Economic Recovery & Markets (ERMs) Manager – Amman , Jordan

General Description of the Programme:

GOAL has been working in Syria since 2013, responding to the acute needs of conflict-affected communities. GOAL is working in Idleb Governate, both through direct implementation and through partners, delivering food, non-food programming to highly vulnerable populations, and provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) through support to Water units, as well as emergency support to recently displaced households.

GOAL has been working in North Aleppo Governate since 2019, through direct implementation and through partners, delivering food, non-food programming to highly vulnerable populations, as well as emergency support for recently displaced household.

Job purpose:

Reporting to the Economic Recovery & Market Coordinator, the Economic Recovery & Market Manager will ensure successful implementation of all Economic Recovery & Market activities, this includes ensuring efficient distribution of cash grants and provision of technical assistance to vendors in markets in NWS, ensuring implementation of and technical support to graduation approach activities and design market system surveys, analyze data, and improve market-based humanitarian responses. The ERMs Manager will be responsible for the support to design/strategy and planning, implementation and reporting, and staff supervision and coordination of ERMs activities focusing on livelihoods including SME, graduation approach and market activities. The ERMs Manager will be responsible for ensuring all livelihoods and market activities are implemented in line with GOAL guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) etc. The ERMs Manager will be responsible for the direct line management of the Senior SME Officer, based in Turkey.

Duties, objectives and competencies

Programme Design and Strategy

• In coordination with the ERMs Coordinator, contribute to the design and implementation of all the SME activities including vendors application selection, cash grants distribution, and provision of business topics technical assistance and Implementing GA activities, including financial inclusion, market linkages and apprenticeship, and social support, technical vocational training.
• In coordination with the ERMs Coordinator contribute to the development of the SME and market programmes strategy designed specifically for the Syrian context.
• Contribute to the development of concept notes and proposals for GOAL and partners destined for submission to donors.
• Contribute to the development and review of all Guidelines and SOPs pertaining to ERMs activities.
• Track progress for SME and GA activities against weekly, monthly, and annual plans. Identify gaps and systematically develop processes to gather data, analyse options, and propose evidence-based solutions to ensure timely and effective implementation of activities.
• Work closely with the ERMs Coordinator to design market system surveys, collect and analyze data, and provide recommendations for improving market-based humanitarian responses, identifying market gaps, conducting supply and demand assessments, and ensuring that the interventions are aligned with the needs of vulnerable people.
• Work closely with the ERMs field manager and provide technical support for the SME, graduation approach, and market activities implementation and design.
• In collaboration with the ERMs Coordinator, adapt the ERMs strategy and way forward for the new department.

Programme Management and Implementation

• Manage the implementation of livelihoods programming across multiple sites, ensuring programs achieve their objectives within the allotted time and budget and to quality.
• Directly line manage the ERMs Senior Officer and in coordination with the ERMs Coordinator provide support to the ERMs teams in Syria.
• Coordinates Market Functionality Assessments roll-out in markets in NWS.
• Review and support the creation of business topics curricula and training materials produced by the ERMs Senior Officer and used by the field teams.
• Review all data related to ERMs activities such as baseline surveys and applications scoring (on Excel or PowerBI) produced by the ERMs Senior Officer.
• Contribute to developing and implementing The Self-Reliance Index (SRI) tool to measure individuals progress and self-sufficiency within the livelihoods programming, ensuring accurate data collection and analysis.
• Support the field team in data collection for pre and post-tests within the livelihoods programming, ensuring accurate data collection, analysis, and utilization to assess the effectiveness and impact of the GA interventions on beneficiaries’ progress and self-sufficiency.
• Design and implement programs to support the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, including training, mentorship, and access to capital, and VSLA.
• Assess the appropriateness of different programming options and ensure implementation modalities best respond to the needs and context.
• Work with beneficiaries, vendors, finance, and operations teams to identify optimal assistance in terms of transfer amounts and payment mechanisms for livelihoods programming.
• Work alongside the ERMs Coordinator to develop the country sector strategic direction and plans, including expanding economic programming based on the needs of target populations in NWS.
• Input ERMs implementation updates in reports for donors, HQ, and clusters.
• Liaise and ensure frequent communication with ERMs Syria teams and follow-up of ERMs field activities to be reported to the ERMs Coordinator.
• Support the ERMs Coordinator with tracking SME and market programme expenses/cash transfers to support budget management.
• Work with program teams across the GOAL Syria to integrate market systems development into programming and ensure that investments align with market development priorities.
• Support the market team in coordinating market functionality assessments and analyzing market data to inform program design and implementation.
• Provide guidance and support to the market team in the creation of business topics, curricula and training materials to strengthen market systems.
• Review all data related to market system development activities to ensure that the team is achieving its objectives and that investments are being made effectively.
• Produce regular reports on market functionality and performance, including assessments of supply and demand, price trends, and other key indicators.
• Continually seek out new opportunities to strengthen market systems and enhance the impact of the organization’s programs.
• Other related tasks at the request of the ERMs Coordinator.

