Regional Coordinator (3 Positions)

ABOUT FIRST CONSULT AFRICA DEVELOPMENT

First Consult Africa Development (FCAD), a sister company to FC Africa, is an indigenous non-governmental organization established in 2022 to improve the lives and livelihoods of disadvantaged citizens, create employment opportunities, increase economic productivity and competitiveness, and support women and children.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Integrated Business Plan Competition programme is a programme that works to promote market-based approaches and support entrepreneurship and MSME development among refugees and host communities in Ethiopia. Through a structured business plan competition, the project will strengthen entrepreneurial capacity, facilitate access to financial and non-financial services, support enterprise formalization, and foster sustainable livelihoods and job creation. The initiative will guide participants through business ideation, training, business plan development, financial linkage facilitation, and post-award business support, contributing to improved socio-economic inclusion, resilience, and self-reliance of forcibly displaced populations and host communities.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Regional Coordinator will serve as FC Africa’s primary representative and focal person in the assigned city (Jigjiga, Assosa or Dabat) and will be responsible for coordinating, supervising, and supporting the implementation of the Integrated Business Plan Competition (BPC) for Refugees and Host Communities at the regional level. The position holder will work closely with the Team Leader, Project Facilitation Officer, local stakeholders, service providers, and beneficiary communities to ensure the effective delivery of project activities and achievement of project targets.

The Regional Coordinator will lead regional stakeholder engagement, beneficiary mobilization, and implementation oversight throughout the competition cycle, including outreach and sensitization, entrepreneurship training, business idea and business plan evaluation processes, pitching events, access-to-finance linkages, and post-award enterprise support. The position will serve as the primary liaison with the International Labour Organization (ILO), Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), regional government institutions, TVET colleges, financial service providers, business development service providers, and other relevant partners within the assigned region.

The Regional Coordinator will also be responsible for monitoring implementation progress, ensuring compliance with project requirements and inclusion targets, documenting results and lessons learned, and providing regular operational and technical updates to project management. The role requires a proactive and highly organized professional with strong coordination, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills, capable of managing multiple activities and maintaining effective partnerships within a dynamic refugee-hosting and development context.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Understand the Business Plan Competition project in its entirety and support effective implementation of all interventions.
• Coordinate and oversee implementation of all project activities within the assigned region.
• Ensure activities are implemented according to approved work plans, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Represent First Consult Development in regional coordination meetings and stakeholder engagements.
• Oversee regional operational activities and provide regular implementation updates to project management.
• Monitor implementation progress and identify operational challenges and mitigation measures.
• Support organization of regional workshops, consultations, trainings, and project events.
• Ensure project safeguarding, accountability, and inclusion requirements are maintained throughout implementation.

Technical

• Coordinate implementation of all Business Plan Competition phases including launch, sensitization, business idea generation, business plan development, pitching events, award ceremonies, and post-award support.
• Coordinate outreach and awareness campaigns targeting refugees and host communities.
• Facilitate participant registration, screening, verification, and selection processes.
• Coordinate delivery of ILO entrepreneurship training packages including Generate Your Business Idea (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB), Financial Education, GET Ahead and Improve Your Business (IYB).
• Support market opportunity assessments, brainstorming sessions, and ideation workshops.
• Coordinate submission and evaluation of business ideas and business plans.
• Support organization and facilitation of jury evaluation sessions and pitching events.
• Ensure compliance with refugee participation and women-led enterprise targets.
• Facilitate enterprise formalization, business registration, and access-to-work permit support where applicable.
• Coordinate business mentoring, coaching, and post-award enterprise development support.
• Support implementation of access-to-finance activities and linkages with banks, MFIs, SACCOs, and other financial institutions.
• Coordinate referrals to TVET institutions and technical skills providers for upskilling and reskilling support.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as the primary focal point for regional coordination with ILO, RRS, UNHCR, regional government offices, TVET institutions, financial institutions, BDS providers, chambers of commerce, cooperatives, and private sector actors.
• Facilitate collaboration among project stakeholders to strengthen service delivery and participant support.
• Support establishment and functioning of regional steering committees and advisory structures.
• Facilitate coordination meetings and maintain effective communication among stakeholders.
• Support development of partnerships that strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems within the region.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Reporting (MERL)

• Work closely with the MERL team to support monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Ensure timely collection, verification, and submission of project data.
• Monitor beneficiary participation, training completion, business plan submissions, and enterprise performance.
• Support baseline, monitoring, assessment, and evaluation activities.
• Capture lessons learned, success stories, and promising practices.
• Support preparation of quarterly reports, annual reports, case studies, and knowledge products.
• Ensure quality and accuracy of project data and supporting documentation.

REPOTING ARRANGEMENTS

The Regional Coordinator will report directly to the Team Leader and will:

• Submit regular implementation updates and progress reports.
• Prepare activity reports following trainings, workshops, consultations, and project events.
• Compile stakeholder feedback and implementation lessons.
• Report implementation challenges, risks, and recommendations.
• Maintain accurate records of project activities and beneficiary participation.
• Support preparation of donor and management reporting requirements.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Development Studies, Project Management, Social Sciences, or related fields.
• MBA/MA Degree in Economics, Social Science, Project Management, or any other equivalent field is an advantage.

Experience

• Minimum five (5) years of relevant professional experience in project implementation, enterprise development, livelihoods programming, entrepreneurship development, MSME support, or related fields.
• Experience working with development partners, NGOs, government institutions, or humanitarian organizations.
• Experience working in refugee-hosting or displacement-affected settings is highly desirable.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder projects and partnerships.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders including government institutions, development partners, private sector actors, and community organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple activities and manage competing priorities.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Effective communication skills, fluency in English and Amharic (reading, writing and speaking).
• Knowledge of other local languages is strongly preferred.