TEAM LEAD -DIVERSIFIED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

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.

The Program/Department Summary

The Resilience in Pastoral Areas (RIPA) program is a five-year USAID-funded initiative that aims to improve the resilience capacities of households, markets, and governance institutions across 22 woredas in the Somali, Afar, and Oromia regions. RiPA is designed across four major technical-themed components with targeted activities and a ‘Crisis Modifier’ which will allow an implementation to pivot the adaptive management approach and respond to humanitarian needs in ways that support, not undermine long-term development and resilience objectives.

General Position Summary

The Diversified Economic Opportunities Team Lead will help develop diversified and sustainable economic opportunities for people transitioning out of pastoralism (ToPs) and support the development of viable, less-climate-dependent economic opportunities with a focus on women and youth. This component will address elements of the enabling environment such as access to finance and an improved business environment for entrepreneurs to take greater risk and thrive. The individual will work closely with the Chief of Party, Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Team Lead, the Livestock Production and marketing Team Lead, the Nutrition Team Lead and the Collaboration Learning and Adaptation (CLA) Team Lead. S/he will engage closely with counterparts from with other donor funded programs and the private sector actors. This position will be responsible for overall planning, coordination and implementation of alternative livelihoods activities in the program, ensuring interventions achieve maximum impact while remaining on schedule and budget.

Position Description

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Position Status: Full-time

Salary Level: As per the organization’s salary scale  

Current Team Member: N/A

Safeguarding Risk Level: Low

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic vision while overseeing all diversified economic activities ensuring that staff are following work plans, activities are on schedule to the highest standard, and that project deliverables are completed as planned.

• Manage implementation of alternative livelihood activities providing technical direction, developing work plans in collaboration with national staff

•  Monitoring implementation and impact, and ensuring staff are trained in system thinking, Market system development, business startup and incubation, commercialization, marketing, and business skills, enabling them to coach/advice program participants and partners.

• Advise on technical aspects of diversified economic opportunities activities in the program to promote more resilient livelihoods.

• Provide technical support to program teams to foster employment creation, entrepreneurship, Skills training, access to financial services, access to business advisory service, and improved business enabling environment for program participants and partners.

• Provide technical support to cluster program teams to help improve access and availability of financial services, skills transfer for employment and entrepreneurship in alternative livelihoods, and the private and public sector to create jobs and link people transitioning out of pastoralism to employment opportunities.

• Oversee program and technical start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.

• Work closely with partners on coordinating activities and harmonizing technical strategies and tactics.

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome.

• Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work- plans, and ensure the delivery of the same.

• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.

• Provide managerial and programmatic technical oversight to partners and sub-grantee(s).

• Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.

• Produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities.

• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites - spend up to 50% of time in the field.

STRATEGY & VISION

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.

• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.

• Design, roll out and monitor Nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive activities targeted at under five children and women. 

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.

• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.

• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.

• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and within budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.

• Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards

Team Management

• Closely work with the Field Level Technical MSD Coordinators in monitoring and follow-up of Diversified economic opportunities for youths and women and providing timely feedback for real time decision making for improved RIPA project performance.

• Foster close working relationship for project over project interaction that fosters easy sequencing and layering of project activities across the Livestock/crop production and productivity, nutrition, gender and NRM/DRM components.

• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.

• 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.

• Support orientation of field team members with a focus on MSD

• Play a program leadership role for employment, financial inclusion or energy-specific programming.

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Closely work with the Chief of Party and grant manager to review the BVA regularly and prepare the quarterly budget forecast.

• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• In consultation with the Chief of Party represent RIPA coordination meetings and forums, as needed

•  Liaise with potential stakeholders; local government officials, local NGOs and civil society organizations, religious leaders and other notables to ensure support for and acceptance of Mercy Corps’ programs. 

• Maintain close working relationships with donors, other humanitarian and development organizations, and local partners, including representing Mercy Corps at local coordination meetings as assigned.

• Play a liaising role with the governments at federal and regional levels for the issues related to economic opportunities for youth and women

• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Adherence of gender minimum standards

• 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

Supervisory Responsibility

Senior MSD advisors, MSD Coordinators, MSD Specialists

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: Chief of Party (RiPA)

Works Directly With: Senior Market Systems Development Advisor, C1, C3& C4 Team Leads, CLA Lead, Regional Coordinators, MSD Coordinators, CARE RiPA Team and other support departments including People and Culture, Finance and Operations teams. 

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.

Minimum Qualification and Transferable Skills

• Master’s degree in economics, Business, Management, Finance, Agribusiness, agricultural economics, Entrepreneurship, or related field

• 5-7 years work experience with for profit organization, or non-governmental organization (NGO) working with vulnerable, marginalized and pastoralists/agro-pastoralist groups, or have pro poor business model.

• 5+ years’ proven experience in System thinking, Market system development, innovative value chain development or business models using best practices to address the need of the bottom of the pyramid.

• Knowledge and experience working on alternative livelihood issues in the pastoral areas, especially associated with individuals transitioning out of pastoralism and out of school.

• Experience with the development, implementation & compliance of donor funded programs including USAID agreements and strong understanding of USAID rules, regulations, and compliance issue.

• Established ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.

• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.

• Experience working with host governments, national and international NGOs.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English

• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

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 the 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 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.

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. 

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 empowering women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:  22 November 2024/ 4:00 PM