Crisis Response Officer -Dire Dawa, Oromia (Re-advert)

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.

Position Title:  Crisis Response Officer

 Duty Station: Dire Dawa, Oromia Region

 Open Position:  3

 Duration: 9 months

 Position Status: Contingent on funding

 Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004, working in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in five regional states – Afar, Somali, Oromia, 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 envisions contributing to the emergence of a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women. Our strategic focus in the country includes in promoting dynamic and inclusive markets; natural resource management; peace and social cohesion, and humanitarian responses.

Mercy Corps’ Resilience in Pastoral Areas (RIPA) program is a five-year USAID-funded initiative that aims to improve the resilience capacities of households, markets and governance institutions across 22 woredas in the Afar, Somali and Oromia regions. RIPA includes a Crisis Modifier component that allows us to pivot our approach and respond to humanitarian needs in ways that support, not undermine, long-term development and resilience objectives. In relation to this, Mercy Corps is planning to implement a $10 million Crisis Modifier in response to the drought and Global Food Crisis impacting Ethiopia. This includes the following three objectives: 1) Improve short-term food security, nutrition, and WASH outcomes for vulnerable households; 2) Sustain and increase food production by farmers and livestock producers while fostering a shift to more resilient production practices; 3) Female and male youth TOPs have improved capacity to make a successful transition to alternative livelihoods.

General Position Summary

The Crisis Response Nutrition Officer will be responsible for effective implementation of Crisis Modifier interventions in Oromia region, in relation to Objectives 1 and Objectives 2 (listed above). The Crisis Response Nutrition Officer will play a key role in program participant selection (working with government and communities), support data collection and surveys, ensure engagement of program participants and stakeholders during project implementation, and contribute to report writing. The Officer will be an integral member of the RIPA learning and reflection processes, leading discussion on beneficiary feedback.

Essential Job Responsibilities

●       Support effective implementation and monitoring of all nutrition- and hygiene-related interventions related to the crisis response. This will include:

–  Fresh Food Vouchers (FFV), identification, registration, distribution and monitoring of dignity kits to improve menstrual hygiene practices for adolescent girls and women

-Supervise function of the Mobile Nutrition teams offering Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM)

-strengthening nutrition service delivery through building the capacity of government health workers and health extension workers in delivering CMAM and Adolescent Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (AMIYCN)

●       The Nutrition Crisis Response Officer will support integration of nutrition-sensitive approaches into other interventions including nutrition literacy training for Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) and social behavior change communication (SBCC) for feed/fodder participants

●       Train and supervise community nutrition mobilisers and offer on the job capacity building

●       Undertake data collection to support M&E for the interventions and work closely with the CLA and CARM team

●       Collaborate with HEW to provide nutrition technical support for target participants

●       Facilitate and coordinate events or workshops related to responses intervention

●       Facilitate capacity building training and/or mentoring for government and private sector partners on nutrition- and hygiene-related topics

●       Ensure Mercy Corps minimum standards and sphere standards in carrying out his/her duties, advising and supporting other staff in the same as required.

●       Compile and submit regular progress updates/reports (weekly, monthly, and quarterly); and

●       Any other duties as assigned.

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.

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.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Knowledge and Experience

●        Degree or diploma in nutrition, public health, nursing, midwifery, or related international development field

●        Trained on CMAM and Infant and Young Child Nutrition in Emergencies

●        Have extensive knowledge on the “first 1000 day” approach

●        Knowledge on hygiene and sanitation in emergencies

●        Extensive knowledge on MIYCN approaches for development settings

●        3-4 years NGO experience relevant work in nutrition and/or food security programs development

●        Experience on social behavior change and communication for humanitarian settings

●        Previous experience working on USAID funded programs preferred

●        Relevant experience in crisis response projects, on nutrition

●        Good understanding and skills at community mobilization and engagement.

●        Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of MS Office applications.

●        Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have the ability to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with a capacity to spark innovative approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. S/he will have proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results, with an ability and willingness to remain mobile for short-term and/or long-term as necessary within the region, based on programmatic needs. An ability to work independently and as part of a team, with curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures, a desire and ability to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and a great sense of humor.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Dire Dawa, and it requires up to 70% travel to target areas in Oromia Region.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside 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.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision.  Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.