Position:- Senior Governance Advisor

Location:- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Position Status: Full Time

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas of: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use.  Currently we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations.

Mercy Corps is seeking a dynamic and passionate Senior Governance Advisor to lead our governance approaches across the different components of the USAID-funded multi-year Resilience in Pastoral Areas Activity (RIPA) – North (RIPA-North). RIPA-North started in February 2020 and is currently scheduled to end in August 2025, but with the strong possibility of follow-on funding. RIPA-North takes a systems approach to improve the resilience capacities of households, markets and governance institutions across 22 woredas in the Somali, Afar and Oromia regions. The activity integrates four technical components and a ‘crisis modifier’ intervention which is aimed at protecting development gains against shocks and stresses. The components include: 1) Improved Disaster Risk Management (DRM) systems and capacity; 2) Diversified and sustainable economic opportunities for people Transitioning out of Pastoralism (ToPs) particularly youth and women; 3) Intensified and sustained pastoral and agro-pastoral production and marketing; 4) Improved and sustained nutrition and hygiene practices; and 5) Crisis modifier. The RIPA North CoP will be responsible for overall management of the activity including consortium partnerships and relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels including close collaboration and coordination with RIPA South. 

General Position Summary 

The Senior Governance Advisor position is responsible for setting the strategy for governance approaches across the different thematic areas of RIPA-North, in particular related to government and community disaster risk management (DRM) and natural resource management (NRM) and government nutrition services. The Senior Governance Advisor will play a key role in providing capacity building, expert technical support, oversight, and monitoring of governance activities. The Senior Governance Advisor will be responsible for developing and implementing the Governance activities in coordination with the three regional government stakeholders including project staff. This is a 20-month position, so the focus will be on building the capacity of government stakeholders. Activities will include developing and rolling out a comprehensive program strategy to build the operational and technical capacity of local implementing partners, engage government and increase coordination among formal and informal stakeholders, and mobilize communities to undertake collective action.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategy and vision

• Develop a strategy for influencing government institutions to invest in community DRM and rangeland management plans.

• Develop a strategy and roadmap for government ownership and financing of climate information services.

• Review the sustainability prospects of key community governance institutions (e.g., DRM Councils and Rangeland Councils) and develop a strategy for improving sustainability.

Program Management

• Collaborate with component teams and field teams in day-to-day and ongoing coordination with regional government officials and community structures on program delivery, coordinated activities, joint planning, capacity strengthening strategies and activities, and measurement.

• Support integration of cross-cutting aspects of the program such as gender equality, peace building and social cohesion, youth, climate adaptation, and resilience into country-level institutional strengthening strategy.

• Support RIPA field teams in the socialization of the program with local and country Government stakeholders, traditional leaders, local civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, to ensure support for and acceptance of RIPA programs, and pursue necessary approvals and collaboration as required.

• Lead implementation of country-level context and government capacity assessment processes, including managing staff or consultants, coordinating across Mercy Corps/CARE and consortium partner teams, and/or joint mapping of formal and informal governance structures with key stakeholders.

• Prepare regular country context updates including analysis of governance planning and budgeting cycles and political windows of opportunity and advise how these may affect the implementation of the RIPA North activities in the country.

• Refine and implement regional-contextual strategies for community mobilization and engagement in governance processes.

• Work with the RIPA component Leads and CoP to develop and/or refine, to strengthen community mobilization, civil society strengthening, or the capacity of government officials in community engagement skills, including facilitation, consultation, negotiation, and participatory planning and budgeting.

• Mentor participating officials in good governance skills, including planning and conducting regular awareness-raising and consultative meetings with government and communities on issues related to DRM, NRM, Gender and Nutrition planning.

• Support the Institutionalization of Learning Systems Strengthening in providing strategy and direction for country-level program implementation. Maintain a monitoring system to measure the overall performance of the governance system of the field office.

• Design and facilitate community and government learning events to review progress, highlight challenges and identify solutions.

• Contribute country-level information on complementary activities by partners and collaborating agencies to support program coordination at the household and community levels.

• Convene and facilitate meetings between governance structures at different levels and across geographies to promote communication and collaboration within and between government authorities.

• Leads governance knowledge management-related activities with CO and field offices including documentation.

• In coordination with the collaboration, Learning and Accountability (CLA) team, support documentation of information regarding governance practices and outcomes.

• With input from the Mercy Corps CLA team, produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities.

