Director, Economic Inclusion

HIAS seeks a Director, Economic Inclusion to oversee programs that ensure forcibly displaced people can secure and enjoy rights to work, self-reliance and a decent standard of living. S/he will lead efforts to integrate best practices and show impact across countries of operation, with a primary focus on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and regular support to other urban livelihoods programming, as needed.

In particular, the Director will build on HIAS’ excellent reputation piloting the Graduation Model in Ecuador to cement HIAS’ role as the leading livelihoods and economic inclusion partner responding to the Venezuela Situation across the region. In all locations, the Director ensures that programs are evidence-based, results-oriented, and fully accountable to a diversity of affected populations. The position will be a conduit for translating global standards and change initiatives to the field. Reporting to the Associate VP, Program Planning and Management, and working very closely Regional Directors, Country Directors, livelihoods field staff, and other key staff and partners, the Director provides technical assistance and builds the capacity of HIAS clients, staff, and partners. S/he will be responsible for ensuring systems are in place to monitor economic inclusion programs, develop innovative program proposals, and build HIAS’ global profile in the sector. This position can be based remotely (preferably Latin America).

Duties:

• Develops, implements and monitors evidence-based economic inclusion programs in line with HIAS’ refugee rights impact framework.
• Provides technical assistance to globally-based field staff on programs that promote the economic inclusion of refugees and other forcibly displaced populations, reducing poverty and negative coping mechanisms, with a focus on savings and loans, business plan development, vocational skills training, seed funding and recertification.
• Ensures programs adopt an inclusive approach targeting forcibly displaced populations (asylum seekers, refugees, internally displaced and other vulnerable non-nationals) and nationals, and considers the diverse set of existing skills, assets and experiences of program participants.
• Designs and supports the implementation of employer outreach strategies and engagement with corporate social responsibility partners.
• Ensures that programming reflects needs and protection priorities.
• Designs and coordinates market assessments, feasibility studies and other tools to support evidence-based programs.
• Provides capacity building and training to HIAS’ field-based staff engaged in implementing economic inclusion programs, including through the development of Community of Practice support and development of training materials.
• Designs and supports the set-up of self-reliance initiatives in emergency contexts, including cash-based interventions, with an understanding of gender and broader protection implications.
• Regularly monitors and reports on economic inclusion programming, identifying capacity gaps and designing appropriate interventions.
• Works with M&E and communications staff to communicate the impact of regional economic inclusion programming, including to key donors and partners.
• Supports the application of international standards and guidance for economic inclusion across all HIAS operations.
• Contributes to HIAS’ advocacy to ensure public policy and legal frameworks that permit refugees the right work and access to markets and assets in host countries (including access to credit and markets, education and certification).
• Supports HIAS to meaningfully engage in economic inclusion and self-reliance, contributing to global dialogue, learning and advocacy.
• Identifies new donors to HIAS and develop high-quality proposals in the refugee economic inclusion and self-reliance sectors.                                             

Requirements:

• Graduate degree in a relevant field.
• Fluency (oral and written) in Spanish and English required; Fluency in French strongly desired.
• A minimum of five years designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating economic inclusion programs in a refugee, forced displacement, or humanitarian context.
• A minimum of five years of field-based experience, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean; experience designing and implementing economic inclusion programs in an emergency context, including cash-based interventions, with expertise in gender and other protection implications.
• Successful experience designing and implementing innovative economic inclusion programming, including in areas of income generation, group savings and loans, vocational skills training, seed funding, employer outreach and engagement with corporate social responsibility partners.
• Collaborative, flexible team player with the ability to think creatively, logically and critically about solutions to gaps in economic inclusion programming.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, including the ability to regularly communicate with, motivate and support field-based staff as well as effectively communicate key program achievements and operational challenges
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills required
• Ability to travel up to up to 25%.