Economic Development Project Officer

ANERA BACKGROUND:

Since 1968, Anera has helped refugees and others hurt by conflicts in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan live with purpose and hope.

Anera, which has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in Palestine (West Bank and Gaza), Lebanon and Jordan. We mobilize resources for immediate emergency relief and for sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development. Our staff serve in their communities, navigating the politics that constrict progress to get help where it’s needed most.

That’s how Anera received more than $171 million in support of programs in 2023 alone, and it’s how we will keep building better lives until hope finds its way in the Middle East.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Economic Development Project Officer will play a hands-on role in the implementation and day-to-day management of “Seed and Scale: Youth Business Fund.” This position is responsible for executing project activities directly with micro-entrepreneurs across a sector-agnostic portfolio, coordinating access-to-finance support, targeted advisory, and the delivery of capacity-building initiatives and stakeholder engagement. The Officer will ensure effective on-the-ground delivery of the project, working closely with the Project Manager to monitor progress, support beneficiaries, and contribute to achieving the project’s key performance indicators related to access to finance, business growth, and job creation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Project Implementation & Beneficiary Support:

• Execute day-to-day project activities in line with the approved work plan, ensuring timely delivery at field level.
• Support on initial field visits to verify and assess the coaching plan for each micro-entrepreneur, documenting needs, feasibility, and agreed milestones for implementation.
• Conduct beneficiary intake and initial non-financial assessments; document eligibility rationales and priority support needs.
• Schedule and track beneficiary engagements (visits, calls, trainings); record services delivered and immediate outcomes

2. Stakeholder & Beneficiary Coordination

• Serve as a primary point of contact for micro-enterprise beneficiaries; maintain trust-based relationships and channel feedback to project management.
• Support the Project Manager in maintaining relationships with partner organizations and local institutions.
• Represent the project in community-level meetings and beneficiary visits as needed.
• Support the Project Manager by coordinating closely with the service providers to align on referrals, eligibility clarifications, documentation, and follow-up schedules.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Conduct regular field visits to monitor beneficiary progress, verify data, and assess intervention impact.
• Collect and compile robust data on key metrics, including loan utilization/repayments (as shared by the MFI), business performance, job creation, and challenges faced by micro-enterprises.
• Assist in preparing comprehensive periodic reports for the Project Manager, with updates on progress, beneficiary stories, and field insights.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date beneficiary files and project databases, ensuring timely reconciliation with MFI referral and portfolio data.

4. Administrative & Logistical Support

• Organize logistics for project events, workshops, and training sessions.
• Prepare and maintain documentation related to beneficiary agreements and project financial transactions.
• Support the Project Manager by monitoring field-level activity costs, flagging variances, and contributing inputs for financial and narrative reporting.

QUALIFICATIONS and COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Public Relations, or a related field (Master’s a plus).
• 3–5 years’ experience in project implementation, preferably in economic development, livelihoods, or micro-enterprise development programs.
• Experience in beneficiary management, capacity building, and/or administering grant or loan schemes is an advantage.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; able to build rapport with diverse stakeholders, from micro-business owners to community leaders.
• Proficiency in data collection, basic analysis, and report writing (Excel/Sheets)
• Self-motivated, proactive, and effective both independently and as part of a team.
• Fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken).
• Willingness to travel frequently within project areas.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Anera strives to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, creed, political or national views or background, ethnicity, religion, age, handicap, sex, or any other factor unrelated to ability to perform the required work. Anera does give strong preference in employing Lebanese, Palestinian, or other resident Arab nationals (other than for the country director position and internships). In all cases, recruitment decisions are first and foremost based on merit and qualifications. Anera holds local project institutions to the same standards.

Code of Conduct

Anera is committed to conducting its operations with the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and professionalism across all contexts in which we work. We strive to deliver high-quality services and maintain a reputation built on fairness, respect, responsibility, and sound judgment. All employees, managers, officers, and representatives are expected to uphold these standards at all times and act per their duty of loyalty to Anera. No individual may misrepresent the organization or speak on its behalf without proper authorization. Confidential and sensitive information—including financial data, strategic plans, or information related to partners and beneficiaries—must be handled with the utmost discretion and only shared on a need-to-know basis, in line with Anera’s confidentiality and privacy policies. Any violation of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. The level of disciplinary response may take into account whether the violation was self-reported and whether the individual cooperated in the investigation process.

Our values

We are inspired: We are committed to energize, engage, and motivate others to forge the best outcomes for the diverse communities we serve.

We are people-centric: We are respectful and empathetic. We believe that each person, no matter their circumstances, embodies promise and has the power to shape the lives of their community and world.

We are collaborative: Teamwork and collaborative action are at the heart of how we do our work and deliver results.

We are versatile: In a region burdened by obstacles, we make the right connections to find a way and bring can-do, innovative approaches to everything we do.

We are impactful: We make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve by delivering impactful solutions at the local community level.

We are accountable: Our words, actions and results stay true to our mission and values.