Job Description

Position Title: Project officer

Duty Station: Dollo, Kobe

Open Position:  1

Program / Department Summary

The DREAMS program aims to improve the well-being of 100,000 women, children, and men over five years for refugees and host communities in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Working with refugees and host communities in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The program will integrate two proven models – poverty graduation and Market Systems Development – layering these approaches in a new way that will ensure that the poorest households can improve their income and well-being significantly and maintain  Mercy Corps will lead the Market Systems component of the program and will be responsible for developing market access pathways to ensure those businesses can be successful and supporting the operating environment for businesses and communities to thrive

General Position Summary

The Project Officer is responsible for the Dreams Project Strengthened Market Systems for Graduation Model and integrating the model MSD and Poverty graduation model The Project Officer guides the BSG or BG in developing an effective plan that stimulates the two approaches and maximizing investment from the private and public sectors. The Project Officer will be responsible for MSD activities ensuring that Implementation in the field is based on DREAMS objective, She/he will also be responsible for facilitating market assessments and/or research to be undertaken under the MSD approach and interrelated sectors, engaging in stakeholder analysis and identification partners.

Essential Job Responsibilities .

1. Facilitate relationships and linkages among traders, private sector actors, trade cooperatives/unions, community committees, government stakeholders, MFIs, and others and facilitate bringing them as a strong contributor in the program and community development to improve the socio-economic development of local communities.
2. Work with team members to ensure that all planned activities comply with existing policies and procedures and all statutory obligations and ensure women and smallholders are getting equitable benefits.
3. Facilitate BG beneficiaries, individuals, and groups, to conduct market assessments, and develop business plans, marketing, and other livelihood support activities.
4. Organize and facilitate community meetings with BG and Private actors’ livelihoods groups to strengthen the active participation of the DREAMS project and Graduation model.
5. Work with a wide range of stakeholders and community groups to manage the constraints and risks that prevent women and youth female groups from their inclusion in income-generating activities.
6. Provide day-to-day implementation support to the team in carrying out enterprise development & value chain development activities & youth and women lead enterprise development activities.
7. Participate in regular market and labor market monitoring to identify and recommend emerging opportunities in the agriculture value chain sector for women.
8. Work closely with selected BSG beneficiaries, individual/group, to analyze the selected livelihood options in terms of Graduation and DREAMS Arm.
9. Ensure the market systems development activities are gender and youth-sensitive with a focus on building resilience in vulnerable populations.
10. Help strengthen small-scale private sector development in the camps and host kebeles by bringing new ideas and initiatives to the project.
11. Participate in woreda/camp level coordination meetings with government line offices, UNHCR, RRS, and kebele administrations and ensure that they have understood the project approach and have up-to-date information about the progress of project activities and impacts.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

Accountability

Reports Directly To: MSD coordinator. 

Works Directly With other project program teams support staff and consortium member 

Experiences and Qualifications

• University degree in the relevant field (e.g. Agri- Economics, Business Administration, sociology, social sciences, or related discipline) or equivalent experience
• Experience in engagement with the private sector, market actors, and business support services providers.
• Minimum of 3 years experience in working with other agencies at the field level.
• Experience in working in livelihoods interventions like enterprise development, business management training, youth, and women's economic empowerment program.
• A good understanding and experience in the refugee context.

Success Factors

• Fluent in English, and capable Somali language is a strong benefit.
• 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)
• Ability to foster solid working relationships with Government, beneficiary communities, and partner organizations.

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.

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.

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.

Skills Required

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