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, Gambella 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: Project Coordinator /Technical Lead for Enter Energy

Location: Jijiga

Number of Positions: 1

Program Summary

Powering infrastructure in relief settings, where clinics, offices, communications towers, water pumping stations and other necessary services are commonly fueled by diesel generators, represents a substantial economic burden for humanitarian agencies & for the businesses and households located in refugee settlements and host communities. The expansion of off-grid electricity services above household scale in humanitarian settings is limited by a lack of reliable ‘anchor’ customers upon which bankable business models can be based. The application of renewable energy in the humanitarian sector is hampered by the initial higher upfront cost of solar and other renewable installations compared with diesel generators, and the perception that any investments must be short-term due to the outdated nature of humanitarian response funding cycles.

Mercy Corps has conducted a baseline study on energy access in Jijiga, Somali Region, which has resulted in the development of a scalable, replicable model for integrated renewable electrification that would improve operational sustainability for humanitarian organizations while enabling better service delivery for people living in refugee settlements and host communities. Mercy Corps will undertake this effort in collaboration with private sector actors to ensure sustainability of the business model proposed and with the aim to reach scale for access to energy in displacement settings for all segments of the population.

General Position Summary 

Mercy Corps is looking for an experienced, qualified Project Coordinator to support the implementation of the Enter Energy programme including leading the field activities of the project. In addition, the Project Coordinator will also be the lead Technical Solar PV Mini-grid expert overseeing the development of the mini-grid facilities, partner management and research and learning activities. This is an exciting opportunity to combine innovative energy & MSD programming, and a unique opportunity to become a leading expert in applying sustainable energy access approaches to refugee contexts.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy and vision

• Work closely with the Team Lead and program team members to develop a strategy for achieving the objectives and KPIs of the Enter Energy programme.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome 

Program management

• In coordination with Team Lead and program team members, lead program start-up, management, administration and closeout of programme. Ensure implementation is on time, target and budget.
• Lead assessments and analysis across all target locations (including needs, markets and conflict), drawing on external technical expertise as needed;
• Lead the process of developing partnership frameworks to support program implementation, partner agreements and ensure partner capacity building;
• Coordinate, manage and motivate program teams across all implementation locations, ensuring they have clear objectives / individual work plans as part of performance management, and receive meaningful feedback on their performance;
• Mentor program team members (program and M&E) reporting directly to this position, ensuring their ability to manage across programs in each of the target geographies;
• Work with the program teams to ensure close relationships with key government partners, at all levels;
• Monitor work and targets closely to ensure that programs are able to provide maximum benefit to our beneficiaries within program timeframes;
• Work closely with 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.

Technical responsibilities - mini-grid development

• Engineering phase: this includes the review of the designs, and propose possible alternatives scenario to optimize the performance of the systems at all levels (generation, storage, transport, distribution, commercialization), as well as the final selection of the site(s) for the implementation of the generation assets;
• Procurement phase: ensure compliance with the bill of quantities and calendar of procurement as per contract terms; lead the inspection of items packed for shipping and shipping documents when needed; support the processes required for export clearance of imported material, as well as customs clearance on arrival; follow and supervise logistics until the consignment of items to the sites; receive the items to the sites;
• Construction phase: supervise constructions by the EPC and ensure time and quality compliance as per contracts and legal terms; report regularly to the client about the state of advancement of works, criticalities, and propose alternative courses of actions in concertation with the EPC contractor, if necessary;
• Disbursements: ensure the reaching of all agreed milestones and delivery of completion certificates, to allow disbursement of payments at the agreed milestones.
• Assist the commissioning of the sites;
• Lead the review and benchmarking of operating cost estimates including negotiation-based industry practices and local (Ethiopian) contexts;
• Support the design of the O&M contracts;
• Facilitate the training of operating entities and handover of assets 

Team Building and Management

• Lead and manage recruitment and training of all team members working in the portfolio, including on energy programming working closely with the Team Lead;
• Oversee the documentation and filing systems for all programs in the portfolio, and ensure that information is organized according to the reporting and auditing needs. Ensure required levels of confidentiality;
• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its work;
• Develop the capacity of the program team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development;
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Finance and Operations Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps’ regulations related to programming and operations.
• With support of the Operations Manager, ensure adequate operational systems are in place to provide for programs implementation;
• Ensure proper logistics, administration, human resources and transport needs of the programs are conducted within Mercy Corps policy;
• Manage program budgets as the primary budget holder;
• Exercise sound judgment to ensure projects’ expenses are reasonable, allocable and prudent. Ensure all projects’ funds are spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations. Work with Director of Programs to forecast expenditure surpluses and deficits to enable adjustments;
• Strictly follow Mercy Corps’ Fraud and Prevention guidelines.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Ensure that program teams are continually gathering and digesting operating environment data and activity reports, and that teams are holding frequent activity review sessions to continually re-examine the relevance and impact of their programming;
• Coordinate and share information with the Team Lead to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are being achieved. Advise on suggested improvements, as required;
• Ensure program teams have community complaint and feedback mechanisms in place and that complaints and feedback being received are responded to within a timely manner.

Policy, advocacy, Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at related events and contribute to thought leadership on Humanitarian Energy Solutions in Ethiopia and globally;
• Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions working on energy solutions for refugees.

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

• BSc Degree in Electrical Engineering; a Master’s in Engineering is a plus. Specific education and training in solar PV technology, especially on mini-grids, will be an advantage.
• 3+ years of experience in kW-scale commercial PV system design, permitting, construction and commissioning in Ethiopia
• Experience in providing technical support energy-related projects with accountability for project performance and design. Experience with low and medium voltage power grids required.
• At least 5 years of experience designing, implementing and managing similar energy and livelihood initiatives (private sector partnership, economic strengthening, and market systems development) is necessary.
• Experience in building and maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partners is required.
• Experience in market development for off-grid energy systems is an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal, writing and oral presentation skills in English are required.
• Strong leadership and proven team building experience is necessary.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Excellent coordination and representation experience is needed, especially in building and maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner agencies and government agencies;
• Excellent MEL, data analytics and quantitative skills are strongly preferred;
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required. Experience in working in refugee settlements especially in the Somali Region is preferred.

Success Factors

The ideal candidate will have the ability and curiosity to work comfortably and effectively in the cultural, relatively poor infrastructure of the Somali Region. S/he will be an excellent communicator, have a strong sense of humor, multi-tasker, and able to work difficult and often stressful environments. S/he will be committed to the work of Mercy Corps and the objectives of this program. They will demonstrate their dedication with a strong work ethic, attention to detail and creative problem solving. The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security and social environment of Ethiopia.

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

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 22 April, 2021/ 4:00 PM

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

Mercy Corps Recruiter Addis Ababa: P.O.Box14319, Arba Minch: P.O.Box33, Jijiga: P.O.Box 225, Negelle Borena: P.O. Box 116, Dire Dawa: P.O. Box 974