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 works with communities, public and private sectors to implement appropriate relief, recovery and development interventions. Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.
Position Title: Cross Border Project Market Development Officer
Duty Station: Turmi SOUTH OMO ZONE,SNNPR, eTHIOPIA
Post Position: Two
PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
. 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.
Mercy Corps is a consortium member for the Omo Delta Programme: Expanding the Rangeland to achieve Growth and Transformation, funded by the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) and led by VSF-Germany and implemented in Ethiopia (South Omo, Bench Maji) and Kenya (Turkana, Marsabit). The program comprises three results areas: reinforced resilience, improved livelihood opportunities and enhanced integrated natural resource management. Within this consortium, Mercy Corps’ role is market systems strengthening; Mercy Corps Ethiopia and Mercy Corps Kenya will be collaborating in this effort.
General Position Summary
The Market development Officers will support the Project Manager with related activities of the project through its inception and implementation phase: conducting market system assessment, validation and activities selection; developing implementation plan of activities; providing response options, recommendations; and implementation of planned activities. The Officers will implement independently and in collaboration with consortium partners (VITA, EPaRDA, And VSFG) in Ethiopia side to coordinate, scale up and roll out activities project intervention areas. This position requires key skills in M4P; relationship management within the team, with partner organizations stakeholders, beneficiary community members; and project management.
The Market Systems officer 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 Officer will contribute analytical thinking and innovative approaches and will support integration and harmony of approaches across all Mercy Corps Ethiopia market-driven programming. The position is based out of Mercy Corps’ office in Turmi town of South Omo zone in SNNP region
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY & VISION
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• Develops her/his own deep understanding and mastery of ‘economic and market systems strengthening facilitation’ including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating;:
• Coordinate and organize market assessment validation and activities planning workshop, which will involve all key stakeholders.
• Advise/guide the project assistance officers to develop detailed operational plan for implementation of selected activities, including roles and responsibilities, timeframe, desired outcomes
• Develop, implement, monitor progress of work plans that can be adaptively managed
• Support project officers through capacity building, coaching and mentoring to improve their performance in executing planned activities in their respective target woredas
• 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 donor and government
• Support the project team lead on developing draft monthly, quarter, mid-term and annual report which will be submitted to project manager for review and further input
• Regularly travel to the field to implement major activities and guide/support assistance officers in planning and implementing sub activities. Furthermore regularly visit field activities to assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback.
• Adhere to Mercy Corps, donor and government policies, rules, regulation and procedures
• Respect the values, norms and the culture of beneficiary communities and local laws at all time
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps rules, regulations and procedures related to emergency and development programming.
• Participate or contribute in draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, donors, local governments and other stakeholders including beneficiary community members.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
SECURITY
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members under her/his supervision operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
• 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.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
• 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
• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, agribusiness, Agricultural economics or other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in private sector or working with other agencies(government or NGOs) in market systems facilitation, agribusiness or financial services
• 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, mobile banking agencies, information service providers, employment recruiting agencies, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, transporters, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all enabling and support markets and functions;
• Experience of working with pastoral communities in Ethiopia is required and experience of the context of south Omo and Bench Maji zone is an asset for consideration
• Fluent in English and Amharic required. Skills in one of the local language (Nyangatom, Dasenech, Surma and Hammer) is an asset and considered in the process of recruitment
• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Success Factors
The successful Market Development Officer is business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive and curious. S/he has great problem solving skills, is honest, a critical thinker, willing to help/volunteer and is results motivated. S/he has excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of private sector and NGO-sector actors. S/he is a team player with proven problem solving skill.