Catholic Relief Services Senior Economic Strengthening Officer Job Vacancy in Kigali, Rwanda

Catholic Relief Services is seeking strong
candidates for The Senior Economic Strengthening Officer position who
will be responsible for monitoring SILC (Savings and Internal Lending
Communities) activities in the different CRS Rwanda projects to
increase household incomes of projects beneficiaries. S/he will be
facilitating SILC group members who have opportunities to generate revenue to
access to savings and credit services managed by themselves.

The successful candidate must have Knowledge,
skills, abilities and qualifications as described in job description
below:

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:
Senior Economic Strengthening Officer

Location:
Kigali

Reports To:
Senior Economic Strengthening Team Leader

Category:
VI-1

Background:

CRS/Rwanda is a sub-grantee to the Education
Development Center (EDC) for a four year youth livelihoods project,
and is responsible for promoting savings group development and basic business
trainings for 4,000 youth to overcome the challenges associated with
accessing microfinance services in Rwanda and to equip them with the
necessary skills to expand their small businesses. After the second year of
implementation it was observed that the project methodology could be extended
to rural areas for a significant impact on rural youth.1500 youth are
targeted in 5 districts.

The USAID/Ibyiringiro Project, funded
through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR), aims to ensure that high quality, sustainable, comprehensive
services are improved for People Living with HIV (PLWHA) and Orphans and
Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Rwanda. The Project is led by Catholic Relief
Services Rwanda and is implemented by a consortium of Local and International
NGOs among which are: Caritas, World Vision, AFRICARE and EGPAF.

Currently CRS implement also the Coffee Project
(GMCR) supported by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and the Sweet Potato
Project (SASHA) through CIP.

In the micro-finance sector, CRS Rwanda has put
in place since 2005 and integrated SILC (Saving and Internal Lending
Communities) program. SILC activities are executed through the
integration in different CRS projects of IBYIRINGIRO, GMCR, AKAZI KANOZE and
PSP (Private Service Providers).

The Senior Economic Strengthening Officer will
be responsible for monitoring SILC activities in the different CRS Rwanda
projects to increase household incomes of projects beneficiaries by
facilitating SILC members who have opportunities to generate revenue to
access to savings and credit services managed by themselves.

Specific responsibilities:

Monitor SILC activities in CRS Projects

Follow the SILC activities among different
CRS project, at partner level
Collect and consolidate the SILC project
reports
Organize and participate in planning meeting
with implementing partners

Training and Capacity building

In collaboration with the Senior Economic
Strengthening Team Leader:

Prepare training modules, guides and
training SILC approach tools
Organize the Training of Trainers
related to SILC
Provide technical support to partner
staff in the training of field agents who are managing SILC
groups
Facilitate learning network among the
participating SILC groups through study tours

Monitoring – evaluation

In collaboration with the Senior Economic
Strengthening Team Leader:

Contribute to the development of a SILC
monitoring and evaluation system and the design of appropriate
tools to collect data on impact of SILC approach within SILC
groups;
Provide technical support field visits to
monitor, evaluate and enhance the

implementation of the SILC methodology ;
determine project impact indicators in relation to Savings and Credit for the
designing and updating the database of the various projects where
SILC is integrated.

Make operational research activities and
various studies and evaluations to assess the SILC impact different
projects.
Make follow-up SILC visits to partners.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Economic Strengthening team; Head of
Programs; Project Managers;

External: Partner SILC staff, consortium members
of Ibyiringiro project, District/Sector authorities, technical staff at
Ministries level and Institutions working in Micro-finance sector.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

Professional maturity and high integrity
Ability in knowledge transfer to different
people through training, coaching, and other formal and informal
methods;
Familiar with adult learning
principles/techniques, and a demonstrated ability to develop and
facilitate adult learning opportunities;
Excellent skills in verbal and written
communication, inter personal and organizational, even at community
levels.
Demonstrated ability to work in and with
community groups
Demonstrated ability to work in teams, to
engage and motivate staff in areas that present challenges;
Be able to work effectively under pressure
and to organize and establish priorities in within activities with
great importance and urgent;
Strong leadership skills;
Able to communicate and collaborate
well with collaborating organizations and community leaders;
Excellent skills of qualitative and
quantitative analysis;
Humility, initiative, and honesty
Ability to communicate effectively with
Government technical staff and local partners;
Excellent writing and analysis skills;
Computer skills (Word, Excel, power point
etc..)

Qualifications and Personal/Professional Skills:

Bachelors Degree in Rural Development
/Management or other related field;
Good knowledge and experience in
microfinance and cooperative management, knowledge in project
management and planning, are required
At least five years of progressive
responsibility in supporting community development
Knowledge of Monitoring & Evaluation
Experience in organization and facilitation
of workshops

Physical Requirements/Environment

Based in Kigali, with frequent travel to the
field at least 50% of the time to visit project partners, and project
participants

This job description is not an exhaustive list of
the skills, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

How to Apply :

Candidates fulfilling required conditions must
carefully read the detailed job description below and apply on line. Only
electronic applications-including a motivation letter and a current detailed CV
should be addressed to the CRS Country Representative exclusively atCRS_RW@global.crs.org and
copy marienoelle.senyana@crs.org on or
before Friday January 04, 2012 at 1:00 pm. Due to
anticipated interest in this post, only short-listed candidates will be
contacted.

Kigali December 21, 2012

LeAnn C HAGER

Country Representative