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, working in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in five regional states – Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, Amhara – 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 communities. Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.

Number of Positions:

One

 Program / Department Summary

In May 2019 Mercy Corps will begin implementation of the EUR 10 million, 44-month ‘Strengthened Socio-Economic Development and Better Employment Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities in the Jigjiga Area’ program, with funding from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF). The program is being implemented in partnership with Danish Refugee Council (DRC).

Globally, and in Ethiopia, Mercy Corps is a leading practitioner of market systems development (MSD) approaches to poverty reduction, with particular expertise in implementing MSD programs in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. This program will apply our market systems expertise to refugee and host community contexts in the Jigjiga area, with the objective of finding durable solutions to the protracted refugee situation. This program is part of a broader portfolio of markets and refugee programming for Mercy Corps in Ethiopia.

The program has three objectives / outcomes:

1.      Increase the ability of the local/regional economy to create jobs for various skills as per existing and/or potential economic value chains;

2.      Increase demand-driven skills of the labour force in the area of intervention;

3.      Refugee and host communities experience improved social integration and access legal rights

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps seeks a Labour Market Advisor for the EUTF Program. This position will be based in Jijiga, Ethiopia. The Advisor will report directly to the consortium Manager and will have overall responsibility for the design and implementation of interventions aimed at stimulating demand-side job creation and improved employment and self-employment opportunities for target groups.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Recognizes opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where project teams work together, exchange information, coordinate activities and develop team spirit in project management
• Works closely with project management other team members to contribute to a vision and strategy development and in applying market systems development approaches to refugee and host community contexts

 Program management

• Lead the teams to conduct detailed labor market analysis, building on information from other assessments to get and document adequate and detailed understanding of the outlook of local labor markets and to identify key sectors with high employment potentials, and the gaps in labor market services that need to be addressed
• Coordinate with partner organizations engaged in building TVET capacities to understand market-demand for TVET services and increase uptakes.
• Supports the team to understand how gender, cultural and social norms shape the area’s workforce and highlight barriers to entry and points of exclusion for individuals that are a specific gender, age and ethnic/religious background
• Support the teams and partners to identify specific types of potential growth – geographic, types of products/service offerings and customer target market – and associated employment numbers. Beyond direct employment of individuals and provide analysis of the potential multiplier effect across the value chain and creation of informal jobs
• Support employers to have a better understanding of the skills and capacities of the target population and a willingness to create systems that are more inclusive.
• Develops key monitoring and measuring indicators, milestones and plans in close collaboration with supervisor and M&E team, and solely responsible for monitoring and reporting all output, outcome and impact indicators for respective market system(s).
• Ensures the program captures and responds to up-to-date information about market developments within respective market systems and global best practices for Labor Markets Systems Development.
• Build and maintain close relationships with key government partners in Jigjiga, at all levels
• Work closely with the program 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.

 Team Management

• Familiarize the team with all aspects of Labour market systems the project is targeting including key actors; governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions.
• Trains and provides mentoring to the teams working with him/under him to acquire knowledge and key tools in market systems Development and facilitation approach and works in field with the objectives to increase their capacities in program implementation effectiveness
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

 Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

 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.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in one of the following subjects: , Economics, Crop Science, Animal Science, Rural Development and agricultural extension and, Agricultural Economics;
• Five years of related experience in the agriculture and financial markets, labour market  in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems of Ethiopia;
• Deep understanding and mastery of Markets4Poor approach and Economic & Markets Development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating.
• Experience in working with sectors like livestock , crop production, labour market and financial market actors in the industry (public and private) actors and institutional stakeholders;
• Demonstrated program implementation and training capabilities;
• Knowledge of participatory analyses, action and results processes;
• Experience in the region is required; previous experience in arid and semi-arid parts of Ethiopia is preferred;

Success Factors

• Fluent in English
• Proficiency in Somali language is strongly preferred
• Business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, great problem solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.
• He/She will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures
• Excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of private, partner and NGO-sector actors
• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)