Mercy Corps is an International Humanitarian organization operating Water and Sanitation, Economic Development, Livelihoods, Capacity Building, Emergency Response, Health and Nutrition, and similar sectors in the regions of SNNPR, Somali, Oromia, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. Mercy Corps operates in 42 countries to promote community-led and market-driven development; strategically focused on countries and regions in transition, Mercy Corps takes a progressive approach by supporting communities, entrepreneurs, governments and the private sector to move from relief activities to long-term and sustainable economic growth. Mercy Corps has been operational in Ethiopia since 2004, delivering strategic, long-term approaches to address the challenges of hunger, poverty and climate change. With a well-established reputation in the areas of market systems development, inter-community relationship sensitivity, and emergency (nutrition) response, Mercy Corps studies the Ethiopian market to promote diverse livelihoods; evaluates urban issues, including climate resistance and economic opportunities; supports communities and local partners to develop plans for natural resource uses and sustainability; and, through all this, builds resilience.
The Market Systems Team Lead will be the highest ranking Mercy Corps staff solely dedicated to the program and will be expected to represent Mercy Corps in programmatic excellence, leadership, vision and core values. S/he will be responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary and multi-location team delivering all project activities in Mercy Corps geographies (Shabelle Zone and Dollo Ado); for taking technical leadership of market systems strengthening in all project areas. S/he will support overall project management and planning, donor reporting, coordination of inputs from knowledge partners, and other stakeholders. He/she will be responsible for M&E, financial and operational management, and project management of the Mercy Corps team.
Specifically, the Market Systems Team Lead is expected to oversee the following components within the program which are to be led by Mercy Corps:
Component 3, Climate Risk Solutions. In this component, Mercy Corps is expected to strengthen the livestock marketing sector in select woredas in Shabelle Zone, enabling climate insurance beneficiaries to access products to protect their core breeding animals. Additionally, Mercy Corps will lead in promoting participatory early warning and disaster risk management.
Component 4, Livelihood Promotion and Resilience Building. In this component, Mercy Corps is expected to strengthen access to finance and markets for refugees and host communities in Dollo Ado.
This position requires key skills in M4P; relationship management within the team, with partner organizations stakeholders, and community members; and project management. The Market Systems Team Lead will also be a member of the MC Economic and Markets Development (EMD) Team, which uses market systems development to stimulate economic growth to create wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors. As a member of the EMD team, the Market Systems Advisor will contribute analytical thinking and innovative approaches and will support integration and harmony of approaches across all Mercy Corps Ethiopia market-driven programming. The EMD team is also expected to contribute up to 20% of its collective time towards new program development.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
The Market Systems Advisor is responsible for management and implementation of MC’s thematic areas of financial systems development. Key job functions include the following:
· Organize market assessment validation and activities planning workshop which will involve all key stakeholders.
· Advise/guide the project team to develop detailed plan for implementation of selected activities, including roles, timeframe, desired outcomes
· Develop, implement, monitor progress of work plans that can be adaptively managed
· Facilitate key relationships within the four market systems.
· Ensure that market systems work captures and responds to up-to-date information about market developments within respective market systems and global best practices for Economic & Markets Development.
· Manage all required documentation and reporting required by the lead agency
· Regularly visit field activities to assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback
· Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
· Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
· Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
· Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
· Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.
· Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
· Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.
· Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
· Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
· Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
· Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
· As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
· Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
· Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
· Deep understanding and mastery of Markets4Poor approach and Economic & Markets Development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating.
· Familiar with all aspects of the relevant market systems including key actors, micro-financial institutions (MFIs), banks, Insurances, information service providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions;
· Masters degree in economics, business administration, agribusiness, or other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required
The successful Market Systems Team Lead will be a self-starter able to work in ambiguous situations. S/he will be a tolerant, flexible and able to work in difficult and stressful environments while following procedures. S/he will be highly effective at building teams, problem solving, and capacity building of national staff. S/he will also have the skill to engage, motivate and encourage staff to bring creative solutions to development issues, identify opportunities for increased impact, and pursue project objectives.