MARKET SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR – EKN

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.

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is one of the four partners in a four-year program, entitled Expanded Livelihoods Improvement for Women and Youth (Expanded LI-WAY) Project.  is prepared to expand the current LI-WAY program. The expanded LI-WAY program will be financed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Ethiopia. EKN is interested in creating jobs and improving the incomes of poor women and youth in Addis Ababa through expanding the current LI-WAY program. led by SNV-Netherlands Development Organization. The program utilizes a market Systems Development approach to contribute to sustainable poverty reduction and social stability in Addis Ababa. LI-WAY will work to mobilize, catalyze and enable market-based solutions to create jobs and increase income for women and youth.  The consortium, led by SNV, additionally comprises Techno-serve and Save the Children. The program aims to improve market functions, support-service effectiveness, and the business environment. Mercy Corps will lead all activities related to Labor Market system development.

The Market System Development Coordinator will lead implementation of the extended LIWAY program in the labor market systems intervention areas and activities in close relation with Growth, Microenterprise, Skills and other potential Market systems including financial services for LI-WAY. In addition, He/she will be responsible to coordinate, support and lead the LIWAY MSD advisors and MSD specialists and provide the necessary technical support for the effective implementation of the designed interventions in the labor market system.

POSITION SUMMARY

 The Market Systems Development project coordinator is primarily responsible for the coordination of implementation of intervention areas and program activities under the Labor Market sector. The Market System Development Coordinator will work closely with Mercy Corps Program Team leader and team members across consortium partners. She/he will engage in an ongoing deep sector analysis to identify intervention ideas and design activities. The Market Systems Development coordinator will provide timely reports and assistance to the Program Team leader to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

 The MSD project coordinator is responsible for overseeing the implementation of priority intervention areas primarily in extended LIWAY Labor Market systems and ensuring cross sectoral integration with other sectors led by the other consortium partners.

Key job functions include the following: –

• Provide technical leadership and guidance ensuring that interventions are integrated, high quality and evidence-based
• Provided guidance and oversight to the LIWAY team to optimize program quality and improve programmatic and technical performance per MC’s standards of performance.
• Related to Labor Market Systems area, propose key monitoring and measuring indicators, milestones and plans; monitor and reporting all output, outcome and impact indicators for respective market system(s)
• Review and update priority supporting functions in the labor market system and other cross cutting sectors, based on up-to-date information about market developments within respective market systems and global best practices for Economic & Markets Development
• Develop, implement, monitor progress of work plans within supporting functions/, intervention areas in Labor Market Systems that can be adaptively managed
• Support learning initiative of the program within the Labor Market Systems area for policy change

Specific program Implementation Function includes: –

• Manage implementation of strategies to facilitate access to employment and labor market information opportunities amongst women and youth in Addis Ababa.
• Facilitate activities to connect women and youth to start and/or continue employment/entrepreneurship opportunities by facilitating linkage with employers’, relevant stakeholders, and other system actors.
• Strengthens private sector development in the employment and market information sector by bringing new ideas and initiatives to Mercy Corps in general and overall project;
• Manage implementation of strategies to strengthen and create linkage between technology providers and employer’s that can expand outreach of employment information to create better access and job information sharing mechanism
• Manage relationship with partners to track performance, ensure activities are in line to address systemic problem, identify potential areas for scale up Continuously ensure integration of activities of wage employment with in the labor market and with other sectors for LI-WAY.
• Work closely with LI-WAY program team members and consortium partner to identify, conduct research assessment to identify potential private sector firms for partnership
• Conduct analysis of market system functions in Addis Ababa across potential, priority & selected sectors and; assess specific underlying root causes for women and youth to inclusiveness, productivity and efficiency
• Coordinate and closely collaborate with all consortium team members to conduct an ongoing assessment across selected sectors/market systems and with a special focus on employment related but not limited to job matching, child care, referencing and  other priority functions in Addis Ababa, including understanding constraints related to unemployment, technology to enhance employment and related functions

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Very good understanding of Markets Systems Development (aka Making Markets Work for the poor-M4P) approach and facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, open and willing to work on new initiatives
• Familiar with all aspects of the relevant market systems including key actors, job matching service providers, information service providers, employers of different scale, micro-finance institutions (MFIs), banks, Insurance’s providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, intermediary and terminal markets governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions.
• Experience in facilitating stakeholders’ engagement including assessment of incentives and capacity (attributes and gaps), specifically facilitating private sector involvement.
• Bachelor’s/Masters’ degree in economics, business administration, agribusiness, or other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in private sector or working with other agencies in market systems facilitation, livelihood programs, rural development, agribusiness, or financial services
• Demonstrated leadership, management, and training capabilities.
• Strong skills in planning and organization, partnership and collaboration
• Excellent communication, organizational and prioritization skills and the ability to multi-task and support and/or fill multiple positions at one time.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work both independently and cooperatively with team members.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

• Fluent in English and Amharic
• Business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, great problem-solving skills,
• Experience working collaboratively with teams from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong presentation, reporting, and communication skills, facilitation, and networking skills with a wide range of private, public and NGO-sector actors
• Excellent computer skills using MS Office 365 Suite of products including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.