Background/IRC Summary:  The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC has been working in Pakistan for over 30 years, and manages and delivers large, complex programs to meet the needs in health, education, protection, environmental health and livelihoods for displaced, poor and disaster affected communities. IRC works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations and currently works in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh provinces.

Job Overview/Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a dynamic and self-motivated individual for the position of Women Enterprise Development Manager for a five-year USAID-funded Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Project in selected districts of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Newley Merged Districts. The project focusses on implementing interventions to achieve the intended results of “Increased incomes for women-owned micro-businesses and women workers”, and “Expanded women’s economic, social participation, including their roles as peace builders in local communities”. These interventions will stimulate women’s economic and social empowerment and prepare foundation for integrating interventions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV).

This Women Enterprise Development Manager will be responsible for the technical backstopping of the implementing partner(s) on business and life skills training of women entrepreneurs, development of business plan, and establishing the women micro business by following up on day to day women enterprise development activities, s/he will also contribute in conducting value chain analysis and develop strategy to strengthen the existing value chain. The successful candidate, in close collaboration with the project team of the consortium partners, and implementing partners will conduct market diagnosis, identify constraints, design and facilitate development of the enterprise market systems that aim at enhancing the start-up and growth of women enterprises. S/he will act as liaison with ministry of industries, chamber of commerce and women entrepreneurs.

Major Responsibilities:

• Conduct value chain assessment and enterprise market system assessment to identify constraints and opportunities for livelihoods improvement of women in KP including Newly Merged Districts (NMDs)’s
• Develop the interventions, result framework and document learning for enterprise market system that empower women.
• Support consortium and Implementing partners in establishing Women Entrepreneurship Hub (WEH), Business development service provider (BDSP’s) and strengthening of existing value chains
• Coordinate enterprise development activities including business development, promotion of local businesses led by women entrepreneurs, innovation, and inclusion of micro-finance.
• Research and build business model and technical capacity of selected service providers including business development service providers that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of market functions
• Contribute to the project team’s work on timely and effective management and implementation of the women enterprise development activities
• Identify donors, private sector and Government needs for future funding and develop partnerships in coordination with the project team, the Senior Skills Development Manager, Skills Development Manager and the Project Managers;
• Contribute to the preparation of high-quality progress reports, updates and communication products for the IRC management, Government counterparts and donors.
• Analyze existing markets and potential for business development through literature review, stakeholder meetings and field visits to the project targeted districts;
• Promote the concept of innovation in businesses and support innovative entrepreneurs by identifying and organizing appropriate skills training for women;
• Liaise with relevant actors for the financial inclusion of client, linking them with micro-finance institutions and training as relevant;
• Responsible for smooth implementation of the activities and for providing the required relevant information to the monitoring unit for the effective compilation of results;
• Ensures effective and timely coordination with stakeholders and project partners to ensure smooth implementation of project activities.
• Develop partnership plan to establish parentship with leading private sector companies and firms. Identify potential funding under corporate responsibility to establish private sector in newly merged districts and neighboring districts.
• Contribute to timely communication and outreach, in close coordination with the Communications Officer, through social media, success stories, blogs and press releases;
• Perform other related duties as assigned and modified at supervisor’s discretion.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Technical Specialist Business Development, Senior Skills Development Manager (Technical reporting)

Position directly supervises:  N/A

e Sector heads, Consortium and Implementing Partners and Govt counterparts

Job Requirements:

a)      Education:

·         Master’s degree in social sciences, Master’s in business administration, International Program Development or relevant disciplines

b)      Work Experience:

·         At least 05 years of work experience in Women related enterprise development projects preferably with International NGOs/UN.

c)       Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

·         Considerable knowledge of sound enterprise business policies, procedures including range of business support services such as business, financing

·         Understanding of range of enterprise business opportunities supporting business start-ups and business expansions

·         Demonstrable ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional grace

·         Top-tier written and verbal communication skills

·         Excellent management, interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context

·         Ability to demonstrate a supportive and consultative approach with direct reports and staff at senior and junior levels

·         Very strong proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint is required

·         Ability to plan, multi-task and manage time effectively

Language Skills:  Have fluent spoken and written Urdu and English

Others:  

·   Willingness to travel to field sites under demanding conditions.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Adult Safeguarding, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.
• IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge s/he needs to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Level of interaction with children (Under 18): Frequent direct contact with children especially adolescent girls (15-18 years old)
• IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, accountability to people in affected communities and must have competencies to solicits and listens to feedback and other’s perspectives, responds to feedback with maturity and sensitivity and takes appropriate decisions and makes changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.
• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women candidates and persons with disability are highly encouraged to apply.