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.
General Position Summary
This role is primarily focused on supporting projects on economic development and economic opportunities. The program has been designed to adhere to the principle of “by women, for women”, to ensure the involvement and participation of women throughout the project’s design, planning, and implementation. The program’s theory of change is partly built around the assumption that Afghan women, although facing severe restrictions around their Freedom of Movement, may currently have greater access to employment within the private sector within their immediate communities, than compared to higher education and public or donor-funded vocational training, from which women have been banned outside of the health sector.
Mercy Corps is seeking a dynamic individual with a background in Protection and Safeguarding who has experience engaging professionals from a variety of humanitarian sectors and economic development to analyze Safeguarding and Protection issues in service delivery and find practical solutions and mitigation measures that enable equal, safe, and dignified access to services, which encourage the participation of diverse populations and marginalized groups.
The Senior Protection and Safeguarding Office will work with program teams and implementing partners to enable a systemized approach to standardize Safeguarding standards and protection mainstreaming across the project. This involves strengthening and enhancing the capacity of each sector's initiatives by assessing gaps, issues, and risks related to their project activities and approaches while ensuring high-quality programming that can adapt to the different needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups and incorporates tailored actions to promote equal opportunity, building agency, Do-No-Harm, mitigates protection risks and advances participation and empowerment.
In addition, the Senior Protection and Safeguarding Officer will work with the sector teams to adopt practical action plans to implement and maintain safe programming best practices of MCA in their programming including assessments, activity implementation, and monitoring. The Senior Protection and Safeguarding Officer will also develop a capacity-building plan that would include training and mentorship with teams and partners to enhance safeguarding and protection best practices in each sector's project activities and demonstrate the connection between safe programming and enhanced quality within their sectors’ expected outcomes.
This role will help to ensure that different vulnerable and marginalized groups are adequately reached and participated in the program implementation. Together with the Safeguarding standards and Community Accountability Reporting Mechanisms (CARM) focal points, they will foster an environment for safe programming in Mercy Corps emergency response.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Program implementation and technical assistance
Capacity Building
Coordination & Representation
Others
Supervisory Accountability: None
Reports Directly To: Protection Manager
Works Directly With: PaQ lead, CARM team, MEL team, Program Managers, Implementing Partners.
Minimum Qualification and Transferable Skills:
To apply for this position, please submit your CV and Cover letter, with the vacancy number and position title (MCA087-2024 Application for (Senior Protection and Safeguarding Officer ) in the subject line, by emailing
af-vacancieskbl@mercycorps.org.
The deadline for submission is the close of business on 24-March-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.
Note: Please note that MCA will provide office space and facilities only and is not providing any lodging facilities for its Team Members/Employees in HQ and field offices and it is the employee’s responsibility to arrange the lodgings for themselves if they work in a field office other than their home province.
Ps. Females are highly encouraged to apply for the MCA Open positions.
af-vacancieskbl@mercycorps.org
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
