Economic Inclusion Officer

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian international development organization that works with and through its southern partners to promote sustainable development. Founded in 1957 and currently working in more than 20 countries worldwide with an annual budget of approximately $45 million dollars, WUSC fosters youth-centered solutions for improved education, economic, and empowerment opportunities to overcome inequality and exclusion. We believe youth have the potential to provide for their families, build strong communities, and create positive social change for future generations. Globally, WUSC has a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty, and community leaders that can be leveraged to support our work.

**Displaced and Refugee youth Enabling Environment Mechanism (DREEM) project**

WUSC through the DREEM project plays a unique role as a technical assistance and strategic learning partner to the Mastercard Foundation and its partners. The DREEM project contributes to the Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to meaningfully include refugee and displaced youth in their Scholars Program and Young Africa Works strategy.

The DREEM project focuses on three key pillars:
**a. Higher Education Inclusion**:
a. **Support Scholars Program (SP) partners** and staff with the knowledge,

capacity and networks to meaningfully recruit and serve refugees and

displaced youth in higher education and transition to work and to work

towards more inclusive societies;
b. **Economic Inclusion**:
**a. Support Young Africa Works (YAW)** country partners and staff primarily in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia and also in other countries around the continent to gain the knowledge, capacity and networks to meaningfully include and develop programming that meets the unique training and employment needs, opportunities and aspirations of refugee and displaced youth, especially young women;
**b. Strengthening Economic Opportunities for Refugees (SEOR) **to

complement WUSC’s existing Learning through Education and Access to Employment Pathways (LEAP) project and provide refugee entrepreneurs, especially young women with improved access to market-oriented business support services that improve business and employment outcomes in Kenya. Mastercard Foundation recently approved an enterprise-wide Refugee and Displaced Persons (RDP) Strategy aiming to invest in young Africans who have faced forcible displacement—and in the host communities, they become part of—by enabling access to high-quality education and training and supporting young people's pathways to dignified and fulfilling work as employees or entrepreneurs and job creators. The Foundation also works with multiple stakeholders across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, particularly young people themselves, to address systemic barriers inhibiting the economic prospects of forcibly displaced youth.

**Job Role**

Under the supervision of the Nairobi-Based Deputy Project Director, the Economic Inclusion Officer will work closely and in collaboration with the WUSC team in Kenya, the WUSC team based in Canada, and the Mastercard Foundation team. The Economic Inclusion Officer provides essential support to the DREEM project’s day to day operations. Working closely with the the DREEM team, they will support in the coordination of various aspects of the project as outlined below:
**Responsibilities**:

- Work collaboratively with DREEM team members to provide technical, programmatic, and coordination support to ensure the economic inclusion goals of the Mastercard Foundation under DREEM are met;
- Supports the Economic Inclusion Managers (East Africa and Pan-Africa) in the provision of technical advice, capacity building, and advisory support for Young Africa Works partners and programming in the various countries;
- Supports the Economic Inclusion Managers in the design, development and delivery of resources and training for Young Africa Works staff and partners across the countries of focus (where relevant);
- Coordinates and supports the planning and implementation of key convenings within the Economic Inclusion portfolio of work, in collaboration with the Events Assistant;
- Supports the management of research projects that are building evidence for further interventions and partnerships;
- Identifies promising practices and ways to share learnings across the network.
- In partnership with the DREEM Senior MERL Officer, supports MERL activities for the economic inclusion portfolio. This includes documenting learnings, success stories, and other relevant information;
- Attend and participate in relevant internal and external events;
- Other duties as assigned.

**Line Manager**

Deputy Project Director - DREEM

**Qualifications**:
The ideal applicant will combine technical expertise in one or more of DREEM’s sectors (higher education, durabl