Programme Quality and Compliance

• In close coordination with the ERMs Coordinator and the MEL department, contribute into quarterly and annual reviews of learnings gleaned through programme data and reports and MEL mechanisms.
• Contribute to the development of ‘Terms of References’ (TORs) for all Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) Activities and programme evaluations for GOAL’s ERMs programming and support the review of all TPM reports and evaluations.
• Contribute to the development of all monitoring tools, particularly livelihoods baseline, endline, and impact assessment tools.
• Ensure all ERMs activities are implemented in line with GOAL’s Guidelines and SOPs.
• Implement an activity monitoring process and share findings with ERMs Coordinator for dissemination to donors and coordination forums.
• Support SME senior officer to maintain files and archives of ERMs Support programme documentation,
• Assist the ERMs Coordinator to ensure the GESI and safeguarding are integrated into programme design and implementation. Have a commitment to beneficiary accountability & humanitarian principles and GOAL’s Code of Conduct and Child Protection Policy.

Coordination

• Support the coordination activities with humanitarian actors, the Early Recovery and Livelihoods Cluster in Gaziantep to coordinate GOAL planned activities and avoid potential overlapping. Responsible to track and maintain records of humanitarian needs in GOAL areas of operation.
• Represent GOAL ERMs programme in coordination and technical forums/Cluster/Working Groups as requested.
• Responsible for contributing to and/or submitting 4Ws report to the ERL Cluster.
• Liaise with other departments including finance/administration, compliance, and human resource departments to ensure adequate support for all project activities.
• Ensure information is circulated to the field teams appropriately.

Staff Capacity Building

• Quality assurance for the training provided to SME and market Syria-based team on business topics such as Marketing, Record-Keeping, and Business strategies.
• Ensure capacity building plans for all ERMs staff are being followed and implemented.
• Provide ERMs staff with needed support, training, and direction.

Requirements (essential)

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Management Sciences, or any relevant field.
• At least 4 years working experience in Livelihoods/Economic Recovery programming including Graduation Approach & SMEs, or Market-based programming, or business-related private sector, or entrepreneurship.
• At least 2 years working experience in programme management or coordination position.
• Experience working on/in GOAL’s target areas in Idlib and Aleppo governorates and understanding of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
• Experience of data analysis and experience in report writing.
• Detail oriented and strong clerical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact well with people of all backgrounds.
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Fluent Arabic speaker with excellent Arabic written skills.
• Good written and spoken English skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel to the field in Syria, sometimes under difficult and insecure circumstances and stay overnight in programme areas.
• Experience with 4Ws and reporting to humanitarian clusters.
• Experience writing business related curricula and delivering training on business topics.

Requirements (desired)

• Experience working with small businesses and graduation approach.
• Experience with managing, owning, or starting a livelihoods program.
• Ability to use Power BI or other data management/visualization software.