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: Senior Market System Development (MSD) Officer

Location: Jijiga

 Number of Positions: Two

Program / Department Summary

In May 2019 Mercy Corps began implementation of EUR 10 million, 44-month ‘Strengthened Socio-Economic Development and Better Employment Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities (STEDE) in the Fafan Zone Somali Region –Ethiopia, 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:

• Increase the ability of the local/regional economy to create jobs for various skills as per existing and/or potential economic value chains;
• Increase demand-driven skills of the labour force in the area of intervention;
• Refugee and host communities experience improved social integration and access legal rights

General Position Summary

• Mercy Corps seeks Senior Markets system development officer (SMSDO) for the STEDE Program. This position will be based in Jijiga, Ethiopia. The SMSDO will report directly to the Consortium 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 markets that can create some vibrant job opportunities for the Refugees and the Host communities.

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
• Facilitate implementation of employment and labor market information opportunities amongst women and youth in Fafan Zone-Somali Region. Facilitate activities to connect women and youth to start and/or continue employment/entrepreneurship opportunities by facilitating linkage with employers’, relevant stakeholders and other system actors.
• Plan and organize timely implementation of intervention concept note among public and private sector partners in close coordination with Intervention lead advisors 
• Manage relationship with partners in conducting capacity assessment, track performance, ensure activities are in line to address systemic problem, identify potential intervention areas for expansion and scale up
• Support in monitoring, evaluation, learning, research and communication activities across the labor sector interventions primarily and in cross sectoral intervention activities
• Organize lesson learning workshops and other events and proper documentation for future programmatic actions
• Compile and update STEDE filing system, and other related documentation
• Continuously ensure integration of activities of wage employment with in the labor market and with other sectors for STEDE.
• Work closely across consortium partner team members to conduct assessment across selected sectors/market systems and with a special focus on employment related but not limited to job matching, and other priority functions in Fafan Zone-Somali Region, including understanding constraints related to unemployment, technology to enhance employment and related functions and identify potential private and public sector firms for partnership

Program management

• Supports the expansion of the high potential markets for Agriculture, livestock and financial services, in target refugees and host communities.
• Work with market actors like inputs suppliers, producers, traders, aggregators, value adders, processors, cooperatives, Agri Businesses, Banks, MFIs, RuSSACOS and VSL’s to strengthen their reach in serving the refugees and host communities.
• Supports the expansion of MFI and its network of mobile money transfer
• platforms into refugee- hosting areas, such as identifying and training mobile banking agents
• Supports the team
• to conduct ‘refresher’ market analysis of crop, livestock and financial markets to generates programmatic understanding about the market opportunities, constraints related to access to inputs, knowledge/skills, limited value addition – will support the team to identify any market shifts caused by recent shocks and stresses.
• Work with the teams to map the relevant market functions and key market players. Execute quality activities, track results, update any changes in capacities, constraints, and incentives to adopt new market behaviors and develop and implement activities
• 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 Economic & Markets Development Build and maintain close relationships with key government partners in Jigjiga, at all levels
• Work 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;
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities;
• Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• Good understanding of Markets Systems Development (aka Making Markets Work for the poor-M4P) approach and facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, open and willing to work on new initiatives 
• Familiar with all aspects of the relevant market systems including key actors, job matching service providers, information service providers, employers of different scale, micro-finance institutions (MFIs), banks, Insurances providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions;
• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, agribusiness, or other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in private sector or working with other agencies in market systems facilitation, livelihood programs, rural development, agribusiness or financial services
• Excellent communication, organizational and prioritization skills and the ability to multi-task and support and/or fill multiple positions at one time.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work both independently and cooperatively with team members.

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.

 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.

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;
• Five years of experience in the agriculture and financial markets in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems of 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;
• Demonstrated program implementation and training 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;

Success Factors

• 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)

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 applicants 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 candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 22 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.