Market Systems Development (MSD) Officer 58 views4 applications

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 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.

 Position Title: Market Systems Development (MSD) Officer

 Location: Addis Ababa

 Number of Positions: One

 Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps is one of the four partners in a five-year program, entitled Livelihoods Improvement for Women and Youth (LI-WAY), led by SNV-Netherlands Development Organization and funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The program utilizes a market Systems Development approach to contribute to sustainable poverty reduction and social stability in Addis Ababa. LI-WAY will work to mobilize, catalyze and enable market-based solutions to create jobs and increase income for women and youth.  The consortium, led by SNV, additionally comprises Techno serve and Save the Children. The program aims to improve market functions, support-service effectiveness and the business environment.

Mercy Corps will lead all activities related to Labor Market system development, and will manage the Innovation/Challenge Fund. LI-WAY lasts for five years of which the first ten months have been an inception phase.

 General Position Summary

The Market Systems Development Officer will be responsible to facilitate implementation of intervention/s primarily across all Labor Sector activities and in close relation with Growth, Microenterprise, Skills and other potential Market systems among private and public sector partners across all sub cities of Addis Ababa.

The Market System Development Officer will work closely with Mercy Corps Program Team leader, Market Systems Development and monitoring, learning and knowledge management advisor/s primarily with in Mercy Corps and across consortium partners. She/he will engage in implementation of live interventions and an ongoing deep sector analysis to identify intervention ideas and provide inputs, data and information to design new intervention activities.

The Market Systems Development Officer will also be a member of the MC Economic and Markets Development (EMD) Team, which uses market systems development to stimulate economic growth to create wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors. As a member of the EMD team, the Market Systems Development Officer will contribute to analytical thinking and innovative approaches and will support integration and harmony of approaches across all Mercy Corps Ethiopia market.

 Essential Job Responsibilities

Ø  Facilitate implementation of employment and labor market information opportunities amongst women and youth in Addis Ababa.  Facilitate activities to connect women and youth to start and/or continue employment/entrepreneurship opportunities by facilitating linkage with employers’, relevant stakeholders and other system actors.

Ø  Plan and organize timely implementation of intervention concept note among public and private sector partners in close coordination with Intervention lead advisors

Ø  Manage relationship with partners in conducting capacity assessment, track performance, ensure activities are in line to address systemic problem, identify potential intervention areas for expansion and scale up

Ø  Support in monitoring, evaluation, learning, research and communication activities across the labor sector interventions primarily and in cross sectoral intervention activities

Ø  Organize lesson learning workshops and other events and proper documentation for future programmatic actions

Ø  Compile and update LI-WAY filing system, and other related documentation

Ø  Continuously ensure integration of activities of wage employment with in the labor market and with other sectors for LI-WAY.

Ø  Work closely across consortium partner team members to conduct assessment across selected sectors/market systems and with a special focus on employment related but not limited to job matching, child care and other priority functions in Addis Ababa, including understanding constraints related to unemployment, technology to enhance employment and related functions and identify potential private and public sector firms for partnership

 Program Management

·        Oversee program startup and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.

·        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.

·        Develop partners’ MoUs and contracts & oversee a training program for program partners.

·        Develop program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting and distribution process and capacity building of partners.

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

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

·        Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

·        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.

Knowledge and Experience

·        Good understanding of Markets Systems Development (aka Making Markets Work for the poor-M4P) approach and facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, open and willing to work on new initiatives

·        Familiar with all aspects of the relevant market systems including key actors, job matching service providers, information service providers, employers of different scale, micro-finance institutions (MFIs), banks, Insurances providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions;

·        Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, agribusiness, or other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required

·        Minimum of 2 years’ experience in private sector or working with other agencies in market systems facilitation, livelihood programs, rural development, agribusiness or financial services

·        Excellent communication, organizational and prioritization skills and the ability to multi-task and support and/or fill multiple positions at one time.

·        Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work both independently and cooperatively with team members.

·         Success Factors

·        Fluent in English and Amharic

·        Business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, great problem solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results oriented.

·        Excellent communication skills, 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)