The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1956 that works in more than 30 countries. DRC fulfills its mandate by providing direct assistance to conflict-affected populations – refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities in the conflict areas of the world; and by advocating on behalf of conflict-affected populations internationally, and in Denmark, on the basis of humanitarian principles and the Human Rights Declaration. In Denmark, DRC assists refugees in all aspects of integration as well as asylum procedures. Internationally, DRC actively participates in supporting the protection of refugees, and promoting durable solutions for conflict-affected populations.
Economic Recovery Specialist (Refugee Impact Advisory Specialist)
Job title: Economic Recovery Specialist (Refugee Impact Advisory Specialist)
Reporting to: Head of Programmes
Location: Kampalaa

Overall purpose of the role:
The Refugee Impact Advisory Specialist will support the launch and operations of a new investment initiative called the Refugee Investment Fund (RIF), developed jointly between DRC and iGravity (a Swiss firm specialised in impact investment and innovative finance solutions). The RIF offers impact-linked and concessionary loans to enterprises directly impacting refugees and host communities across four impact parameters: increased employability, increased decent and sustainable employment, increased access to services/products, and financial inclusion. In addition to offering patient investment capital, the RIF has established a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to provide impact mentoring and advisory services to investees on maximising their social impact on refugees and host communities.
The Refugee Impact Advisory Specialist will lead on the RIF’s TAF from within DRC Uganda, working alongside Innovative Financing Specialists at DRC Regional and HQ. This role involves support in identification and screening of high impact private companies for the RIF, leading on impact development and due diligence of potential investees from a refugee impact perspective, managing technical assistance to scale investees’ refugee impact, defining and monitoring the refugee impact of investees, and identifying potential links to DRC and other humanitarian/development programming. The Specialist will also work with DRC Uganda’s Economic Recovery team and the Regional Innovative Financing Specialist to identify and scope new private sector partnership and financing opportunities for refugee impact.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Refugee Investment Technical Assistance
Lead the scoping and development of technical assistance activities both prior to and during investment under the RIF, which seeks to offer patient investments of up to 5 years to local companies and start-ups that have the potential to positively impact refugees and host communities. This includes:

Pre-Investment Technical Assistance
Identify companies with potential refugee impact through networks and country programming and refer such to the RIF /iGravity Investment Officers for screening
Lead on identification of potential enterprise impact within target displacement affected communities, aligning with community needs as part of screening of potential investees

Investee Technical Assistance:
• Lead the design and defining of focus for technical assistance allocations for each investee, in line with the Technical Assistance Facility framework, and in cooperation with the DRC country teams, DRC RIF Global Lead, Regional Specialists and the RIF in-country Investment Officer
• Identify business capacity building needs, opportunities for impact and ways to further connect businesses to displacement-affected communities
• Identify key refugee impact metrics relevant for each company and define an impact framework for each investee
Prepare and submit proposals for technical assistance grant allocations to the RIF Investment Committee
• Provide technical assistance and advice to investees on refugee impact, such as support developing impact management and monitoring systems, assistance engaging effectively with refugee communities and their needs, analysis of markets and ecosystems within refugee hosting areas to enhance business engagement, and support in development of best practice around refugee-inclusive business approaches
• Manage impact monitoring for RIF investees, through annual review of impact reports of investees, meeting with investee management teams, on-site monitoring, and on this basis make recommendations for strengthening the impact of investees
Identify links between investees and DRC’s other economic recovery programming in country to build complementarity in approaches

Coordination and MEAL Activities
• Coordinate DRC RIF country activities and priorities with the Global DRC HQ RIF Lead and iGravity’s RIF Country Lead
• Support the development of learning and community impact monitoring alongside DRC’s MEAL teams, gathering data and feedback from communities on RIF impacts
• Private Sector Partnerships and Innovative Finance Concept Development
• Support DRC Uganda’s Economic Recovery team’s work with private sector partners, including identifying and exploring partnerships with companies with potential positive impact on refugees and host communities, including job creation, employability and technical training, access to relevant services and products
• Support the Regional Innovative Financing Specialist’s work developing innovative financing approaches and investment partnerships to mobilize new types of capital for refugees and host communities, including idea and concept development, partner and donor outreach, proposal writing and external representation

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)
At least five years proven and successful track record engaging with businesses in refugee contexts or other similar contexts working with marginalized populations, and identifying impact measurement, with ideally some experience in the investment sector or from the non-profit or social enterprise sector working with private sector development approaches. You should also have:
• Experience in social impact financing, implementing market systems development activities and fostering strategic private sector engagement;
• Experience in economic development, private sector development, economic recovery in humanitarian and/or emerging economy contexts, business strategy and business plan development, or similar fields with social impact focus
• Understanding of the refugee / host community context in country, including socio-economic challenges and opportunities and the role NGOs and private sector can play in addressing challenges and realizing opportunities
• Fluency in English
• Excellent communication skills
• High integrity and willingness to conduct her/himself transparently and open to scrutiny

Ideally, you also have
• Previous experience working in East Africa region
Ability to communicate technical information in an easy to understand, informative and collaborative manner
• Good knowledge of the Core Humanitarian Standards or other accountability measures/standards

Education:
Master’s degree in one of the following: International Development, MBA/Finance or International Relations.

Languages
Excellent verbal and written English.
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.
We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies. Applications close on 30th April, 2021.

Equal Opportunity
Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels in light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gender gap.

Equal Opportunity: 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, ethinic origin, colour, race, marital status or other protected characteristics.

DRC as an employer
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 8000 employees in 40 countries. 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