Market System Development (MSD) Specialist – Mercy Corps Ethiopia
Development and Project Management
Mercy Corps Ethiopia
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.
We help people overcome poverty and conflict. 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. During our 34 years’ history, our work has improved more than 170 million lives in more than 115 countries around the world.
Program / Department Summary
With USAID support, Mercy Corps proposes to activate the RIPA-North Crisis Modifier to implement Crisis Modifier 3 (CM3), an 18-month initiative that will improve water security and livelihood outcomes for more than 14,200 households (85,200 individuals) in Shabelle Zone of Somali Region. Through CM3, RIPA-North will directly contribute to the vision of the government of the Somali Regional State outlined in their Multi-Year Resilience Strategy (MYRS).
General Position Summary
The Market Systems Development (MSD) specialists is responsible to provided technical support for the Livestock/Crop production and marketing components of RIPA-CM3 in Shabelle Zone Somali region. He/she will be a key member of Market Systems Development unit. The MSD Team uses a market-systems, community-led approach to stimulate economic growth to create wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors. The MSD Team is comprised of technical expertise in the areas of production, marketing, employment, input/output markets, post-harvest technologies and financial services. The main sectors include livestock, crop/fodder, livestock products, energy, financial services, enterprises development and related sectors.
Essential Job functions
- Participate in the planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluation and reporting MSD activities within the cluster.
- Provided technical support in responsibilities for MSD activities to ensure the planned activists are implemented timely and with required deliverable quality.
- Work on the identification of the innovate ways/opportunities to support Market systems development activities and facilities the innovate ideas in to action through creating the enabling environment for exchange of information within the MSD team and actors;
- Provide support on the areas of his/her technical expertise to MSD Coordinators and team members to ensure better implementation of CM3.
- Facilitate and coordinates markets systems assessment, organizing validation workshops and stakeholder platforms/events in the Zone.
- Support capacity building efforts for market actors (i.e. private, public) on the MSD approaches, identification of the market system opportunities/constraints through conducting continues system analysis, develop approaches/modalities to support the establishment and/or expansion of the high potential medium and small scale private business enterprises in markets areas focused on livestock, crop/fodder, access to finance, none agricultural/off farm activities and other related under CM3 component areas;
- Facilities the development of short-term strategies and its implementation linkages creation between market actors (i.e. inputs suppliers, producers, traders, processors, cooperatives and financial service providers like Banks, MFIs,) to improve outreaches in the target community;
- Facilitates the implementation of the impactful activities by market actors to create job opportunities for youth and women in the CM3 target areas;
- Participate in regular field visits to assess the activities implementation progress, give technical advises/mentor and provide feedback(s) for further improvement.
- Closely work with supervisor and M&E team during the development of monitoring tools/measuring indicators, milestones development, and monitoring/ reporting of output and outcome in his/her area assigned;
- Ensures the program properly captures, documented and updated relevant information in the livestock/Crop production and marketing of RIPA/CM3 program;
- In collaboration with cluster MSD team, work to build and maintain close relationships with key government partners and local implementers.
- Represent Mercy Corps professionally in cluster areas so as to bring credit and to maintain its humanitarian and development mission.
- Compile and submit regular updates/reports (weekly, monthly and quarterly); and
- Other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor.
Team Management
- Build effective relationships with program teams implementing production, marketing, diversified economic opportunities, based on mutual trust, collaboration, urgency and curiosity.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback formally and informally.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
SECURITY
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)
- Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)
- Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.
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; and
- 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.
- Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in the areas: Economics, Agriculture (i.e. Plant/Animal Science), Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Agribusiness, Marketing and other related subjects;
- Minimum of 4 years’ experience in private sector and/or NGOs working focused on MSD (program coordination, facilitation, providing technical supports), agribusiness and/or financial services;
- Good understanding on the Markets4Poor approach and Markets development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating;
- Experiences in supporting livestock/crop production, financial service providers, industries (public and private) , institutions and stakeholders;
- Knowledge of participatory analyses, action and results processing;
- Experience/exposures to the location/region he/she applied for;
Reports Directly to: Agriculture and Market Systems Development Coordinator
Works Directly with: Component Leads, MSD Advisors, respective field office MSD specialties and Administration/operations team.
Success Factors
- Fluent in English and local language for the location applied: Somali (capable in all require basic skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing);
- Business minded, entrepreneurial, curious, great problem-solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.
- Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of actors across geographical areas.
- Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
