Financial and Labor Market Specialist 53 views0 applications

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: Financial and Labor Market Specialist

Location: Dollo Ado , Somali Region

Number of Positions: One

POSITION SUMMARY

The Financial and Labor Market Specialist will lead market system related activities of the project through its assessment validation and activities selection and planning to implementation of activities to represent Mercy Corps and WFP in scaling up and rolling out activities even further.  This position requires key skills in M4P; knowledge management and relationship management within the team, with partner organizations stakeholders, and community members.

The Financial and Labor market Specialist 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 Financial and Labor market Specialist will contribute analytical thinking and innovative approaches, and will support integration and harmony of approaches across all Mercy Corps Ethiopia market-driven programming.

The Financial and Labor market Specialist is a key member of Mercy Corps’ Micro finance Services and Labor market he/ she will use market systems, community-led approach to stimulate economic growth creating wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

·        Develops their own deep understanding and mastery of Financial and Labor market systems strengthening facilitation’ including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating;

·        Becomes intimately familiar with all aspects of the relevant financial and labor market systems that project is targeting including key actors ( VSLAs, SACCOs, MFIs, Banks, traders, employer, information service providers, warehouses, transporters, financiers, intermediary and terminal markets); governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions;

·        Ensures all project field staff including project officers and support staff have a clear understanding of the project’s financial and labor market objectives, approach and tactics, and their critical roles in delivering, managing and/or supporting the achievement and delivery of those objectives and tactics;

·        Train project officers, and stakeholders, as appropriate in the relevant project financial and labor market objectives, approach and tactics;

·        Be able to work with both ‘bottom of the pyramid’ and larger financial service providers to adapt, develop and pilot innovative, inclusive financial products that enhance the risk management and productive capacities of underserved rural and urban households. This will include credit products, savings, insurance and new payment mechanisms

·        Designs, conducts, measures and documents assessments of micro-financial services market, in particularly for inputs and outputs of markets (production, technologies, services & information)

·        Conduct labor market assessment in consultation with other UN agencies and NGOs, to identify sectors with high potential for employment opportunities for refugees

·        Build the capacity of local training provider inside refugee camps to provide soft-skills training to prepare refugees for labor opportunities

·        Identify sectors with high potential for employment opportunities for youth in host communities (e.g. mobile phone repairs, agri-processing laborers, construction)

·        Identify sectors with high potential for job-creation, for example agri-business and construction

·        Strengthens private sector development in the region by bringing new ideas and initiatives to the team and overall project and country program;

·        Ensures the program captures and responds to up-to-date information about market developments within respective market systems and global best practices for market systems strengthening.

·        Mentors Mercy Corps and consortium partners staff in the market systems strengthening approach;

·        Develops and implements work plans to achieve project’s objectives;

·        Conducts her/himself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;

·        Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

·        Experience in private sector is strongly and Micro financial services preferred

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

·        Minimum of 3 years’ experience in private sector or working with other agencies in market systems facilitation, agribusiness or financial services

·        Ability and willingness to drive motorcycles greatly preferred.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

·        Fluent in English, Fluent in at least one of the two following languages:  Somali, -, and/or Amharic (capable in all three a strong benefit)

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

·        Excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of actors across geographical areas

·        Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)