EMERGENCY OFFICER

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 – Somali, Oromia, Afar, 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.

General Position Summary

The Emergency Officer will work with the Mercy Corps program team as well as our local partner organizations in the Afar region to oversee and ensure the implementation of WASH, Shelter and Settlement sectors and community mobilization works.  The Emergency Officer will be responsible for supporting the HURECA Program to target program participants, support on data collection and surveys, ensure engagement of program participants and stakeholders during project implementation, and contribute to report writing. S/he will ensure that facilities in the IDP sites in Zone-1&2 are properly managed and utilized and work closely with IDP camp representatives, local administrators, host communities and health workers and health extension workers. The emergency officer will be an integral member of the project team learning and reflection processes, leading discussion on beneficiary feedback.

Essential Job Responsibilities

 ●      Support all interventions related to the crisis response, including vouchers for NFI, vouchers for Water supply, and community mobilization works during hygiene promotion events.

●      Undertake household targeting in partnership with the government and HURECA program field office team and document the master registration sheets.

●      Monitor disbursement of vouchers, and monitor redemptions of vouchers

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

●      Provide technical support for IDPs and host communities on the areas of his/her technical expertise

●      Facilitate and coordinate events or workshops related to responses intervention

●      Support the water trucking services, NFI distributions in IDP sites located in Zone 1&2, resulting in improved access to safe drinking water and essential NFIs.

●      Facilitating capacity building training and/or mentoring community volunteers, camp administrators, health workers and health extension workers, water vendors,

●      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

●      Other duties as assigned.

 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.

Knowledge and Experience

●      BA/S or equivalent, preferable in disaster risk management, rural development.

●      2-4 years NGO experience

●      Previous experience working on USAID funded programs preferred

●      Relevant experience in WASH, Essential NFI, crisis response projects

●      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 Afdera, and it requires up to 40 % travel to other IDP sites in the 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.