Job Description
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.
Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. With the launch of Mercy Corps Global Strategy, Pathway to Possibility, the country office is poised to operationalize its three-year strategy with a vision to enhance the resilience of climate- and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Currently, we operate in five regional states – Afar, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and Tigray. Working with a diverse base of donors that includes the United States Government, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations, JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations, Mercy Corps Ethiopia empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good.
Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Quantity Required: 1
Risk Level: Level 3
The Position Summary
Reporting to the Platform Inclusion Lead, the Project Manager will serve as the primary implementer and day-to-day operational lead of the Jobtech for Refugees and Youth program in Ethiopia, He/She will lead the He/She will lead the recruitment and enrollment of refugee and displaced talent onto jobtech platforms, coordinate and facilitate collaboration between refugee job seekers, partner organisations, and digital work platforms. Additionally, he/she will take ownership of procurement, contracting, and administrative processes for Ethiopia and participate in the documentation of insights and lessons learned for knowledge products published by the Jobtech Alliance.
The role requires strong coordination skills, a proactive leadership orientation, and the ability to work across multiple stakeholder groups including donors, ecosystem actors, private sector partners, implementing organisations, and refugee-led organisations.
Job Requirements
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or other related fields
Experience:
Demonstrated Experience and understanding of the refugee working context is a must
A history of excellence in achieving results and self-management.
Minimum of 5 years’ experience in project management, livelihoods, employment or a related field, including experience managing teams and implementing programs.
Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, work planning, and managing project budgets and donor compliance.
Experience engaging with the private sector (as placement partner/collaborator or as a staff) is required. Experience working with refugees is strongly preferred. Experience working in a start-up or with technology solutions is a plus.
Duties and Responsibilities
Programmatic Responsibilities:
Provide overall leadership for delivery of the program in Ethiopia, translating the strategy agreed with the Platform Inclusion Lead to achieve set targets.
Identify, vet, and develop partnerships with refugee-led organizations, CBOs and other potential partners capable of recruiting and placing refugees into work on platforms
Lead the recruitment and enrollment of refugee and displaced talent onto jobtech platforms through trusted partner organisations and channels (see above)
Contribute to identifying, assessing and engaging jobtech platforms in Ethiopia that are well-placed to onboard refugee and displaced talent, helping shape which platforms the program prioritises and partners with.
Own the day-to-day relationship with jobtech platforms operating in Ethiopia and coordinate their interactions with partner organisations while feeding market insight back into program design and Jobtech Alliance's wider learning.
Serve as the program's primary liaison with relevant government and refugee-authority stakeholders in Ethiopia (e.g. RRS, relevant line ministries, local authorities) on issues affecting delivery coordinating closely with Mercy Corps Ethiopia country office
Coordinate procurement, contracting, and administrative processes within the Mercy Corps Ethiopia country office, ensuring compliance with organisational and donor policies.
Track and manage activity progress against workplans, ensuring adherence to scope, timelines, and budget allocations for Ethiopia-based activities; reviewing budget-versus-actuals and flagging variances to the Platform Inclusion Lead
Act as the bridge between platforms and talent translating platform needs into partner onboarding
Support hiring, onboarding and capacity-building of team members and implementing partners.
Community of Practice (CoP)
Plan and facilitate regular CoP engagements (e.g. convenings, webinars, knowledge exchanges) that bring together the diverse set of members (e.g. donors, ecosystem stakeholders, private sector actors, jobtech platforms etc.)
Drive CoP membership growth, with a particular focus on incorporating new members from emerging geographies with support from the Program Manager
Track CoP performance against targets outlined in the program proposal and report on progress to the Program Manager.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Reporting
Conduct field visits to verify data accuracy and collect qualitative insights that will help adapt and improve the program.
Assist in gathering insights and lessons learned, contributing to research as well as donor reporting while ensuring it meets both organisational and donor standards.
Support the alignment of program activities with key performance indicators (KPIs) and help maintain data integrity for accurate reporting and informed decision-making.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work ·
Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options
Skills & Competencies
A dynamic, “outside-the-box” attitude is required, with proven ability to think and act creatively in challenging environments.
Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a workload among different tasks and team members
Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), and a collaborative approach to working with others.
Working and written fluency in English, given work with a regional English-speaking team.
Outstanding analytical capacity, with capacity to bring clarity for others and make quick decisions.
Comfortable using shared document platforms including G Suite, as well as Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel and Power point).
How To Apply
All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically through this link: THIS LINK
Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.
“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”
