Business / VSLA Officer at ZOA International

ZOA is an international relief and recovery organization supporting vulnerable people affected by violent conflicts and natural disasters in fragile states, by helping them to realize dignified and resilient lives. ZOA operates in more than 15 countries, in difficult locations where our field staff directly provides assistance to the most vulnerable victims of displacement. The countries in which ZOA is present are Afghanistan, Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Liberia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Yemen. ZOA is active in insecure and volatile regions: serving Syrian refugees in the Middle East, uprooted people in war-torn South Sudan, displaced Yezidis in Northern Iraq and South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, to name a few.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business / VSLA Officer

Location: Bama, Borno
Duration position: Fix Term – One Year ( Renewable position based on the need)
Workhours: Fulltime
Starting date: As soon as possible

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Facilitate planning, organizing and management of agribusiness and VSLA related activities
• Conduct awareness on VSLA and income generation activities among school communities and local leaders at program related near school communities.
• Develop work plans to ensure effective implementation of both agribusiness skills training and VSLA trainings and related activities.
• Motivate individuals to form in VSLA groups and facilitate the identification and formation of VSLA groups directly linked to the target primary school communities.
• Facilitate the identification and formation of income-generation groups among program participants.
• Identify opportunities for youth to start their own VSLA and/or agriculture production group.
• Keep up to date with development issues and trends with regard to income generation, small business, VSLA, community development in Borno state.

Technical advice and skill development:

• Facilitate establishment of village saving and loan groups among beneficiaries.
• Train beneficiaries on VSLA methodology, including group governance and leadership, rapid appraisal of income generating activities.
• Organize and monitor the establishment of VSLA groups with particular focus on women’s participation and leadership.
• Oversee and monitor the VSLA groups on share purchases, social contributions, borrowing and repayment of loans to ensure proper documentation and recording of VSLA procedures.
• Ensure timely procurement of and delivery of right quality and quantity of VSLA kits.
• Identify technical capacity and challenges for beneficiaries, skills and knowledge they have in income generation, livelihood activities, VSLA and business activities.
• Identify and train Community Based Trainers at community level to teach and mentor VSLA members.
• Assist in solving any conflicts within VSLA group members and motivate people to advocate for themselves.

Monitoring:

• Conduct regular follow up visits to VSLA groups and their income-generation groups to ensure application of good practices and provide technical advice and mentoring.
• Track progress of the VSLA groups, income-generation groups and keep records.
• Carry out quarterly meetings with beneficiary groups to assess performance at the community and program level.
• Facilitate data collection on groups, members to VSLA, and manage the information flow to the Senior VSLA and Agribusiness Project Officer and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
• Support the preparation of VSLA and income-generation groups’ monitoring plans to measure their own progress.
• Consolidate and compile monthly, quarterly and annual reports, inclusive of success stories and lessons learned.
• Share experiences with other organizations or groups promoting VSLA practices.
• Communicate learnings highlighting key achievements with a focus on the outcome/impact of VSLA on marginalized group members.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Rural Development, Microfinance, Sociology, or a related field.

Behaviour & Attitude:

• Flexible and adaptability;
• Interpersonal and cross cultural sensitive;
• Able to work under pressure and with strict deadlines;
• Able to work in a sometimes fluid and insecure environment.

Special Conditions

• Frequent travel to in field locations within the programme area, and to other ZOA programme locations and stay with project implementation team for further guidance and support.

Salary and other terms of employment
Attractive and Negotiable.

Application Closing Date
26th June, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• If you have questions about this vacancy, you can contact Musa Yaro, Office Manager, via email: recruitment.nigeria@zoa.ngo
• ZOA operates with an equal opportunities policy and is committed to diversity in the workplace.
• Qualified women and men, and cultural backgrounds, and candidates with disabilities are welcome to apply.
• CV’s of no more than 4-5 pages in length are appreciated.
• ZOA is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage applications from qualified female candidates and persons with disabilities.
• Please provide at least 3 references related to your previous employment listed in the application. References of previous positions held should not be older than five years.
• Please note that ZOA carries out background and reference checks (including COTER) for all candidates as part of the recruitment process. As ZOA participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a written questionnaire: the “Statement of Conduct”, which will be sent to past employers regarding Misconduct (such as sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment).