Economic Empowerment Officer

Role Overview

The Economic Empowerment Officer is responsible for driving financial independence and professional growth among young women and alumni through structured programs. The role focuses on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career development initiatives to bridge the gap between education and economic opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Literacy & Economic Empowerment

• Design and facilitate workshops for alumni, community members, and parents on financial literacy topics, including education planning, budgeting, savings, debt management, and gender-responsive financial practices.
• Support girls and young women to form and participate in community-based groups and SACCOS to promote a culture of savings and financial independence.
• Lead awareness initiatives on the importance of economic empowerment for girls and young women.
• Conduct outreach and campaigns to highlight challenges and opportunities in accessing decent work.

Education Support, Scholarship Management & Student Retention

• Support students with college and scholarship applications to ensure high acceptance and transition rates.
• Organize and facilitate parents’ meetings to strengthen parental engagement in tertiary education.
• Track and monitor scholarship placements, academic performance, retention, and compliance requirements for all supported tertiary students.
• Serve as the primary contact person for tertiary students, providing continuous guidance, follow-up, and coordination throughout their academic journey.

Alumni Engagement & Network Development

• Develop and manage the alumni network, fostering a strong culture of giving back through mentorship, volunteering, speaking engagements, and application review support.
• Maintain and regularly update a comprehensive alumni database for tracking engagement and outcomes.

Mentorship, Training & Capacity Building

• Design and implement mentorship programs for gap-year and tertiary students, including structured feedback mechanisms.
• Develop tools to support experiential learning during internships and gather feedback from supervisors.
• Deliver training on employability and entrepreneurship skills, including CV writing, interview preparation, digital literacy, and leadership.
• Train young women on business development, including market research, planning, operations, and scaling.
• Facilitate access to relevant certifications, training, and professional development opportunities for alumnae.

Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish and maintain partnerships with TVET institutions, private sector actors, and community organizations.
• Collaborate with incubators, development partners, and financial institutions to support business development initiatives.
• Engage community leaders and stakeholders in advancing economic empowerment initiatives.
• Support advocacy efforts aimed at improving policies and opportunities for young women’s employment and entrepreneurship.

Career Development & Job Placement

• Support alumni in securing internships, attachments, and job placement opportunities.
• Organize career fairs, networking events, and job placement initiatives.
• Identify and link young women to business opportunities, including tenders and contracts.
• Facilitate access to government funding, grants, and financing opportunities.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

• Conduct regular evaluations of training programs and interventions.
• Collect, analyze, and utilize feedback from scholarship, mentorship, and job placement programs to inform improvements.
• Track alumnae progress, outcomes, and impact for reporting and learning purposes.

Climate Change & Community Initiatives

• Coordinate environmental initiatives such as tree-planting campaigns in schools and communities.
• Support the establishment of kitchen gardens to promote food security and sustainability skills.

Project Management & Administration

• Support the development and management of program budgets and resources.
• Prepare periodic reports on program activities, outcomes, and impact.
• Perform any other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Project Management, Social Sciences, Community Development, Development Studies or related disciplines.
• Minimum of Three (3) years of experience in youth development, entrepreneurship, or economic empowerment programs.
• Knowledge and experience in financial literacy education, skills training, and business development.
• Experience working with young women in rural areas and understanding of local economic challenges.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with various stakeholders, including local businesses, TVET institutions, and government agencies.
• Passionate about empowering young women and driving social change.
• Strong organizational and leadership abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google products.
• Good report writing, reporting and presentation skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to deliver under minimal supervision.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage with stakeholders, partners, and young women.
• Empathetic, culturally sensitive, and passionate about empowering young women.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the Career Options Africa Group recruitment portal at https://www.careeroptionsafricagroup.com or via the application link: https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1187096.