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.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps exists to alleviate poverty, suffering, and oppression and works to build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps is currently operational in 17 countries in Africa including Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia. Mercy Corps’ country programs in Africa face momentous humanitarian crises and significant development challenges, and operate in fragile and conflict-affected areas, displacement settings, emergency responses, as well as more stable developed settings. Against this backdrop Mercy Corps’ focus in Africa has been in promoting good governance and conflict resolution, enhancing resilience, facilitating market systems, access to finance and economic opportunities, as well as youth employment and empowerment. It is imperative that Mercy Corps presents itself as a key and credible partner with the many donors, government authorities and civil society actors in order to contribute to the process of positive change across the continent. Mercy Corps looks to actively engage and partner with an ever-growing and innovative African private sector to achieve greater and sustained impact.
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps is seeking an experienced and field-tested Africa Regional Advisor for Market Systems Development (MSD) to support and grow our regional capacity to design, deliver and learn from a portfolio of high quality and impactful market/economic recovery and development programs. The Advisor will provide strategic, evidence-based MSD technical support to country teams in multiple contexts, with a strong focus on enabling programs to integrate market-driven approaches into humanitarian and complex crisis settings, while ultimately strengthening individual, household and community resilience. S/he will build out a wider system of global, regional and country-level support and expertise through a robust Africa-focused Community of Practice and employ a flexible, adaptive approach to the agency’s MSD work that builds on local capacities of teams, partners and communities, and uses our resilience lens and contextual analysis to address changing risks or vulnerabilities. Mercy Corps’ MSD programs are implemented through multiple sectors, including Agriculture, Livestock, Employment, Energy, Financial Services, and Water. The Advisor will work seamlessly within agency matrixed teams to plan for and deliver the optimal level of support to field programs for increased quality and impact, using multiple sectoral entry points, to achieve our desired long-term results.
The Advisor’s specific responsibilities include: strengthening program quality through rigorous analysis and use of monitoring/evaluation data and adaptive management; engaging in strategic program design and development; providing consistent and timely MSD technical guidance/support to country field teams particularly focused on integrating MSD into humanitarian and complex crises settings; developing and maintaining a regional MSD consulting roster; engaging in network and partnership development; strengthening regional MSD knowledge management and learning processes; and representing the region’s MSD work in technical fora. The advisor will also be responsible for operationalizing cross-cutting approaches within MSD programming in the region, including gender, diversity, inclusion and protection; resilience; and technology for development. S/he will support the agency’s efforts toward understanding programming lessons learned; opportunities to build on market-led innovations, particularly in Markets in Crisis (MiC); and the potential to scale opportunities for market/employment growth and financial inclusion.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Program quality and IMpACT
- Participate as an active, integrated member of the regional team providing technical support to a portfolio of market systems development in countries including those in humanitarian and complex crisis environments.
- Support effective interventions in market systems development using integrated approaches and applying systems thinking.
- Help maintain standards of program delivery that apply agency priorities and comply with relevant regulations and requirements.
- Provide in-country and remote training on MSD/MiC, upgrading materials to ensure contextual relevance
- Help the team gather, refine, develop and disseminate tools such as training presentations and manuals, teaching notes, best practices and lessons learned, program examples, and monitoring and evaluation tools. Ensure these tools reflect Mercy Corps’ approaches to resilience, gender and youth as central cross-cutting dimensions of market systems development.
- Build capacity with country teams and the Community of Practice to better design and implement market systems development programs
- Support an increased focus on resilience and gender in market systems development and Markets in Crisis programs, promoting evidence for integration of resilience, MSD and Financial Inclusion.
program and proposal development
- Write/review proposals and concept notes for funding from donors including foundations, corporations, and US, European, and UN agencies to support market systems development programming.
- Gather/analyze data and complete assessments, and support field teams to complete assessments, to determine program needs and priorities and Mercy Corps’ competitive advantage for funding. Ensure assessments include dimensions of resilience, gender, and youth as central cross-cutting approaches.
- Work with programs, HQ and country teams, and technical support units on prepositioning and development of program development strategies.
- Work with other technical leads on the design and support of multi-sectoral programs that encompass elements of broader agency goals such as resilience, food security, and youth development.
learning and impact
- Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team at regional and country level to ensure that monitoring and evaluation is practical and reflects Global best practices.
- Support new and ongoing programs with best practice advice and assistance on assessment, implementation, research, and evaluation needs.
- Conduct assessments; write case studies, learning documents, short articles, and blogs; and develop internal and external disseminate plans for all products.
- Lead and facilitate MSD/MiC community of practice within the region to share lessons, best practices and enhance program impact through better collaboration and networking.
- Ensure learning and evidence of impact reflects how market systems development supports resilience across diverse gender and age groups.
Influence & Representation
- Represent Mercy Corps at academic events, conferences, media forums, and other events; focused on MSD and MiC.
- Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions to produce case studies, assessments, and other learning documentation, as well as enhance program quality.
- Contribute to a strong and regularly updated network of technical experts and consultants that can serve as additional deployable resources for program support.
Organizational Learning
- As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
None.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Deputy Regional Director, Africa
Works Directly With: Country teams, HQ technical support teams, including Markets, Economic Recovery and Growth; Resilience; Youth, Gender, Girls and Protection; Technology for Development; Research and Learning; Program Performance and Quality; Regional Resilience Directors and regional technical teams
Knowledge and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required. M.A, M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in relevant field of study and relevant technical certifications are preferred.
- 3 to 5 years of experience providing technical support in the relevant field of expertise that includes:
- Preparing writing and analysis on proposal development.
- Leading market assessments in a variety of different sectors and contexts
- Demonstrating strong theoretical and applied knowledge in MSD
- Familiarity using integrated approaches and applying systems thinking.
- Experience in working with the private sector
- Experience in leading and facilitating MSD trainings
- Producing and publishing influential articles and blogs.
- Practical field experience that includes:
- An emergency response assignment or other crisis response work that demonstrates the ability to successfully adapt support and assistance methodologies to real-world complexities.
- Delivering Capacity Building curriculum or other processes for field teams
- Using monitoring and evaluation data within adaptive management processes to make better and more timely program adjustments for improved results
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
- Fluency in English and French are required.
Success Factors
The technical advisor will demonstrate a winning track record in program development, and bring flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm to every project they undertake. The individual must have exceptional writing skills and the ability to multi-task, set priorities, pay attention to detail, and work under tight deadlines within complex team environments. The regional advisor must take an active role in building and maintaining external relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts. The individual must learn quickly how to provide technical data and support in the most efficient and effective form possible for each unique field team and environment. The role requires strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and a level of emotional intelligence proficiency that quickly builds and maintains productive relationships across teams. Being aware and sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is critical.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in a Mercy Corps country office in Africa and is expected to travel up to 35% of the time – sometimes at short notice— to areas with limited access to medical facilities and amenities.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
More Information
- Job City Nairobi
