Job Description
Economic Inclusion Advisor – Strengthening Social Cohesion and Dispute Resolution (SSCDR)
Duty Station: Colombo
Deadline for applications: 17th September 2026
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Sri Lanka since 1996. GIZ is a development partner of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) on topics ranging from private sector development and vocational training to renewable energy promotion, biodiversity conservation, reconciliation, and social cohesion.
The Action “Strengthening Social Cohesion and Dispute Resolution” is a 48-month program financed by the European Union under NDICI–Global Europe. It aims to foster a more tolerant, inclusive, peaceful and cohesive society in Sri Lanka.
The Action is implemented by the British Council, with GIZ GmbH acting as technical partner. GIZ provides policy advisory, institutional strengthening, capacity building and technical support to promote inclusive governance and reconciliation, improve access to factual and evidence-based information, and foster intercommunal economic cooperation and economic inclusion. In doing so, GIZ works with national and local institutions, civil society, academia, media, communities and the private sector, with particular attention to women, youth and marginalized.
The Role
The objective of the Project is to provide technical, institutional, policy, and operational support to British Council for the delivery of Action updates related to Strengthening Social Cohesion and Dispute Resolution, in line with EU policies, national priorities, and British Council implementation modalities.
The advisor is responsible for
- Lead the design and implementation of community resource management (CRM) initiatives, ensuring that models are practical, inclusive, and responsive to local socio-economic dynamics.
- Provide ongoing technical and operational support to partners implementing CRM interventions, including strengthening governance structures, ensuring equitable participation, and supporting sustainability of shared assets.
- Guide the development and scaling of the MSME support interventions, including strengthening market linkages, improving business practices, and facilitating engagement with private sector actors.
- Work directly with partners to assess capacity, identify gaps, and provide targeted support to improve delivery quality across multiple sites and sectors.
- Facilitate structured engagement with private sector stakeholders to promote inclusive business practices and expand economic opportunities for marginalised groups.
- Ensure effective coordination across multiple partners (government, CSO, grassroots) and stakeholders, maintaining alignment with programme objectives while managing operational complexity.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of implementation models, drawing on field experience to improve relevance, efficiency, and scalability.
- Support the integration of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment into economic inclusion interventions, ensuring practical application at the field level.
- Provide oversight and guidance on the implementation of partner activities, including planning, budgeting, and delivery tracking.
- Contribute to programme reporting and documentation, ensuring that implementation progress, lessons learned, and outcomes are clearly captured.
Required qualifications, competencies, and experience
- A degree in Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, or a related field.
- At least 10 years of professional experience in development programming, with substantial experience in livelihoods, economic inclusion, or private sector engagement.
- Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing community-based resource management or similar collective economic initiatives at scale, across multiple locations.
- Strong track record in working with SMEs and MSMEs, including supporting enterprise development, facilitating market linkages, and engaging with private sector actors.
- Extensive experience managing and coordinating multiple implementing partners, including civil society organisations and grassroots actors, with responsibility for delivery quality and programme outcomes.
- Proven experience working across different regions of Sri Lanka, including engagement with government institutions at district and national levels.
- Strong understanding of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, including experience integrating these into livelihoods or economic programmes.
- Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts, with the ability to apply field experience, context-sensitive approaches to programme implementation.
- Demonstrated ability to translate programme strategies into operational models and guide partners through implementation challenges.
- Strong leadership and coordination skills, with the ability to manage complexity and work across multiple stakeholders and sectors.
- Excellent communication skills in English, with fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil strongly preferred.
- Willingness to travel extensively within Sri Lanka.
Essential: Applications should include
- Curriculum Vitae of a maximum of 3 pages (please do not include copies of certificates, testimonials, etc.).
- Details & contacts (Mobile & Email) of two referees who know your professional qualifications and work experience.
When applications are mailed to giz-hrrslanka@giz.de, please include “Application for the Economic Inclusion Advisor – SSCDR” as the subject.
Visit: www.giz.de/srilanka
www.facebook.com/GIZSriLanka