Technical Specialist in Capacity Building of Economies At Near East Foundation

Near East Foundation (NEF)

Position : Technical Specialist in Capacity Building of Rural Economies (RCER Technical Specialist)

Project : Climate innovation and entrepreneurship: connecting rural economies in Morocco

Location : The position is based in Marrakech with travel to the Al Haouz province.

Start date : March 4, 2024

The Near East Foundation (NEF), a non-profit organization based in the United States, London and Belgium. For 100 years, NEF has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through initiatives in education, governance and economic development. NEF currently operates in nine countries. Its programs are organized around the themes: inclusive economic development; climate-resilient development; and stabilization and peacebuilding.

NEF Morocco is looking for qualified candidates for the position of Technical Specialist in Capacity Building of Rural Economies (RCER Technical Specialist) to join our dynamic team. The candidate will be passionate about the participation of rural women in economic recovery while establishing long-term financing mechanisms to support the sustainability of the project. He/she will be responsible for providing support to women’s cooperatives, improving rural women’s access to market-driven business opportunities and sustainable income. The technical specialist will also need to collaborate with other experts and stakeholders to promote the development of this connection for rural economies in Morocco.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The RCER Technical Specialist is a member of the NEF-Morocco team, reporting to the project manager. The RCER Technical Specialist will be in regular contact with the project team to ensure that all work plan activities and project implementation are carried out to standard and in accordance with donor and NEF guidelines. Additionally, the RCER Technical Specialist will contribute to reporting on progress and implementation under the supervision of the Project Manager.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the implementation of technical and financial support for women’s cooperatives affected by the September 2023 earthquake to facilitate asset recovery.
• Collaborate with women’s cooperatives to emerge and incubate business ideas.
• Facilitate market access, notably by linking rural women’s cooperatives to innovative products, services and value chains.
• Contribute to the establishment of a blended financing mechanism that will provide sustainable financial and non-financial services to cooperatives.
• Design, implement and evaluate economic capacity building programs in rural areas.
• Collaborate with local stakeholders and partner organizations to ensure effective coordination of initiatives.
• Represent the NEF at conferences and events to promote women’s entrepreneurship initiatives.
• Provide an analysis of the situation and the status of beneficiaries’ needs and make recommendations to stimulate local economic development.
• Help develop operational monitoring tools (checklists, questionnaires, databases, interviews and survey forms etc.)
• Provide timely input to the project team for new initiatives and improvements on issues encountered.
• Carry out regular field visits and monitoring, and organize group discussions with NEF beneficiaries, as requested.
• Process and analyze data against performance indicators and promptly inform when progress is ahead or behind target.
• Assist in finalizing quarterly, annual and final reports.
• Prepare and accompany field visits to the NEF and external visitors, photographers, journalists or media.
• Perform other ad hoc tasks as needed and requested.

QUALIFICATIONS

The selected RCER Technical Specialist must be an independent person with the following qualifications:

• University degree in rural development, agricultural economics or related field.
• Significant experience in the design and implementation of capacity building programs in rural areas.
• In-depth knowledge of economic challenges specific to rural areas.
• At least 2 years of relevant and prior professional experience in the field of capacity building of rural women’s cooperatives, preferably in a technical role.
• Training, animation and coaching capacities of rural women’s cooperatives.
• Capacity development of training modules for the growth of rural women’s cooperatives.
• Excellent communication skills to interact with rural women’s cooperatives and stakeholders.
• Strong motivation and commitment to female entrepreneurship and sustainable development.
• Fluent French, Arabic, Tamazight and English, written and spoken.
• Driving license with experience.
• Proficient in MS Office applications, including Word and Excel.

POSITION CRITERIA:

Plays an effective team role, able to communicate, develop and maintain effective working relationships within a dynamic team.

If you are passionate about women’s cooperatives, economic recovery, rural women’s participation, while establishing sustainable financing mechanisms to support sustainability and want to put your technical skills to work for women’s entrepreneurship, we would be delighted to receive your application. Apply now to join our committed team and contribute to a more sustainable future.