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 Coordinator
Duty Station: Turmi SOUTH OMO ZONE,SNNPR, eTHIOPIA
Post Position: One
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 Cross Border Project Coordinator 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 (South Omo Zone and Bench Maji); 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 support the Team Lead in M&E, financial and operational management, and project management of the Mercy Corps team in the field. This position requires key skills in M4P; relationship management within the team, with partner organizations stakeholders, and Beneficiary community members; and project management. The position is based out of Mercy Corps’ office in in Turmi town of South Omo zone in SNNPR.
Essential Job Responsibilities
OVERALL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
• Facilitate selected market systems assessment validation and activities planning workshop which will involve all key stakeholders and project staff members.
• Advise/guide the Field level project team members(Market Development officers and Assistance project officers) to develop detailed plan for implementation of selected activities, operational plan to realize planned activities(How) including roles and responsibilities of team members, timeframe, desired outcomes
• Develop, implement, monitor progress of work plans that can be adaptively managed
• 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, donor and government
• Regularly visit field activities to assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback
• Provide constructive feedback to staff (subordinate, lateral and senior) both through informal and formal processes
• Identify and recommend critical training needs of field level team, ensuring gaps are adequately addressed
• Recommend HR actions in accordance with Mercy Corps Ethiopia Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual and the Ethiopian Labor Law
• Serve as primary point-person for field level office external relations ensuring strong relationships with all field level stakeholders – program and non-program related
• Provide timely updates to supervisor, key program, operations, technical as well as administrative point persons on progress and issues, identifying risks and proposing solutions for action and early resolution
• Respond positively to critical feedback and focus on results delivered to clients;
• Demonstrate openness to change and ability to manage complexity in a stable and calm fashion;
• Analyze and provide updates on the political, social and economic trends in field level area
• Adhere to Mercy Corps, donor and government policies and procedures
• Represent Mercy Corps professionally at all times
• Perform other tasks as requested
TEAM MANAGEMENT
• 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.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
• 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.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
• 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.
SECURITY
• 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.
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
• 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, Mobile banking Agencies, Insurances, cooperatives, private sectors, employment agencies information service providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions;
• Bachelor degree in economics, business administration, agribusiness, Agriculture, Agricultural economics, Environmental sciences, NRM or other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required
• BA/Sc or equivalent in finance, economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural economics, NRM, Agriculture or related field;
• Minimum of three to five years’ mid to senior-level field leadership experience;
• Demonstrated success in projects related to market systems strengthening, financial inclusion, private sector development, marketing and value chain programming;
• Experience of working with pastoralist communities in Ethiopia is required. Experience of South omo and Bench maji is an advantage for consideration
• Demonstrated ability to function as a social entrepreneur and proven success with building, managing and leading a team of professionals and the ability to function as a team player among peers is required;
• Proven ability for project and financial management;
• Effective verbal and written communication in English, multi-tasking, organizational, prioritization skills;
• Ability to work comfortably, effectively and creatively in areas of variable security and context;
• History of working effectively and respectfully with various government sectors, private sector, INGO, NGO and CBOs partners in complex environments;
• A dynamic, “outside-the-box” attitude is required, with proven ability to think and act creatively in challenging environments;
• Multi-tasking, organization and prioritization skills
• Critical thinking in problem solving
• Fluency/proficiency in one of the local language (Hammer, Nyangatom, Dasenech and Surma) in addition to Amharic is an advantage
Success Factors
The successful Project Manager 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 local and national laws, organization procedures, rules and regulations and respecting norms and values of the beneficiary community. S/he will be highly effective at building teams, problem solving, and capacity building of field team. 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.
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