Position Title: Economic Recovery Assistant
Employer: Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
Employment: Full-Time | Contract
Place of Work: Sheraro, North Tigray Field Office - Ethiopia
Posted date: 3 months ago
Deadline: Submission date is over
Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly motivated Economic Recovery Assistant for our operations in Sheraro, North Tigray Field Office.
Overall purpose of the role
The Economic Recovery Assistant is a field-based position responsible for the direct implementation of economic recovery activities at the woreda and community levels. Working under the supervision of the Economic Recovery Team Leader, the Assistant ensures day-to-day project activities are delivered effectively, community engagement is maintained, and beneficiaries receive quality support. The role involves hands-on facilitation of livelihood interventions, farmer group and VSLA activities, training delivery, beneficiary verification, and field-level monitoring.
Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
Direct Field Implementation & Community Engagement
- Conduct beneficiary verification for goat and pullet distribution using criteria-based assessments to identify vulnerable households
- Facilitate the distribution of chickens, goats, and veterinary inputs to beneficiaries at woreda level
- Support the establishment and maintenance of demonstration plots and demonstration farms
- Assist in the installation and operation of solar irrigation pumps and train farmers on their use
- Organize and facilitate community mobilization sessions and awareness campaigns
- Conduct regular field visits to project sites to monitor implementation progress
- Collect real-time data using Kobo Collect and other digital data collection tools
- Support Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) surveys to track livestock usage, productivity, and livelihood impact
Farmer Groups & VSLA Implementation
- Facilitate the formation of Farmer Groups through community engagement and mobilization
- Establish Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).
- Conduct weekly or bi-weekly meetings with farmer groups and VSLAs to ensure active participation
- Train VSLA members on financial literacy, savings, credit management, and basic bookkeeping
- Monitor VSLA operations including savings collection, loan disbursement, and repayment tracking
- Support farmer groups in coordinated production activities and collective problem-solving
- Document group activities and maintain records of membership, savings, and loans
Training & Capacity Building
- Deliver training sessions to women on livestock management, including poultry and small ruminant management, feeding, breeding, and disease prevention
- Facilitate training for farmer families on crop production, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable farming practices
- Support Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) and lead farmers in cascading training to farmer families
- Organize and conduct field days at demonstration plots to promote peer-to-peer learning
- Use training manuals developed by the project to ensure standardized and quality training delivery
- Provide on-the-job coaching and mentoring to farmers and community members
- Identify training needs and gaps at the community level and report to the Team Leader
Market Linkages & Business Development Support
- Support community groups in developing simple business plans for income-generating activities
- Facilitate connections between farmer groups and agro-dealers for agricultural inputs and product sales
- Assist in organizing market linkage events and farmer-buyer meetings
- Support mature VSLA and farmer groups to transition and join cooperative
- Identify market opportunities for community products and services
- Monitor market prices and share information with farmer groups
Community Feedback & Accountability
- Operate and maintain Community Feedback & Response Mechanisms (CFRM) including suggestion boxes, hotlines, and community meetings
- Document and respond to community feedback, complaints, and suggestions
- Ensure beneficiary participation in decision-making processe
- Conduct community meetings to share project updates and gather input
- Report community concerns and feedback to the Team Leader promptly
Monitoring, Reporting & Documentation
- Maintain accurate records of all field activities, beneficiary lists, and distributions
- Collect and submit activity data through Kobo Collect on a regular basis
- Prepare weekly and monthly field activity reports for the Team Leader
- Document success stories, case studies, and lessons learned from the field
- Take photographs and collect beneficiary testimonials for reporting purposes
- Track progress against activity targets and alert the Team Leader of any delays or challenges
- Support the Team Leader in preparing progress reports and donor documentation
Coordination & Collaboration
- Coordinate with woreda-level government officials, Agricultural Extension Workers, and local authorities
- Participate in woreda-level coordination meetings and working groups
- Collaborate with Community Workers to ensure integrated service delivery
- Work closely with other DRC program staff including Protection, MEAL, and logistics teams
- Represent DRC professionally in community and woreda-level engagements
Experience and technical competencies:
- Minimum 1 year of experience for BA holder or 2 years of experince for diploma in agriculture, livelihood programming, or rural development
- Experience in community mobilization and working directly with farming communities
- Hands-on experience with farmer groups, VSLAs, or similar community-based organizations
- Experience in training delivery and facilitation
- Experience working in rural or remote areas
- Experience working in post-conflict or humanitarian contexts
- Practical knowledge of crop production and livestock management
- Understanding of VSLA methodology and group savings approaches
- Basic understanding of business development and income-generating activities
- Proficiency in using smartphones and tablets for data collection (Kobo Collect, ODK)
- Good organizational and time management skills
- Ability to maintain accurate records and documentation
- Basic computer skills (MS Word, Excel)
- Knowledge of climate-smart agriculture practices
- Understanding of gender-sensitive programming approaches
- Familiarity with participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools
- Experience with agricultural demonstration plot management
EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)
- Diploma or bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Agricultural Extension, Rural Development, Cooperative Studies, or related field
LANGUAGE: (indicate Fluency level)
- English (good communication in speaking and writting)
- Fluency in (written and spoken) and Tigrinya and Amharic
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:
Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
We offer
Contract length: 6 Months
Contract Type: National Contract
Band: I2 – Non- Management
Designation of Duty Station: Sheraro, Tigray
Start date: January 1, 2026
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National employees
