Senior Programme Officer - Enterprise Development

Job Posting Organization:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that aims to promote social justice and fair labor practices. Established in 1919, the ILO has a mission to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection, and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. The organization operates in over 180 countries and has a diverse workforce of approximately 3,300 employees. The ILO is committed to promoting gender equality and diversity within its workforce, actively encouraging applications from qualified female candidates and individuals with disabilities.

Job Overview:
The Senior Programme Officer for Enterprise Development will play a crucial role in the ILO's efforts to address the challenges posed by large mixed migration movements, particularly in the context of the PROSPECTS Partnership Programme. This position involves providing expert advice on economic and labor market trends in host communities and refugee settlements, designing and implementing interventions for enterprise development, and promoting small business initiatives. The officer will work closely with various stakeholders, including employers' organizations, trade unions, and local partners, to facilitate inclusive socio-economic development that benefits both forcibly displaced persons and host communities. The role requires a strategic approach to enhance the enabling environment for socio-economic inclusion, focusing on sustainable livelihood interventions and capacity-building measures. The Senior Programme Officer will also be responsible for monitoring and evaluating project interventions, ensuring effective implementation, and contributing to the overall objectives of the ILO within the programme.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide expert advice on economic and labor market analysis to inform the design and implementation of enterprise development initiatives.
• Develop knowledge products and tools to support local economic development assessments and inclusive labor market interventions.
• Facilitate the participation of employers' organizations and trade unions in enterprise development initiatives.
• Lead capacity-building measures for local partners, including training providers and business development services.
• Design and operationalize competitive grant schemes for entrepreneurship and business start-ups targeting refugee host communities.
• Develop sustainable livelihood interventions for vulnerable households to enhance their participation in the labor market.
• Participate in inter-agency coordination meetings and support project monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Prepare technical progress reports and document project successes and lessons learned.
• Assist in the programming and control of project resources, including budget estimates and expenditure forecasts. 1
• Represent the ILO in field-level meetings and collaborate with other programs to enhance synergy and outcomes.

Required Qualifications:

• Proven ability to take ownership of responsibilities and act with integrity and transparency.
• Strong knowledge of market systems approaches and entrepreneurship promotion tools.
• Ability to develop strategic goals consistent with program objectives and design effective strategies for program development.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a team.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize research and reach empirically based conclusions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and networking capabilities.
• Proficiency in computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software.

Educational Background:
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s or equivalent) in development, business management, social science, economics, labor, technical and vocational education, or a related field is required for this position. A higher degree in a relevant discipline may be an advantage.

Experience:
At least three years of experience in the design, management, and implementation of projects focused on enterprise development, market-based interventions, and livelihoods support for host communities and refugees is essential. Experience working with the United Nations or government ministries related to labor would be an added advantage, as would experience in development responses to crisis or refugee settings.

Languages:
Excellent knowledge and command of English is mandatory. Working knowledge of Amharic is also required, as it will facilitate communication with local stakeholders and partners.

Additional Notes:
This position is a fixed-term contract under the ILO's technical cooperation framework. The recruitment process is subject to specific local recruitment and eligibility criteria. The ILO values diversity and encourages applications from qualified female candidates and individuals with disabilities. The appointment of an external candidate will typically be made at the first step of the grade. The role does not carry an expectation of renewal or conversion to another type of appointment within the ILO. Extensions of contracts are contingent upon various factors, including the availability of funds and satisfactory performance.