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.
Country Summary
Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives. Recognizing both the great potential and the complex challenges faced by Afghanistan, since 1986 Mercy Corps has been implementing a range of humanitarian assistance and development programs tailored to the specific needs of the country and of those communities where we work.
Program/Department Summary
EmpowerED (Elevating Trainer Expertise in Afghanistan) program, funded by GiZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer internationale Zusammenarbeit) aims to increase access for vulnerable young people, including women, to needs-based quality vocational training within in-company apprenticeships or other on-the-job training opportunities. Implemented over 20 months, the program targets master trainers from private sector companies across Kabul, Parwan and Herat and establishes master trainer courses based on in-depth market assessment. The program will be implemented together with two national partners.
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.
Success Factors
The successful candidate will have an ability to work independently, take initiative in tasks and self-learning, and be proactive in communications and development of professional relationships. S/he will be able to work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with demonstrated sensitivity to the people and issues in the country. Strict adherence to Mercy Corps security policies and procedure. Capacity to spark innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to design impactful high-quality programs. Desire and ability to learn and grown, both personally and professionally.
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. 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.
About the Programme
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has launched a call for proposals for NGOs to deliver the Promoting Resilient & Equitable Recovery of Agriculture and Livelihoods in Afghan communities (PREVALE) programme. The overall aim of the 5-year programme is to increase multi-year food productivity and profitability for vulnerable farmers, herders, and land-poor Afghans, including women with intersecting and overlapping vulnerabilities, build community-level resilience to climate and environmental risk, and strengthen livelihoods and local markets. The programme is anticipated to begin in November or December 2024. Hiring is contingent upon successful award of the grant.
The FCDO envisions the programme will deliver the following Outcomes, (i) Livelihoods for vulnerable Afghans - including women, smallholders, and the land-poor – are more accessible, productive, profitable, and sustainable, (ii) Targeted communities are better able to anticipate, prepare for, respond, and adapt to environmental and climate shocks and stresses, and (iii) Targeted households have improved food security and nutrition, and reduced harmful coping behaviours.
General Position Summary
The MSD Lead will drive the vision for MSD programme implementation and provide a strategic steer on the day-to-day implementation of activities, supporting specific quality MSD interventions while also fostering MSD principles across the programme. The MSD Technical Lead will serve as a guide and mentor for programme staff, enabling them to apply the MSD approach to diagnose market systems challenges and design and deliver quality programme implementation using the MSD approach. This includes helping to identify strategic areas of focus (sub-sectors or cross-cutting areas such as finance), setting vision for sustainable systemic change, designing and implementing interventions and monitoring results. This work will be done in close coordination with the Consortium Director as well as in close collaboration with other team members. As a key member of the Programme Management Unit (PMU), the MSD Lead will be responsible for the strategic management of the MSD approach and activities and coordinate closely with implementation focal points. S/he will contribute to a successful delivery of MSD outcomes under the program
Essential Responsibilities
TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP
Ensure design and implementation of MSD programming aligns with MSD principles and standards, while also integrating technical resources and drawing on technical experts from other areas, such as GESI, and Climate resilience.
Lead and manage sub-sector selection research and subsequent market system assessments (MSAs), and lead on putting findings into action.
In collaboration with intervention managers, support adaptive management practices to ensure adequate targeting and programme success.
Provide technical review of work products and deliverables related to MSD, including partnership engagement designs, scopes of work and key deliverables.
Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems enable a diversely-skilled programme team to implement MSD effectively – including supporting the team with processes and procedures for engaging and building partnerships with the private sector, intervention or concept design, and adaptive management. Work closely with the SMT and other programme team members to navigate and strengthen operational systems to support MSD implementation.
Follow analysis of the Afghan socio-political and economic context, ensuring that this analysis is recognised and incorporated in programming.
PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
Provide effective overall leadership in the management of MSD interventions.
Coordinate closely with the Consortium Director and other members of the PMU to ensure coordination between PREVALE’s diverse activities (across different implementation models).
Ensure timely and effective design and implementation of interventions, and achievement of targets, on time, on scope and on budget for MSD activities.
Support the team to adaptively manage an MSD portfolio of interventions that is appropriately balanced in terms of risk and benefits.
Support the PMU of PREVALE to build, manage and maintain relationships with the donor, and communicate progress of MSD interventions.
Prepare (or facilitate/enable the preparation of) high-quality reports according to MSD MEL standards in collaboration with the programme teams and the Program Quality and Learning team, and in alignment and coordination with the process set out by the Consortium Director and MEL Lead. These reports should demonstrate how the PREVALE programme’s MSD activities contribute to the overall strategic objectives.
