Mercy Corps is a leading global relief and development agency saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places. In more than 40 countries, we partner with local people to put bold ideas into action, help them overcome adversity and build stronger communities. We help communities survive and move beyond emergencies. When natural disasters strike, economies collapse or conflict flares, Mercy Corps is there. Working with communities, we leverage local logic to help people transform their lives to grow more food, earn higher incomes and ultimately advocate for their needs. We see global challenges as an invitation to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions. Mercy Corps is looking for committed and dynamic individual to take up the following position.
PROGRAM SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps is a recognized leader in resilience programming in the East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR). The mandate of Mercy Corps’ Regional Resilience Hub for ESAR is to lead and influence discourse, policy, and practice for innovative, evidence-based, and impactful resilience initiatives that promote progressively-improving well-being. Strategic priority is given to the drylands of four Horn of Africa (HoA) countries—Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda—where high levels of vulnerability and frequent exposure to shocks and stresses propagate a corrosive cycle that undermines development gains.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Director of Regional Resilience Initiatives (DRRI), the Senior Resilience Officer (SRO) will play an integral role leading and supporting strategic, impactful, high-quality resilience learning and programming across the ESA region. The SRO will be responsible for identifying compelling means and innovative channels for translating resilience learning into action, and for sharing knowledge and ideas with other Mercy Corps’ Resilience Hubs and external stakeholders. This will be accomplished successfully by working closely with country and program teams in ESAR to proactively identify, document, and disseminate lessons, successes, challenges, and opportunities for strengthening resilience. Additional responsibilities will include providing logistical, administrative, and programmatic support to regional resilience initiatives (with particular focus on Mercy Corps’ Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) program); designing, organizing, and delivering trainings, workshops, and other learning events; contributing to the design, organization, implementation, and documentation of resilience-focused research and assessments; assisting in proposal development; and other duties, as identified and assigned by the DRRI.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Network Building & Management: Proactively identify and contribute to managing productive relationships with Mercy Corps country and program teams, current and potential partners, and other stakeholders. Actively engage in and contribute to the regional community of practice for resilience.
• Program Design and Monitoring: Assist with the conceptualization and development of tools and systems for strengthening Mercy Corps’ regional capacity to design, deliver, monitor, and evaluate resilience programming.
• Documentation and Dissemination: Proactively identify and pursue innovative ideas for improving the capture, storage, and dissemination of key learning on resilience generated by Mercy Corps’ country and program teams.
• Thought Leadership: Stay abreast of significant learning, achievements, and ideas around building resilience in ESAR and globally and play a lead role in developing and disseminating thought-leadership pieces.
• Program/Grants Management: Provide administrative and programmatic support for the successful implementation of regional resilience programming, with particular focus on Mercy Corps’ GRP-funded program; monitor compliance with donor agreements and work plans; ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality reporting by both Mercy Corps and sub-awardees; and other related tasks.
• Events & Trainings: Provide logistical, administrative and programmatic assistance for the design, promotion, delivery, and evaluation of events and trainings.
• Assessments & Research: Contribute to the design, organization, facilitation, and documentation of resilience-focused research and assessments in the region.
• Conduct him/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its mission or reputation.
• Flexible and eager to take on other additional responsibilities/duties, as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Director, Regional Resilience Initiatives (DRRI)
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Mercy Corps Regional Team; Mercy Corps country teams and program teams throughout the ESAR; Regional Desks at HQ, the Program and Technical Support Unit (TSU) at HQ; and partners.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
• BA/S in relevant field required; MA/S in international development or related field strongly preferred.
• 4+ years of relevant, progressive experience, to ideally include:
• international development and/or humanitarian assistance in East Africa
• communications, monitoring & evaluation, research, and grant management
• designing programs and developing proposals
• Skilled synthesizer, writer, and communicator of diverse and complex information to various audiences, and for various purposes.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple tasks simultaneously to meet deadlines with quality results.
• Demonstrated understanding of at least one sectorial and/or operational area related to resilience (i.e. agriculture; climate, energy, and environment; financial inclusion; food security; market systems and economic recovery; governance and partnerships; peace and conflict, etc.)
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
SUCCESS FACTORS:
• Excellent capacity to communicate clearly and effectively in written and spoken English.
• Ability to take initiative for coordinating and planning tasks and work plans with his/her supervisor, and is equally comfortable and capable working independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to easily forge and maintain professional relationships with co-workers, partners, donors, and other key stakeholders.
• Deep curiosity, with a ferocious appetite for learning.
• Ability to take responsibility for keeping him/herself up-to-date on research and promising practices, and for engaging with key networks in the resilience field.
• Reliable, self-motivated, pro-active, approachable, and flexible. Creativity and sense of humor are also key.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to ke-hrkenya@mercycorps.org
The email subject line must clearly show the job title and location they are applying for. Applications without an appropriate subject heading will be automatically disqualified. Please do not attach any certificates.
NOTE: All applicants must clearly articulate in the cover letters, how their experience is relevant to the requirements and expectations of this position, as outlined in this vacancy announcement.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.