About DRC
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental and non-profit organization, founded in 1956, that works in more than 35 countries around the world. DRC is one of the largest protection actors in Kenya, actively coordinating and advocating for improving the protective environment for refugees and host communities. DRC implements Protection monitoring, Child Protection and GBV prevention and response programmes in its areas of operation to address protection issues faced by displaced and non-displaced at-risk groups and individuals. The programme also aims to identify and build synergies with DRC´s Economic Recovery sector to facilitate durable solutions and Humanitarian Disarmament & Peace Building activities to enhance to respond to the needs of communities affected by acute crisis as well as those in protracted displacement situations.
Overall purpose of the role:
The overall purpose of the role: The overall responsibility of the Economic Recovery Assistant- SDACKED Project; Mandera is to support the Economic Recovery Coordinator to provide sound technical expertise to a financial inclusion project funded by Sweden and led by DRC in collaboration with KCB Bank, KCB Foundation, and a digital financial technology company. The role will be technically supervised by the Economic Recovery Coordinator under the overall management by the Project Manager and support the day-to-day implementation of the economic recovery related activities in the project. In addition, the holder of the position shall undertake other duties as assigned by the Project Manager in a matrix management arrangement with the Base Manager to ensure the project expectations are met
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Project Management/Development, Monitoring & Evaluation
- Manage a cluster, consisting of a number of assigned CSLAs (Community Savings & Loans Associations).
- Support to plan, oversee and implement economic recovery/financial inclusion activities in DRC Mandera office.
- Support in community mobilization, sensitization, formation and training of CSLAs on the methodology, Entrepreneurship, Sharia-compliant Financing and Financial Literacy.
- With the support of the Ministry of Labour & Social Protection, train entrepreneurs on Pre-registration (Group Dynamics, Leadership & Conflict Management) as a precursor to formalization of the CSLAs.
- Remain abreast of topical developments related to economic recovery and financial inclusion that will promote community participation in the financial sector, hence improving their economic well-being.
- Contribute to promote sector learning and knowledge management in the economic recovery sector through: collating findings/ information from the field as well as routine monitoring to draw lessons.
- Contribute to develop and or adopt sector guidelines and tools in support of financial inclusion.
- Submit timely and high-quality activity, and internal progress reports.
- Assist in ensuring the sector adheres to CHS (Core-humanitarian Standards) in project implementation; participating in CHS audits and support in the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) plan.
- Support the Economic Recovery team in project closure including periodic project review, planning and attending external meetings as often and as requested by the supervisor.
Technical Implementation
- Contribute to implementation of technical activities related to financial inclusion including building the capacity of CSLAs as well as work with the digital partner and KCB Bank, to ensure the groups are digitized.
- Support to conduct training in Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Sharia-compliant Financing; working with micro-entrepreneurs to strengthen their operations.
- Mentor and coach the participating entrepreneurs to ensure they practice what they learn.
Coordination & Partnership
- Support to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders, including community members and leaders in Mandera, NGOs, UN agencies, FSP (financial ervice Providers) and other DRC team members including partners and collaborators, to enhance multi-agency and multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination on response activities.
- Actively participate and engage in relevant coordination meetings and collaborate with other agencies of relevance/value add to DRC’s agenda in Mandera.
Budget Management
- Provide support to ensure sound budget expenditure, adherence to DRC financial procedures and donor requirements as related to the project.
- Contribute to draft spending plans, procurement plans, and work plans based on scheduled activities and budgets.
- Assist & contribute to the Budget Follow-up (BFU)meetings, to ensure the budget is tracked and over/under expenditure is addressed in time in consultation with the Economic Recovery Coordinator and the Project Manager
Experience and technical competencies:
- Minimum 2 years of field experience in implementing economic recovery/livelihoods programmes in an international NGO or other relevant agency.
- Experience in financial inclusion interventions and models (CSLA/GS&L, Sacco, microfinance) is an added advantage.
- Good technical experience in financial inclusion programming including working with CSLAs, developing the capacity of micro-enterprises, working with informal and formal financial institutions; providing financial inclusion training.
- Experience working with Sharia-compliant financing is an added advantage.
- Experience in working with digital service providers and digital financial services including provision of digital solutions to community financial structures.
- Experience working in multi-sectoral interventions.
- Good planning, organizational and problem-solving skills, with ability to work both independently and within a team in a demanding work environment.
- Good analytical and strategic planning skills.
- A demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with the national and county governments, donors, partners, local organizations, and other stakeholders.
- Good level of communication and interpersonal skills.
- Experience in business mentorship and coaching is a plus.
Education
- A university degree in a relevant field (Business Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Microfinance or Community Development or its equivalent).
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Swahili is essential.
- Knowledge of any of the local languages spoken in the project area is a plus.
Language:
English, Swahili, Somali
Key stakeholders:
Internal: Programme Management Unit, MEAL staff, implementing field teams, senior management team and support service team.
External: Technical Working Group(s), local community, county and national government, relevant NGOs/CBOs and agencies including DRC partners and donors as appropriate
About you:
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five 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 our vision and values.
Conditions
- Contract: 5 months contract. Salary and other conditions are offered in accordance with DRC’s Terms of Employment.
- Availability: February 2026
- Duty station: DRC Mandera office, Mandera County
Application and CV:
Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications, sent together with a CV, will be considered.
DRC only accepts applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.ngo under Vacancies. Please remember to upload both a letter of application and your CV and do not attach any written recommendations.
Please submit your application and CV in English no later than 12th January, 2026
Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels. In light of this, Female candidates and those from minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Equal Opportunities: DRC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethnic origin, color, race, marital status or other protected characteristics.
DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process. Visit drc.ngo to read more about what we do to secure robust safeguarding mechanisms.
If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit drc.ngo/jobsupport.
Working at DRC
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DRC as an employer
Founded in 1956, DRC Danish Refugee Council is Denmark’s largest, and a leading international NGO. We have continuously been ranked as one of the best NGOs in the world - and are one of the few with a specific expertise in forced displacement. In over 30 countries, we protect, advocate and build sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement-affected people and communities.
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of over 6,000 employees. We pride ourselves on our:
- Professionalism, impact & expertise
- Humanitarian approach & the work we do
- Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
- Culture, values & strong leadership
- Fair compensation & continuous development
DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.
Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all applicants based on individual merit and qualifications, regardless of personal characteristics or attributes. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce, aiming for a 50% balance of men and women in management roles and ensuring that at least 50% of management roles are filled by national staff. We recognize that a diverse and inclusive team is crucial for achieving our organizational goals and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.