Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004, working in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in five regional states - Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, Amhara - and the capital city of Addis Ababa. We engage in both development and humanitarian work, and seek to integrate approaches, programs and geographies as much as possible. Our partners include government, academic institutions, development and private sector actors, civil societies and communities. Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.
Position Title: Project Officer
Location: Kebribayah, Sheder and Awbarre
Number of Positions: 3
In May 2019 Mercy Corps will begin implementation of the EUR 10 million, 44-month ‘Strengthened Socio-Economic Development and Better Employment Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities in the Jigjiga Area’ program, with funding from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF). The program is being implemented in partnership with Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
Globally, and in Ethiopia, Mercy Corps is a leading practitioner of market systems development (MSD) approaches to poverty reduction, with particular expertise in implementing MSD programs in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. This program will apply our market systems expertise to refugee and host community contexts in the Jigjiga area, with the objective of finding durable solutions to the protracted refugee situation. This program is part of a broader portfolio of markets and refugee programming for Mercy Corps in Ethiopia.
The program has three objectives / outcomes:
1. Increase the ability of the local/regional economy to create jobs for various skills as per existing and/or potential economic value chains;
2. Increase demand-driven skills of the labour force in the area of intervention;
3. Refugee and host communities experience improved social integration and access legal rights
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· The Project officer is a key member of large team composing of advisors, specialists and senior officers and plays facilitating role in the project implementation at field and site level. He/she will be responsible for gathering and documentations of all relevant information for designing and implementing market system related activities of the project from assessments/analysis, activities selection and implementation of activities and scaling up and rolling out activities in the three project sites. He/she is expected to have more familiarity and understanding in the uses market systems development approaches to stimulate economic growth to create wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors.
● Works closely with project team including Market system development advisors, specialists, senior officers and other team members in activities designing and strategy development and in applying market systems development approaches to refugee and host community contexts
● Keeps all necessary information and tracks all records of beneficiaries, businesses institutions and stakeholders in the site.
● Provides field level facilitation supports to other team members for innovative action and exchange information, coordinate activities and develop team spirit in project management
● Supports Market Systems Development specialists, senior officers and other team members in the design and implementation of project activities, facilitates assessments, collects up to date information on market actors’ actions, behaviors, dynamics, functions, opportunities and constraints provides briefings and debriefing to partners and project team.
● Participates in the development of detailed implementation plans for project activities, including roles, timeframe, desired outcomes
● Develops, implements, monitors progress of work plans at site levels and adaptively manage the project activities at his/her respective locations
● Works with other team members to develop the capacities of small-scale businesses, Agriculture, livestock and financial services actors in target refugees and host communities.
● Represents MC in all coordination meetings at site levels and also facilitates community level discussions, conferences, focus group discussions, guide the implementation of activities and facilitate monitoring activities
● Prepare all required documentation and reporting required and submit to Market System Specialists and senior team members
● Assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback to other team members
● Adhere to Mercy Corps, donor and government policies and procedures.
● Works closely with the program team and partners ensuring we adhere to humanitarian principles, Mercy Corps’ gender policies, Do No Harm principles and beneficiary accountability standards;
● Integrates community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities;
● Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide
● Participates market assessment validation and activities planning workshop, which will involve all key stakeholders.
· Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
· Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
· 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.
· 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.
· Bachelor’s degree in one of the following subjects: , Economics, Crop Science, Animal Science, Rural Development and agricultural extension and, Agricultural Economics;
· One or two years of experience in the agriculture and financial markets in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems of Ethiopia;
· Understanding and mastery of Markets4Poor approach and Economic & Markets Development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating.
· Experience in working with livestock , crop production and financial market actors in the industry (public and private) actors and institutional stakeholders;
· Demonstrated program implementation capabilities;
· Knowledge of participatory analyses, action and results processes;
· Experience in the region is required; previous experience in arid and semi-arid parts of Ethiopia is preferred;
· Fluent in English and Somali languages
· Business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, great problem solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.
· He/She will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures
· Excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of private, partner and NGO-sector actors
· Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
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