Collaborate closely with the Deputy Consortium Director to support partnership planning and modalities that enable effective MSD implementation.
Provide technical support to all team members involved in MSD activities, in particular for sector selection and system framing; market systems research and analysis, designing systemic interventions to address the market dysfunctions which disadvantage and exclude micro and small enterprises; finding strategic leverage points for change, building public and private sector partnerships, monitoring interventions, and adapting strategy in response to results, including support scale in relevant interventions.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
Manage a team of implementation staff dedicated to support MSD implementation.
Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence while also valuing diversity, debate and disagreement.
Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular performance discussions and strong performance management protocols.
Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
Work with other colleagues to identify training needs and capacity gaps, to train and mentor staff in MSD approaches to ensure implementation of MSD programme activities, and support them to access additional professional development and technical capacity building as appropriate to their individual professional development.
In collaboration with the Consortium Director, continue building the wider PREVALE team’s understanding of MSD.
Recognise opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
Work closely with the PREVALE PMU to ensure cross-learning with other components of PREVALE and members of the wider consortium, avoiding any siloes.
PROGRAMME MONITORING, EVALUATION & LEARNING
Work with the MEL team to develop and implement a MEL plan for MSD, with clear designation of roles and responsibilities between the MSD interventions and MEL teams.
Ensure that robust monitoring and evaluation, quality data collection and analysis systems are in place, adhered to and used as a decision-making tool, in coordination with the MEL team.
Where appropriate, provide input into the development of PREVALE learning questions and research plans.
Identify scope for, and lead the development of, case studies and learning documents.
As relevant, collaborate closely with the Technical Resources and Quality team to provide feedback and share lessons to improve Mercy Corps’ MSD programme design and implementation.
Supervisory Responsibility
Number of direct reports is to be determined.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: PREVALE Consortium Director
Works Directly With: PREVALE Programme Management Unit (PMU), PREVALE Steering Committee, Mercy Corps Director of Programmes, Director of Finance, Mercy Corps Finance and Operations teams, consortium partner focal points. Coordinates with HQ International Finance.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme 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.
At least 7 years of experience advising or managing MSD programmes, at least 5 years in senior advisory or management roles on MSD-related projects in the field.
Deep understanding of MSD methodology, frameworks and their operationalisation.
Demonstrated experience operationalising MSD tactics, including experience navigating NGO procurement and administration systems.
Experience working on large, complex ‘hybrid’ programmes preferred.
Prior experience in Afghanistan or similar complex environments preferred.
FCDO prior experience is advantageous.
Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organisational and prioritisation skills.
Excellent oral and written English skills required;
Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
Knowledge of Dari and Pashto is advantageous.
Consent Language:
“Mercy Corps collects your personal data for the purposes of managing Mercy Corps recruitment related activities as well as for organizational planning purposes globally. Consequently, Mercy Corps may use your personal data in relation to the evaluation and selection of applicants including, for example, setting up and conducting interviews and tests, evaluating and assessing the results thereto and as is otherwise needed in the recruitment processes including the final recruitment.
Mercy Corps is an international organization consisting of multiple affiliated companies in various countries. Mercy Corps has international sites and uses resources located throughout the world. Your data may be held on secure platforms globally, including outside of the EU. All personal data whether relating to recruitment or employment, is held on a secure platform and system which is subject to regular testing and audit. Unless stated in the job description that the post involves other organizations with which the information will be shared as part of the recruitment process, your personal data will only be shared with third parties where consent is given. Mercy Corps participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (the “Scheme”) (www.schr.info/the-misconduct-disclosure-scheme). Accordingly, we request information from a job applicant’s previous employer(s) about any investigations which found that the applicant committed sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents of misconduct under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, you confirm your consent to Mercy Corps collecting your prior employment history under the Scheme as part of the application process. Your data will be stored for up to four years.”
By applying for this position, I attest that I have never violated a sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or human trafficking policy and that I have never been disciplined for violating an employer’s code of conduct.”
To apply for this position, please click on the link MARKET SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LEAD/VALUE CHAIN SPECIALIST - FCDO PREVALE, to complete the application submission process.
Position is contingent on funding - National candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
The deadline for submission is the close of business on 7-Aug-2024 applications received after the closing date and without a subject line will not be given consideration so, please make sure you put the vacancy number and title on the subject of your email, or your application will be disregarded by the system.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates whose application responds to the above criteria will be contacted for the written test/interview.
Ps. Females are highly encouraged to apply for the MCA Open positions.
FCDO-Finance and Compliance Director
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 peopl... Read More
