Job title: Economic Recovery / Market System Development (MSD) Specialist (National position)

Duty station: South Mitrovicë/a, Kosovo

Economic Recovery /Market System Development (MSD) Specialist plays a leading role in designing, implementing, and evaluating MSD-inspired interventions aimed to support the socio-economic integration and empowerment of minority communities and vulnerable groups across DRC Kosovo target locations. They provide inputs to management on strategic development matters and conduct and contribute to thematic analyses and reports; as well as support other programmes and/or programmatic areas in the region as needed.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Primary programmatic responsibilities
• Conduct target groups’ needs assessment related to their access to employment and other economic opportunities.
• Conduct market analysis and market selection and develop/revise/re-design intervention models for facilitation of market system development.
• Search partners in selected/target market systems and analyse their needs and opportunities for the project to facilitate market system development.
• Design, implement, assess, and revisit when needed, MSD intervention model(s).
• Monitor and support MSD intervention model implementation.
• Maintain cooperation and communication with selected and potential partners and target groups’ representatives to ensure the efficacy of the MSD intervention model implementation.
• Ensure that the project activities implemented by both DRC directly and by selected partners comply with DRC policies and tools, including DRC financial, procurement, and other procedures.
• Develop and contribute to the development of other DRC approaches aimed at socio-economic inclusion and empowerment of target groups including support through grants, training and other educational interventions.
• Ensure DRC partners provide adequate support to beneficiaries, including in relation to i) distributing grants, ii) providing advisory services including market and financial literacy training, technical know-how transfer, continuous mentoring and advising, as well as in relation to iii) creating/strengthening linkages to the market.

Secondary programmatic responsibilities:

• Contribute to the day-to-day implementation of initiatives aimed at empowering local communities with conflict management skills to enhance their overall resilience to conflict.
• Support the development of sub-grants by implementing partners, monitor compliance with SGAs and DRC Partnership policies and tools, support their work with target groups, and foster their familiarity with and alignment to DRC financial, procurement and other procedures.
• Contribute to primary and secondary data collection for thematic analysis and assessments including but not limited to conflict analysis and needs assessments.
• Ensure the adoption of an AGDM-based, rights-based, transparent, participatory, inclusive, and environmentally friendly approach in all activities.
• Represent DRC at coordination meetings and other fora aimed at the development/implementation/monitoring of strategies and activities in support of DRC’s persons of concern.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning responsibilities:

• Develop approaches for monitoring activities and interventions implemented under direct supervision, such as those related to MSD facilitation, socio-economic inclusion, empowerment activities, etc.
• Develop tools for qualitative and quantitative data collection for activities and interventions implemented under direct supervision, such as those related to MSD facilitation, socio-economic inclusion, empowerment activities, etc.
• Ensure proper partners’ reporting, as well as the implementation of M&E at the activities/interventions/grants level.
• Conduct regular analysis of activities and interventions’ implementation regarding their relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact.
• Develop and implement adaptive measures to ensure proper implementation of the activities/interventions/ grants and accomplishment of anticipated outputs and outcomes.
• Contribute to DRC internal and external reporting on projects and programs implementation progress and achieved results.
• Maintain project results database.

Operational responsibilities:

• Utilise DRC Dynamics for all relevant matters, to the extent granted by assigned access level.
• Support Management on supply chain matters, in close cooperation with Support Service colleagues and in line with DRC rules, namely in relation to: identifying respective project and office procurement needs, initiating relevant procedures, and managing relations with suppliers up to contract closure; ensuring proper asset management; addressing office and project logistic needs.

Other responsibilities:

• Any other tasks to contribute accomplishment of the DRC Kosovo goals and objectives assigned by the Project Manager and/or the Country Director.

To be successful in this role we expect you to be able to manage the above-mentioned tasks with minimum supervision. This will entail displaying:

• The ability to take responsibility over complex processes;
• The ability to ensure the implementation of long-term tasks that require regular follow up, without being provided constant reminders;
• The ability to interact in a positive and constructive manner with DRC’s partners and beneficiaries, based on respect and conducive to generating mutual trust and to their empowerment;
• An open, supportive, collegial behaviour with all DRC staff.

In addition, you will be expected to uphold the ethical principles enshrined in DRC’s Code of Conduct.

On these grounds, we expect the following:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in the international development sector.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in supporting returnees, minorities and other vulnerable groups in Kosovo.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; experience in liaising with public institutions preferred.
• Understanding of trends and developments in Kosovo’s economy and markets.
• Experience in the implementation of MSD-inspired initiatives (desired).
• Prior experience with DRC (optional).
• Fluency in written and spoken English (minimum B2 level) as well as native-speaking proficiency level of either Albanian or Serbian (mandatory – very good command of the non-native language preferred).

Moreover, all DRC staff must master the following DRC's Core Competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values.

12 months (until 31.07.2024) with 3 month –probation period, with the possibility of extension subject to donor funding

Salary: Starting salary 1,000 EUR gross amount

Band: G

Health insurance provided from a local insurance company

Estimated start date: 1st of August 2023

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with DRC Kosovo National Salary Scale.

All applicants must submit an updated CV (no longer than four pages) and a cover letter, both in English.

All applicants must upload here an updated CV (no longer than four pages) and a cover letter, both in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered. Closing date for applications: Friday, June 16, 2023.

If you face any problems with the online application process, please contact [email protected]

Please note that, due to the number of expected applications, you will only be contacted if selected to take part in the next steps of the recruitment process. No confirmation of receipt of your application will be provided.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our websites www.drc.ngo and www.drc-kosovo.org.

The selection process will consist of several steps.

1. Applications will be subjected to a screening of the CV and cover letter submitted, aimed at verifying whether the requirements listed above are met. Only applications clearly and fully meeting the requirements will be evaluated further.
2. Candidates selected through step 1 will be invited to take a written test aimed at assessing some technical skills as well as language proficiency.
3. Candidates selected after step 2 will be invited to one or more rounds of individual interviews aimed at further analysing the possession of relevant skills as well as testing DRC’s Core Competencies.