• Participate in the agency-wide governance practitioners learning exchange network.

• Proactively ensures networking and sharing of lessons from CARE and Mercy Corps programs with strategic governance and other stakeholders including government.

• Ensures the communication of governance concepts within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders.

• Organizes feedback sessions and other platforms at the CO and field office level with partners, beneficiaries, and stakeholders (private and public sectors), and, with the assistance of the Managers, ensures responses are provided timely.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Mentor participating officials in good governance skills, including planning and conducting regular awareness-raising and consultative meetings with government and communities on issues related to DRM, NRM, Gender and Nutrition planning.

• Support the Institutionalization of Learning Systems Strengthening in providing strategy and direction for country-level program implementation. Maintain a monitoring system to measure the overall performance of the governance system of the field office.

• Design and facilitate community and government learning events to review progress, highlight challenges and identify solutions.

• Contribute country-level information on complementary activities by partners and collaborating agencies to support program coordination at the household and community levels.

• Convene and facilitate meetings between governance structures at different levels and across geographies to promote communication and collaboration within and between government authorities.

• Leads governance knowledge management-related activities with CO and field offices including documentation.

• In coordination with the collaboration, Learning and Accountability (CLA) team, support documentation of information regarding governance practices and outcomes.

• With input from the Mercy Corps CLA team, produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities.

• Participate in the agency-wide governance practitioners learning exchange network.

• Proactively ensures networking and sharing of lessons from CARE and Mercy Corps programs with strategic governance and other stakeholders including government.

• Ensures the communication of governance concepts within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders.

• Organizes feedback sessions and other platforms at the CO and field office level with partners, beneficiaries, and stakeholders (private and public sectors), and, with the assistance of the Managers, ensures responses are provided timely.

Finance and Compliance Management

• In collaboration with the country program’s operations and finance departments, ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources and logistics (including transport, warehousing and asset management) needs of the program are conducted within Mercy Corps’ policy and with the maximum benefit to the program.

• Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the government of Ethiopia.

• Ensure compliance with USAID and Mercy Corps’ regulations. 

Influence and Representaion

• Liaise with and represent RIPA-North governance approaches and outcomes to USAID and other cooperating sponsors and stakeholders.

• Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the Country Director.

• Ensure close coordination and information sharing with consortium partners, sub-grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.

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. 

Accountability to Beneficiaries 

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

• This position does not have any direct supervisory responsibility.

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: Chief of Party, RIPA-North

Works Directly With: RIPA-North Component Leads, Component 1 and Component 4 field-level technical coordinators, CLA and MEL teams, MC Global Governance Team and partner organizations.

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience 

• (Required) Bachelor’s degree in political science, Social Sciences, Democracy and Governance, International Development, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management/ Disaster Risk Management, Statistics, or other related field or equivalent combination of education & work experience.

• (Desired) MA Degree in Political Science, Social Sciences, Democracy and Governance, International Development, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management/ Disaster Risk Management, Statistics, or related field with required or demonstrated equivalent work experience in the field.

• Knowledge and working experience with various levels of Ethiopian Governance System.

• Ability to work in a consortium led program.

• 4 to 5 years of proven relevant field management in the area of governance system.

• Strong track record of managing programs with engagement with or work through the governance system and addressing relevant cross-cultural issues.

• Demonstrated experience working in, collaborating, or partnering with different government offices or departments and ability to represent the organization professionally and appropriately. 

• Highly organized which gives attention to detail and analytical skills.

• Training and facilitation skills tailored to different cross-cultural contexts.

• Computer skills particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others

• Strong oral and written communication skills in English including report development, writing, and editing.

• Ability to meet deadlines and follow procedures; work independently and cooperatively with team members.

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills in working with multi-disciplinary teams.

• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, sensitivity to HIV/AIDS, participatory approach and sustainability.

• Proficiency in English, both in verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational & prioritization

 Success Factors 

A successful candidate will have the ability to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with a capacity to spark innovative approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. S/he will have proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results, with an ability and willingness to remain mobile for short-term and/or long-term as necessary within the region, based on programmatic needs. An ability to work independently and as part of a team, with curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures, a desire and ability to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and a great sense of humor.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions 

The position is based in Addis Ababa with up to 40% travel to project sites in Somali, Oromia and Afar regions.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

This project will be adaptive based on learning and evidence emerging from program interventions and research.

Additionally, in support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

How to Apply

All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically online through THIS LINK

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.”