Job Description

Directly Reports to: Borana Field Office Coordinator and closely work with HEKS technical team, project staff and partners

Location: Yabello, with frequent visits to HEKS projects and partners, especially in Moyale and Miyo woredas.

Background

Swiss Church Aid/HEKS is the aid organization of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland and has its headquarters in Zurich/Switzerland. Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS works towards a more humane and more equitable world, assisting people and communities to overcome economic, social or humanitarian disparities in order to gain autonomy and to live with dignity both in Switzerland and abroad. Therefore, Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS engage in development cooperation, humanitarian aid and church cooperation and works in more than 30 countries and runs around 200 projects world-wide. Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS is a member of the ACT Alliance.

In Ethiopia, Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS has programmes with focus on Natural Resources Management, WASH, Inclusive Markets for Smallholder Pastoralists and Farmers and Humanitarian Assistance for drought and conflict affected communities.

Purpose of the job

To lead effective Market System Development activities of Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz (HEKS) in Borana Zone through development of Market System Development tools, capacity building of staff, beneficiaries and partners, and quality reporting in line with impact and sustainability requirements of the community, government, donors and other relevant stakeholders. The Market System Development Officer will report to the Borana Field Office Coordinator and closely work with HEKS technical team, project staff and partners.

Contract

• Contract on a 22-month basis, with possibility for extension depending on availability of funding and performance.

Key Responsibilities

• To ensure that organizational Market System Development strategies are properly followed in project development and implementation phases;
• To assist HEKS in conducting need assessments and data collection;
• To conduct market assessments and identify opportunities and challenges in local market systems;
• To conduct training on Market System Development;
• To facilitate Business to Business linkages and facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms;
• To assist establishment of linkages between beneficiaries and financial services, including project fund;
• To facilitate the management of adaptation trails and demonstration sites;
• To liaison with various zonal and district government offices and local partners in project appraisal, joint monitoring and evaluation;
• To ensure that vulnerable groups of the community are included in Market System Development processes in a meaningful manner;
• To ensure relevant information is collected and monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual reports are developed and shared with relevant stakeholders;
• To ensure relevant lessons, best practices and innovations are captured and shared with relevant partners and stakeholders;
• To undertake other assignments and assignments given by the Borana Field Office Coordinator.

Job Requirements

Essential 

• Bachelor’s Degree in agriculture, agri-business, business administration or related subject

Experience

Essential 

• Five years of relevant experience in Market System Development, preferably with International NGOs
• Experience in establishing linkages between different value chain actors
• Experience in team motivation and generating results
• Experience of organizing and conducting trainings and workshops at different levels
• Strong understanding of Social Development and gender issues
• Experience of generating information and effective reporting systems

Desired

• Experience in working with the private sector
• Experience in working across cultures and themes

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Willingness to work in a rural environment, and closely engaging with local communities and groups
• Ability to establish credibility and maintain supportive relationships with project staff, beneficiary community, donors, government and other stakeholders
• Strong communication and listening skills
• Strong reporting skills
• Understanding of financial requirements of projects and ability to prepare and manage budgets
• Very good command of written and spoken English, Amharic and Oromifa
• Very good verbal and written presentation skills
• Very good level of IT skills and computer literacy

Desired

• Networking ability to participate at policy level engagements with local government and other development partners

Personal Qualities

Essential

• A creative, innovative and flexible team player with ability to prioritize and manage a busy workload
• Holds him/herself and colleagues accountable for delivery of responsibilities
• Target driven and result oriented
• Approachable and good listener
• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrit
• A team leader, builder and developer 

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates can apply by sending letter of application and updated CV through Fiker.Tesfaye@heks-eper.org 

Deadline for application: November 24, 2020

Only short-listed applications will be contacted. No phone calls are allowed!

Qualified Female applicants are encouraged to apply

 Please note that this vacancy is only for Nationals of Ethiopia.

https://www.heks.ch/en/