ERMS teams, and partners to ensure sound risk management and adaptive learning.
Lead technical support to Women-led Savings and Credit Associations (WSCAs) and VSLA-linked MSMEs
Strengthening governance, record keeping, savings discipline, and internal controls of savings groups
Support documentation of WSCA/VSLA performance as a proxy for bankability and creditworthiness
Support first level borrower screening and pipeline development in collaboration with RCC/CBO structures
Community engagement and strengthening partnership:
Follow up and provide technical support on community engagement implementation, and participation strategy throughout project implementation processes.
Established and strengthening stakeholders’ coordination, partnership and active participation on client’s selection, verification and registration processes in host and refugee’s context.
Facilitate meaningful participation of refugee and host community members across all phases of the project, including LGF rollout, WSCA formation, training, and loan cycles
Ensure community feedback and contextual analysis inform adaptation of implementation approaches
Promote transparency around eligibility criteria, loan processes, rights and responsibilities, and grievance mechanisms
Financial management and follow up:
Implement technical support to Women-led Savings and Credit Associations (WSCAs) and VSLA-linked MSMEs
Strengthening governance, record keeping, savings discipline, and internal controls of savings groups
Support documentation of WSCA/VSLA performance as a proxy for bankability and creditworthiness
Support first level borrower screening and pipeline development in collaboration with RCC/CBO structures
Support preparation of clients master list and payment sheet and documentation of financial records.
Supply chain
Control IRC supplies and assets and report to filed office regarding any misuse, theft, or damage to IRC properties as soon as possible.
In collaboration with the supply chain team and project manager, ensure planned and equitable allocation of IRC resources (facilities, equipment, vehicles) is in place.
Closely working with project manager and supply chain team to facilitate loan grant transfer to clients by timely preparing of payment sheet.
Closely monitor project team for timely distribution of items and service to clients.
Representation and Coordination:
Represent IRC at zonal, woreda, kebele and Camp levels on monthly coordination meeting, beneficiaries’ identification, targeting, verification and community engagement processes.
Working closely with government stakeholders, financial service providers and private sectors on financial inclusion and community engagement areas.
Make ensure that the interventions are coordinated with other actors in the operation area with no duplication of effort.
Project monitoring and Reporting
Compile and prepare monthly, quarterly and annual report and submit it to Project manager as per Organization standard reporting template.
Contribute to ERMS and MEAL systems related to community engagement and financial inclusion, livelihoods recovery, and resilience outcomes
Analyze repayment trends, borrower performance, and financial capability indicators
Provide timely narrative and technical inputs to internal reports
Participate in quarterly reviews, learning events, and adaptive program management processes
Safeguarding Responsibilities: -
Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.
Job Requirements:
Educational Requirements:
Participate in quarterly reviews, learning events, and adaptive program management processes
Preferred Work experience & skills
At least 2 years of work experience for first degree and 5 years of work experience for Diploma in financial inclusion, MSME finance, microfinance, or livelihoods/market systems programming
Demonstrated experience working with banks, MFIs, credit guarantee schemes, or savings groups
Experience in humanitarian, refugee, IDP, or fragile/conflict-affected settings strongly preferred
Proven experience in financial literacy and borrower readiness training
NGO experience is a plus.
Project management experience
Proposal and report writing skills.
Effective communication internally and externally towards government, NGOs, donors and financial service providers etc...
Leadership capacity in management of field teams: Team building, ability to develop a common vision, maintain morale and acceptable behavior at base level.
Language Skills:
Proficient spoken and written English and Knowledge of local languages spoken in Assosa/BGRS is an advantage.
Disclaimer: - Please note that IRC will never request applicants or candidates to make any form of payment at any stage of the recruitment process.
IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.
IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
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