Deputy Team Leader - Finance Inclusion Economic and Market Dev't, Ethiopia

PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is an international non-profit humanitarian organization with the guiding principles of Accountability,Participation and Peaceful Change. In Ethiopia, Mercy Corps currently operates in the following sectors: Economic and Market Development, Urban Climate Change and Development, Natural Resource Management, Water and Sanitation, Resilience, Emergency Response and Nutrition. Mercy Corps Ethiopia adopts a community-led, market-driven approach and works with communities, the public, private and non-profit sectors, to implement appropriate relief, recovery and development interventions. Mercy Corps Ethiopia has projects ongoing in the Afar, Oromia, SNNP and Somali regions.

The DfID-funded Building Resilience Against Climate Extremes (BRACED) Project will be implemented in the Afar, Somali and SNNP regions under overall leadership of the (Farm Africa) Team Leader. Designed to stimulate market-based mechanisms to build the resilience of 348,000 climate vulnerable people, the project will test innovative market-based tools to improve the resilience of economic and social systems in the lowlands of Ethiopia.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Reporting to the (Farm Africa) Team Leader and Mercy Corps Country Director, the ‘Deputy Team Leader/Technical Advisor, Financial Inclusion and Economic and Market Development’ will be responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary and multi-location team delivering all BRACED project activities in Mercy Corps geographies (Somali and SNNP regions); for taking technical leadership of Financial Inclusion and Economic and Market Development initiatives in all project areas, and for deputizing in the absence of the Team Leader.

He/she will support overall project management and planning, donor reporting, coordination of inputs from knowledge partners, and other stakeholders. He/she will be responsible for M&E, financial and operational management, and project management of the Mercy Corps BRACED team as well as for overall quality and effectiveness of Financial Inclusion and Economic and Market Development activities across the entire project.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project planning and delivery

• In consultation with Farm Africa (lead agency) and other partners, support review and preparation of project work plan and budget;
• Plan for and ensure successful implementation of a sustainable macro exit from the project;
• Ensure project activities are implemented and outputs achieved as planned and within the agreed budget, striving for Value for Money throughout;
• Provide direct and ongoing supervision and managerial support to all Mercy Corps staff on the project;
• Ensure that all work follows international quality standards and best practices and that agriculture and water programs are technically and environmentally sound;
• Financial management and governance of Mercy Corps aspects of the project, including ensuring adherence of the project team to procurement, anti-corruption and other Farm Africa, Mercy Corps and donor compliance procedures;
• Proactively identify and monitor any risks to non-delivery and, mitigating actions;
• Prepare progress reports as required by donor, Farm Africa or Mercy Corps;
• Participate in periodic project progress review sessions with the Steering Committee (including Country Directors)
• In liaison with relevant consortium member leadership, lead recruitment of new staff to the project team;
• Regularly provide both informal and formal coaching and feedback to all project staff;
• Hold regular in-person supervision sessions with all line-managed staff to discuss progress against their personal development objectives and work targets, and carry out in-person annual appraisals with all line-managed staff; and
• Effectively and promptly deal with any poor performance and actively recognise and encourage strong performance.

Technical Advisory

• Lead planning, monitoring, technical advisory and delivery of all components of the BRACED Project that focus on Financial Inclusion and/or Economic and Market Development;
• Work closely with the Team Leader, counterparts with other donor funded programs, private and public sector actors to design and implement innovative, and predominantly systems-level, interventions in these areas;
• Ensure consistent quality and effectiveness of all Financial Inclusion and/or Economic and Market Development activities in the BRACED project; and
• Lead thinking and practice in innovative approaches to NGO-Private sector partnership models, and ensure that experience is well-documented and contributing to thinking of both consortium members.

Monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes and impact

• Support development and implementation of project monitoring and evaluation processes that meet the basic monitoring and outcome reporting requirements of each consortium member and the wider BRACED Knowledge Management contract holder; and
• Work with Knowledge Management partners to ensure that lessons learned are built into future project planning.

Other project management issues

• Deputise for the Team Leader as required;
• Proactively identify and raise with the Mercy Corps Country Director (and others as appropriate) any consortium-related delivery risks, and work with consortium partners to implement action plans to resolve identified issues; and
• Act as an ambassador, promoting Mercy Corps and the project, including hosting visitors, speaking at workshops and conferences, and meeting donors and other officials as required.

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 towards 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.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

Management: All Mercy Corps project team members under the funded grant.

Technical: All project team members (Mercy Corps and partners) working with Financial Inclusion, Economic and Market Development actions.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Reports directly to: Mercy Corps Country Director

Works closely with: BRACED Team Leader (Farm Africa)

Works directly with: other project management, HR & Legal Director, Finance Director, Operations Manager, Cluster Program Managers, Regional Finance Coordinators, Mercy Corps HQ Regional Program Officer, and Mercy Corps BRACED Kenya/Uganda Project Manager.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• MA/Sc or equivalent in finance, economics or related field;
• Minimum three to five years’ mid to senior-level field leadership experience;
• Demonstrated success in programs related to market systems strengthening, financial inclusion, private sector development, marketing and value chain programming;
• Prior experience working with pastoralist communities, in the Horn of Africa or elsewhere, required;
• Demonstrated ability to function as a social entrepreneur and proven success with building, managing and leading a team of professionals and the ability to function as a team player among peers;
• Proven ability for project and financial management;
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, prioritization skills;
• Ability to work comfortably, effectively and creatively in areas of variable security;
• History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO and NGO partners in complex environments;
• Experience with DfID protocols preferred;
• A dynamic, “outside-the-box” attitude is required, with proven ability to think and act creatively in challenging environments;
• Effective English language verbal and written communication skills;
• Multi-tasking, organization and prioritization skills.

SUCCESS FACTORS

The successful ‘Deputy Team Leader/Technical Advisor, Financial Inclusion and Economic and Market Development’, will be a self-starter able to work in ambiguous situations. S/he will be a tolerant, flexible and able to work in difficult and stressful environments while following procedures. S/he will be highly effective at building teams, problem solving, and capacity-building of national staff. S/he will also have the skill to engage, motivate and encourage staff to bring creative solutions to development issues, identify opportunities for increased impact, and pursue project objectives.

LIVING/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The position will be based in Addis Ababa with frequent travel (minimum 60% of time) to BRACED operational sites as well as regular domestic and occasional international travel. The post holder is expected to follow all security protocols including limited movement when necessary. Internet connectivity and communication across Ethiopia is improving but remains unreliable at times. Addis Ababa offers numerous international style restaurants, though security and cultural considerations are always to be taken into account. There are daily flights from Addis Ababa to a range of global cities.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of 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.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please apply directly at:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjo...