Project Description

The Strengthen Skills Training Ecosystems & Pathways (STEP) project in Kenya is a seven-year initiative led by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), which supports economic development and youth employment initiatives globally. The ultimate outcome is improved economic well-being for displaced and host-community youth in Kenya. STEP will leverage Canadian expertise and market linkages to strengthen pathways to technical, vocational, and digital employment for refugees and host community youth in Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab displacement settings in Turkana and Garissa counties. The project design provides a uniquely Canadian approach to economic inclusion, connecting displacement-affected youth to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in Kenyan, Canadian, and global markets. It will support over 10,000 young refugees and host community members to access quality market-oriented technical and vocational education and training (TVET), acquire in-demand technical, vocational, and digital skills, and access contextually relevant business incubation services and support. It places a critical focus on creating sustainable conditions for and delivering programs that link young people to meaningful work.

Role Purpose

The Senior Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer is responsible for leading the design and implementation of market-oriented livelihoods and economic inclusion strategies that strengthen pathways to technical, vocational, and digital employment in the Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab regions. This includes providing strategic oversight to the project’s dual-pathway approach: driving the growth of youth-led entrepreneurship ventures, specifically through supporting Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) and digital outsourcing agencies, while simultaneously enhancing access to fair, safe, and formal wage employment. The Senior Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer ensures that all livelihood interventions are gender-responsive, inclusive of marginalized groups, and aligned with both the Kenyan policy framework and Canadian market linkages to create sustainable and dignified work opportunities.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Strategy Implementation

• Design and execute market-oriented strategies that strengthen pathways to technical, vocational, and digital employment for displaced and host-community youth in Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab.
• Oversee the project’s dual-pathway strategy by accelerating youth-led entrepreneurship while expanding access to secure, equitable, and formal wage-earning opportunities.
• Lead labor and market analyses to identify high-potential sectors in Kenyan, Canadian, and global markets, ensuring training programs remain relevant to modern labor demands (including green and digital skills).

Entrepreneurship & Digital Ecosystem Development

• Strengthen local RLOs and Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) to provide high-quality business incubation, acceleration, and financial linkage services.
• Support the establishment of self-sustaining digital outsourcing agencies to connect youth to global remote work, bypassing local administrative barriers to formal employment.
• Collaborate with international partners to test inclusive business models and link youth-led ventures to Canadian market needs.

Policy Advocacy & Administrative Unblocking

• Provide technical assistance to duty-bearers, specifically the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), to streamline the issuance of IDs, KRA PINs, and Class M work permits for refugees.
• Operationalize national inclusion frameworks, such as the Shirika Plan and the Refugees Act (2021), to transition youth from informal incentive work to formal, protected labor.
• Facilitate dialogue sessions with government and private sector actors to promote fair hiring practices and regulate inclusive apprenticeships.

Gender Responsiveness & Social Inclusion (GESI)

• Ensure all interventions address time poverty and mobility restrictions for young women by integrating practical enablers like childcare support and safe transport.
• Mainstream disability and LGBTQ+ inclusion into all livelihoods programming, ensuring facilities are accessible and outreach is rights-based and confidential.
• Partner with Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) to challenge harmful social norms and gendered occupational segregation that limit women’s access to high-yield technical roles.

Coordination, Reporting & Quality Assurance

• Monitor the quality and impact of livelihood interventions, ensuring data is disaggregated by sex, age, and disability to allow for adaptive management.
• Represent the project in livelihoods-related working groups and maintain strong relationships with UNHCR, county governments, and private sector employers.
• Document and disseminate success stories and lessons learned related to refugee economic inclusion to inform broader policy and practice.

Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in International Development, Economics, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field (or an equivalent mix of education and professional experience);
• At least 5–7 years of progressive experience in designing and managing livelihoods, economic inclusion, or market-based development programs, preferably within an international NGO or development agency;
• Demonstrated experience working in refugee, displacement-affected, or fragile contexts (specifically the Kakuma/Kalobeyei or Dadaab regions) and applying conflict-sensitive and context-responsive approaches;
• Proven experience in Results-Based Management (RBM), including the ability to design and monitor complex livelihoods interventions and conduct robust labor market analyses;
• In-depth knowledge of both entrepreneurship support (incubation, acceleration, and financial linkages) and wage employment pathways (TVET alignment, apprenticeships, and private sector engagement);
• Familiarity with the digital livelihoods landscape, including digital outsourcing agencies, remote work platforms, and the integration of digital/AI skills into training programs;
• Strong understanding of the Kenyan legal framework for refugees, including the Refugees Act (2021), the Shirika Plan, and the administrative processes for obtaining IDs, KRA PINs, and Class M work permits;
• Demonstrated experience in mainstreaming GESI, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities and LGBTQ+ youth;
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Kiswahili is highly desirable, and knowledge of local languages (e.g., Somali, Turkana) is an asset.

