About Mercy Corps

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: Market System Development Specialist

 Location: Gambella

Number of Positions: Two

Program / Department Summary

·         Mercy Corps is committed to supporting the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to address the challenge posed by the large influx of refugees into the country. Ethiopia has the second largest refugee population in Africa, second only to Uganda. The official refugee population is more than 905,000 individuals, composed of mainly South Sudanese (48%), Somalis (28%), Eritreans (18%), and Sudanese (5%) living in 25 refugee camps in peripheral regions of the country. The largest populations are in Gambela Region (44% of refugees) and Somali Region (28%).

·         The scale of the refugee numbers, and the long-term nature of the challenge (many refugees have been living in the country for more than 20 years), requires new thinking and innovative solutions. This has been recognized by the GoE through its support for the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), and through the draft of a ‘National Comprehensive Refugee Response Strategy’ (NCRRS) by the Administration of Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA). The NCRRS includes ‘Nine Pledges’ that ultimately aim to create productive and self-reliant citizens among refugees and host communities.

·         Mercy Corps has extensive expertise in developing sustainable solutions to complex humanitarian challenges. We employ a systems-strengthening approach to improve human and social capital; and to link, strengthen and expand systems critical to improving household incomes and resilience at the individual, community and systems level.

·         Mercy corps in partnership with DCA is about to implement a market system program that is WFP Funded (supported by SIDA and DANAID) in the Gambella region. It aims to support the long standing challenges of refuges and host communities and proposed action contributes to the EU’s commitment to supporting the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), and SDGs 1, 5, 8 and 10, including the Decent Work and Economic Growth goal. The action also supports the Government of Ethiopia’s (GoE) CRRF pledge, including the signing of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016 and the revision of Ethiopia’s Refugee Proclamation in January 2019.For this reason, Mercy Corps is planning to conduct market system assessments to better understand needs and opportunities, focusing on Gamblella region including all the refugee camps.

General Position Summary

·         Mercy Corps seeks Market System Development specialists for the Gambella MARLI Program. This position will be based in Gambella, Ethiopia. The Advisor will report directly to the Program Manager and work to support the effort in improving the livelihood options and participations for both the host and refugee community with better economic integration among themselves. He/she will be working with the team to establish a better understanding of the agriculture, the labor and financial markets that can create better opportunities for the target groups.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

·         Recognizes opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where project teams work together, exchange information, coordinate activities and develop team spirit in project management

·         Works closely with project management other team members to contribute to a vision and strategy development and in applying market systems development approaches to refugee and host community contexts

Program management

·         Coordinates and organizes market assessment validation and activities planning workshop, which will involve all key stakeholders.

·         Generates more understanding on market actors’ actions, behaviors, dynamics, functions, opportunities and constraints by conducting continues market system analysis and develop approaches, modalities to support the establishment and expansion of the private business institutions in high potential markets for small scale businesses, Agriculture, livestock and financial services, in target refugees and host communities.

·         Develops short strategies and implementation plans for carrying out activities that strengthen good linkages between market actors such as inputs suppliers, producers, traders, aggregators, value adders, processors, cooperatives, Agri Businesses, Banks, MFIs, RuSACCOs and VSL’s to strengthen their reach in serving the refugees and host communities.

·         Leads the implementation of high impactful activities to support labor markets actors to enable them to create job opportunities for youth, women and job seekers in the refugee and host communities’ areas

·         Regularly visits field activities to assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback.

·          Develops key monitoring and measuring indicators, milestones and plans in close collaboration with supervisor and M&E team, and solely responsible for monitoring and reporting all output, outcome and impact indicators for respective market system(s).

·         Ensures the program captures and responds to up-to-date information about market developments within respective market systems and global best practices for Markets Systems Development.

·         Builds and maintains close relationships with key government partners in Gambella Town, and all refugee camps in Gambella at all levels

·         Develops quarterly and final report providing summary of activities and recommendations and share with his/her supervisor and other team members and stakeholders.

·         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

·         Participate market assessment validation and activities planning workshop, which will involve all key stakeholders.

 Team Management

·         Familiarize the team with all aspects of agriculture, Livestock and Financial market systems the project is targeting including key actors; governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions.

·         Trains and provides mentoring to the teams working with him/under him to acquire knowledge and key tools in market systems Development and facilitation approach and works in field with the objectives to increase their capacities in program implementation effectiveness

·         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. 

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.

Knowledge and Experience

·         Bachelor’s degree in one of the following subjects: , Economics, Crop Science, Animal Science, Rural Development and agricultural extension and, Agricultural Economics;

·         Three to five years of experience in the agriculture and financial markets  in Ethiopia

·         Deep 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;

·         Knowledge of participatory analyses, action and results processes;

·         Experience in the region is required;

Success Factors

·         Fluent in English and at least one of the local languages in the Gambella region

·         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)