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. In partnership with civil society organizations, academic institutions, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Currently in six regional states – Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, and South Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR), and in Dire Dawa Administration and the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa – Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women. Our strategic directions focus in promoting inclusive and dynamic markets; promoting peace and social cohesion through strengthening formal/informal governance structures and citizen engagement; improved natural resource governance; and integrated humanitarian response.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 and acts on behalf of people who have become disenfranchised and poor. We stand with Ethiopia to find and access opportunities, and to be part of lasting and meaningful transformation in the country. Mercy Corps seeks to be influential with government and development actors toward a more resilient country where poverty is tackled through the eyes of those who understand it best. This translates into ensuring that the population is financially stable, healthy & nourished, educated & informed, and that natural resources are accessible, shared, and utilized sustainably. 

Mercy Corps is implementing a five-year, Feed the Future USAID-funded Resilience in Pastoral Areas (RIPA North) focused on: stimulating increased production, productivity, and marketing through more competitive livestock and livestock products markets; increasing communities’ resilience; improving alternative livelihood options through essential skills transfer; improving food security and nutrition, and contributing to the wider knowledge on pastoral development.  The program is operating in Afar, Somali, and Oromia regions.

Mercy Corps is looking for a strong Market System Development (MSD) specialist who will have the responsibility to support technical teams in targeting, monitoring of activities, performance checking, and outcome monitoring. 

Position Summary

The Market Systems Development (MSD) Specialist is responsible for facilitating interventions and activities under RiPA that pertains to Component 3: Intensified and Sustained Pastoral and Agropastoral Production and Marketing Component. She/he will be directly engaged with a wide range of actors and stakeholders including government, private sector actors and program participants with a focus on Livestock/crops production and marketing activities. He/she will be a key member of the Market Systems Development unit. The MSD Team uses a market-systems, community-led approach to stimulate economic growth to create wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors. The MSD Team is comprised of technical expertise in the areas of production, marketing, employment, input/output markets, post-harvest technologies and financial services. The focuses will be on supporting livestock/crop production activities, small and medium enterprises development, facilitating access and uses of production supporting inputs and output market development.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Provided technical facilitation support in the area of responsibilities for MSD activities to ensure the planned activists are implemented timely and with required deliverable quality.

• Facilitate and coordinates markets systems assessment, organizing validation workshops and stakeholder platforms/events in in collaboration with MSD specialists and Coordinators across the cluster.

• Facilitate capacity building efforts for market actors (i.e. private, public) on the MSD approaches, identification of the market system opportunities/constraints through conducting continues system analysis, develop approaches/modalities to support the establishment and/or expansion of the high potential small and medium scale private business enterprises in markets areas focused on last mile service delivery, access to livestock/agricultural inputs, support the delivery of market based animal health inputs, feed/fodder, agricultural inputs through market actors to targeted communities, facilities stimulating destocking and other related under RiPA component areas;

• Facilities the development of short-term strategies and its implementation linkages creation between market actors (i.e., training providers, technology providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, processors, cooperatives and other related) to improve outreaches in the target community.

• Engage in regular field visits to assess the activities implementation progress, give technical advises/mentor, and provide feedback(s) for further improvement.

• Closely work with supervisor and M&E team during the development of monitoring tools/measuring indicators, milestones development, and monitoring/ reporting of output and outcome in his/her area assigned.

• Ensures the program properly captures, documented and updated relevant information in Intensified and Sustained Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Production and Marketing of RiPA;

• In collaboration with cluster MSD team, work to build and maintain close relationships with key government partners and local implementers.

• Represent Mercy Corps professionally in cluster areas as to bring credit and to maintain its humanitarian and development mission.

• Compile and submit regular updates/reports (weekly, monthly and quarterly); and

• Other duties as assigned.

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.

• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Adherence of gender minimum standards

• Allocate budget for GESI related activities and staff capacity building on GESI

• Make sure GESI issues are properly reflected during program management

• Support the organization’s commitment to age and gender inclusive team building process

• Promote an inclusive and equitable workplace culture

• Support Staff Capacity Building on Increase staff knowledge of GEDSI

• Coordinate with GEDSI Technical Team Improve gender-responsiveness of program /Project MEAL system

• Increased commitment to Gender Equality Diversity and Social inclusion

Supervisory Responsibility

Reports Directly To: Component 3 MSD Coordinator based in Afar   

Works Directly With: Component three team Lead, MSD advisors, teams across the four components, other administrative, finance, and operations staff in-country.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

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

Job Requirements

Knowledge and Experience

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in the areas: Animal/plant science, natural resource management, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Agribusiness, Marketing and other related subjects.

• Have a minimum of 5 years’ experience supporting development interventions in private sector and/or NGOs working focused on MSD (facilitation and providing technical supports), agribusiness and/or financial services.

• Good understanding on the Markets for Poor approach and Markets development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating.

• Experiences in supporting privet sector lead business enterprises in pastoral/ agro-pastoral settings, providing business development supports, industries (public and private), institutions and stakeholders.

• Knowledge of participatory analyses, action and results processing.

• Experience/exposures to the location/region he/she applied for.

• Knowing the Afar area context is required

Success Factors

• Fluent in English and Afar language 

• Business-minded, entrepreneurial, curious, great problem-solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and networking skills with a wide range of actors across geographical areas

• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

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

Ongoing Learning

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 and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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 interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised. All applications must be submitted electronically including a CV, three references, and all relevant official documents using 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.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 01 September 2024/ 4:00 PM