Diversified Economic Opportunities (DEO) Team Lead, Ethiopia Resilience in Pastoral Areas Activity

ACDI/VOCA is a global development design and delivery partner that has implemented effective economic and social development projects in nearly 150 countries since 1963. We empower people to make positive changes in their lives by applying our expertise in sustainable agriculture, resilience, economic opportunity, access to finance, and equity & inclusion to create meaningful, lasting impact. ACDI/VOCA and its affiliates design and implement donor-funded projects, facilitate impact investing, deliver financial services, and partner with businesses to promote inclusive practices and build sustainable supply chains. In 2024, ACDI/VOCA was named a Top Workplace by the Washington Post and received 2024 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence recognition for its innovation, work-life flexibility, compensation & benefits, leadership, and purpose & values.

Diversified Economic Opportunities (DEO) Team Lead, Ethiopia Resilience in Pastoral Areas Activity

ACDI/VOCA is seeking a Diversified Economic Opportunities (DEO) Team Lead for the upcoming Resilience in Pastoral Areas Activity in Ethiopia funded by USAID. The anticipated project will increase the resilience of households, markets, and governance institutions as well as the utilization of early warning signs across pastoralist communities in Ethiopia’s lowlands, contributing to their enhanced food security and inclusive economic growth.

The DEO Team Lead will develop activities to empower and expand the economic opportunities of individuals transitioning out of pastoralism (ToPs), at the household and community levels. The project is anticipated to start in 2025, and this position will (tentatively) be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of strategies and interventions that promote the economic and social empowerment of pastoral households and ToPs, including skills development initiatives and private sector engagement, to facilitate improved access to finance and increased economic opportunities, particularly for women and youth.
• Actively partner with key stakeholders (schools, private sector, government, etc.) to improve conditions for economic opportunities, including improved business enabling environment and ability for entrepreneurial ToPs to create successful businesses and employment opportunities.
• Liaise with other technical specialists to ensure cross-sectoral synergies and impacts across the program.
• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team to ensure that economic opportunities approaches are well understood, planned for, and that indicators, data collection methods, and learning is being captured, analyzed, and reported on.
• Work with local organizations to carry out program approaches and interventions, including strengthening the capacity of these organizations to improve service offerings.
• Contribute to the creation of work plans and periodic written program reports, summarizing economic opportunities results as well as progress and evidence of transformative approaches.
• Identify and address capacity building and resource needs for program staff and partners.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in sociology, economics, business, management, international development, or related field is required.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience working on alternative livelihood issues in the pastoral areas, including less-climate dependent economic opportunities, especially associated with ToPs.
• Experience related to improving access to finance for pastoral households and ToPs, including women and youth.
• In-depth knowledge of improving the business enabling environment and ability for entrepreneurial ToPs to create successful businesses and employment opportunities.
• Experience working in Ethiopia is strongly preferred.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.