Job Description

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004, working in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in Six regional states: Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples(SNNP), Amhara, Gambela 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 participating public. Mercy Corps has a growing portfolio of programs in Ethiopia that focus on food security; agriculture and livestock market systems development; maternal and child health and nutrition; youth economic productivity; resilience and humanitarian response. In Ethiopia, some of our donors include USAID, SIDA, EU, DFID, and WFP.

Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.

Position Title: Protection Officer

 Duty Station: Liben Woreda in Guji Zone

 Open Position: 1

 Program / Department Summary

 The project is intended to provide Effective and Sustainable, Health, Nutrition, Protection, Education, ESNFIs and WASH services for conflict and disaster affected population in Liben and Gumi Eldalo Woredas, Guji Zone, Oromia

General Position Summary

The position holder shall be in charge of technical quality implementation and delivery of the standalone protection activities and protection mainstreaming in all components of the project in the assigned Woreda. The position holder will mainly responsible the daily implementation; and consultation with government agencies, humanitarian actors and community members to identify protection risks and to develop possible strategies to mitigate protection risks and to strengthen response capacity of various actors. In addition, the position holder is also responsible to provide capacity building trainings on different protection topics including basic protection principles, GBV prevention and response mechanisms, PSEA and safeguarding to government line bureaus, community representatives and other humanitarian actors. S/He will also be responsible for day-to-day documentation of protection related activities, compile reports (weekly, and monthly); as well as represent Mercy Corps in protection related coordination forums such as Zonal and Woreda levels protection, CP/GBV, PSEA Network and so on.

Essential Job Responsibilities

 Strategy & Vision

• Collaborate and work closely with the project team members for effective integration of protection issues
• Collaborate with local authorities and other humanitarian actors’ to effectively identify protection risks in the area and to come up with risk mitigation and response strategies
• Able to learn and update his/ her information or knowledge to adapt the changing situation and context

 Program Management

• Coordinate and facilitate proper implementation of protection related activities of the project
• Provide trainings for Mercy Corps, government staff and other humanitarian actors on basic protection principles and protection mainstreaming, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, interagency standing committee guide line/IASC/ on Gender Based Violence /GBV/, GBV basic concepts and case management, safeguarding and so on. 
• Conduct protection risk assessment, analysis and share the information to service providers
•  Conduct GBV service mapping and coordinate with service providers to strengthen service provision and to support GBV survivors to have timely and multi- sector response services as required
• Provide awareness to community members on basic protection principles, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) trainings, Mercy Corps safeguarding principles and reporting mechanism
• Organize review meetings with community members, government representatives and other humanitarian actors in order to identify protection risks and to develop risk mitigation and response strategies 
• Ensure that the Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) related activities are properly implemented and referral are done as needed
• Participate in humanitarian coordination forums and platforms which focuses on protection issues
• Participate in capacity building trainings and workshops which focuses on protection issues
•  Make sure to provide appropriate support to the FO in implementation of gender equality, diversity and equality (GDI) priorities
• Coordinate and prepare weekly and monthly reports on protection activities and submit to project managers and other responsible team in the FO as well as Mercy Corps country office 

 Team Management

• Supports and liaise with all project team and provide a capacity building on protection mainstreaming and other on the job training and capacity building.
• Make sure to coordinate with other humanitarian actors in the areas and provide support to make sure to integrate basic protection principles during service delivery
• Coordinate with humanitarian actors and conduct periodic protection risk assessment and develop a joint strategy
• Coordinate with the health team and counsellors and make sure that MHPSS services are properly provided to the community who needs that support and document the information properly

 Finance & Compliance Management

Influence & Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps in different protection related platforms (Zonal and Wereda) levels and communicate what Mercy Corps is doing regarding protection and share lesson from other agencies as well 
•  Provide timely training and orientation to community volunteers and make sure that they transmit/convey messages clearly to the community on basic protection principles, safeguarding principles, reporting and response mechanism
• Coordinate with community volunteers and other community structures in the area to provide information to community member on available services for GBV survivors and other protection issues
• Creates and maintain relationship with local authorities and other service providers for effective service provision on protection issues
• Upholds the image and values of Mercy Corps at all times,

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. 

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• BA degree in Sociology, Psychology, Gender, Social work or other similar social science field of studies; and Minimum three years’ work experience in NGOs environment in protection and/or GBV related positions in humanitarian context.

Success Factors

• Ability and willingness to frequently travel to villages and willingness to reside in rural areas
• Good training facilitation skill
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions like long distance walking to distribution sites
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience in closely working with regional and Woreda government offices
• Excellent coordination skill
• Communication skill, good human relations
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality 

How to Apply

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised. All applications submitted to the Mercy Corps office include a CV, three references, and all relevant official documents. Applications will not be returned and will not be retained for future recruitment efforts. In order to ensure fairness to all applicant’s personal inquiries are not permitted.

 Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and   diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

        DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 09 January 2021/ 4:00 PM

 Please send non-returnable applications and credentials to one of the following address:  et-recruitment@mercycorps.org

Note: Please make sure that you mention the position title in the subject line of your email application. Mercy Corps Recruiter

Addis Ababa: P.O. Box 14319

Arbaminch , Jijiga: P.O. Box 225   

Negelle Borena: P.O. Box 116

Dire Dawa: P.O. Box 974