MSD Intern|Semera

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 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. With the launch of Mercy Corps Global Strategy, Pathway to Possibility, the country office is poised to operationalize its three-year strategy with a vision 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. In Ethiopia, our strategy focuses in the four outcome areas: 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 six regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and South Ethiopia. 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 Ethiopia empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. 

Position Title: MSD Intern

Duty Station: Semera

Open Position:  1

Duration of Internship: 6 months

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

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.

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.

Component Three: Intensified and Sustained Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Production and marketing within the goal of the program planned to reach around 140,150 households during the life of the program. This component will be implemented in partnership with CARE (focused on Objective 3.2 & 3.3). By close collaboration and Intentional integration within component and consortium, it will implement an integrated gender transformative program to address underlying causes of vulnerability households to recurrent shocks and stresses.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Developing oral and written communication skills
• Enhancing knowledge and understanding on MSD focused activities implementation.
• Developing self-reliance and self-confidence skills
• Improving skills for understanding and working with people with diverse background and cultures.
• Improving skills on working effectively within diverse environments.

By the end of the internship, the intern will have developed the following knowledge and experience:

• Improved knowledge in engaging 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.
• Developed knowledge in supporting livestock/crop production activities, facilitating access and uses of production supporting inputs and output market development.
• Increased knowledge in facilitating markets systems assessment, organizing validation workshops and stakeholder engagement platforms/events.
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Enhanced knowledge and understanding on MSD focused activities implementation.
• Improved skills for understanding and working with people with diverse background and cultures.

 DELIVERABLES:

• Learn how to support livestock/crop production activities through mentoring by Officer, Specialist and Coordinator.
• Learning through Participating in facilitation of technical support in the area of responsibilities for MSD activities together with the component team.
• Learning through Participating in the Facilitation of capacity building efforts for market actors (i.e., private, public) on the MSD approaches
• Learning by conducting preliminary assessments and identification of the market system opportunities/constraints through conducting continues system analysis.
• Learning through Participating and engaging in regular field visits to assess the activities implementation progress.
• Learning through Participating and Facilitating markets systems assessment, organizing validation workshops and stakeholder platforms/events in collaboration with MSD Officer, Specialists and Coordinators across the cluster.
• She/he will learn by directly engaging 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.

IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

1. BSC in Animal Science
2. One letter of recommendation from a university / higher institution on the candidate’s personal integrity and sense of responsibility is required.

LIVING CONDITIONS: The internship should be based in the intern’s home location. 

Mercy Corps interns represent the agency both during and outside work hours and are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)
• Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.

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.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries 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.

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.

NOTE: All interns must be active at a university or recently graduated (within about 1 year).

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: 23 November 2023/ 4:00 PM