Core Competencies

• Ability to translate strategy into practical implementation guidance, field support, and accountable follow-through.
• Excellent facilitation, relationship management, and influencing skills, with the ability to work across teams, communities, institutions, and sectors.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to handle sensitive issues ethically and professionally.
• High level of cultural humility, respect, adaptability, and commitment to inclusive and participatory ways of working.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and deliver high-quality outputs in a fast-paced environment.

• Design and execute market-oriented strategies that strengthen pathways to technical, vocational, and digital employment for displaced and host-community youth in Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and Dadaab.
• Oversee the project’s dual-pathway strategy by accelerating youth-led entrepreneurship while expanding access to secure, equitable, and formal wage-earning opportunities.
• Lead labor and market analyses to identify high-potential sectors in Kenyan, Canadian, and global markets, ensuring training programs remain relevant to modern labor demands (including green and digital skills).
• Strengthen local RLOs and Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs) to provide high-quality business incubation, acceleration, and financial linkage services.
• Support the establishment of self-sustaining digital outsourcing agencies to connect youth to global remote work, bypassing local administrative barriers to formal employment.
• Collaborate with international partners to test inclusive business models and link youth-led ventures to Canadian market needs.
• Provide technical assistance to duty-bearers, specifically the Department of Refugee Services (DRS), to streamline the issuance of IDs, KRA PINs, and Class M work permits for refugees.
• Operationalize national inclusion frameworks, such as the Shirika Plan and the Refugees Act (2021), to transition youth from informal incentive work to formal, protected labor.
• Facilitate dialogue sessions with government and private sector actors to promote fair hiring practices and regulate inclusive apprenticeships.
• Ensure all interventions address time poverty and mobility restrictions for young women by integrating practical enablers like childcare support and safe transport.
• Mainstream disability and LGBTQ+ inclusion into all livelihoods programming, ensuring facilities are accessible and outreach is rights-based and confidential.
• Partner with Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) to challenge harmful social norms and gendered occupational segregation that limit women’s access to high-yield technical roles.
• Monitor the quality and impact of livelihood interventions, ensuring data is disaggregated by sex, age, and disability to allow for adaptive management.
• Represent the project in livelihoods-related working groups and maintain strong relationships with UNHCR, county governments, and private sector employers.
• Document and disseminate success stories and lessons learned related to refugee economic inclusion to inform broader policy and practice.

• Market analysis
• Entrepreneurship support
• Digital livelihoods
• Policy advocacy
• GESI mainstreaming
• Results-Based Management (RBM)
• Facilitation
• Relationship management
• Influencing skills
• Communication (written and verbal)
• Kiswahili proficiency (desirable)
• Knowledge of local languages (e.g., Somali, Turkana) (asset)

• Master’s degree in International Development, Economics, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• At least 5–7 years of progressive experience in designing and managing livelihoods, economic inclusion, or market-based development programs, preferably within an international NGO or development agency.
• Demonstrated experience working in refugee, displacement-affected, or fragile contexts (specifically the Kakuma/Kalobeyei or Dadaab regions) and applying conflict-sensitive and context-responsive approaches.
• Proven experience in Results-Based Management (RBM), including the ability to design and monitor complex livelihoods interventions and conduct robust labor market analyses.
• In-depth knowledge of both entrepreneurship support (incubation, acceleration, and financial linkages) and wage employment pathways (TVET alignment, apprenticeships, and private sector engagement).
• Familiarity with the digital livelihoods landscape, including digital outsourcing agencies, remote work platforms, and the integration of digital/AI skills into training programs.
• Strong understanding of the Kenyan legal framework for refugees, including the Refugees Act (2021), the Shirika Plan, and the administrative processes for obtaining IDs, KRA PINs, and Class M work permits.
• Demonstrated experience in mainstreaming GESI, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities and LGBTQ+ youth.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English.