Market System Advisor - Middle East

Description

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 implements a variety of programming throughout the Middle East in response to the diverse humanitarian and long-term development needs of the region. Mercy Corps has ongoing programs in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Mercy Corps is committed to delivering high quality, high impact programming that reaches communities or individuals in need, wherever they are.
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General Position Summary**
Mercy Corps has a growing portfolio of Market Systems programmes in the Middle East. The Market System Advisor will support country teams in the region to implement quality MSD programs, and assist country teams to grow their portfolio of Market Systems programmes.
 
**Essential Job Responsibilities
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Business Development and Strategy

• Support country teams with their engagement with donors to increase awareness and interest in MSD
• Draft, review and/or contribute to concept notes and proposals for MSD programs
• Contribute to the development of capacity statements, donor presentations, strategy documents and and research products.

Technical Support

• Participate as an active, integrated member of the regional team and HQ TSU team providing technical support to a growing portfolio of market systems programs in the region, including those in complex crises and fragile contexts.
• Support effective interventions in MSD using integrated approaches and applying systems thinking.
• Help the team gather, refine, develop and disseminate tools such as training presentations and manuals, teaching notes, best program practices and lessons learned, and MSD monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Oversee the delivery of a nation-wide market systems assessment in Jordan, feeding into programme strategy discussions and ensuring quality outputs
• Work closely with Programme teams in the region to operationalize MSD principles. This includes supporting market assessments, feeding into intervention design and working with teams to capture learnings.
• Support the onboarding of new team members on MSD programmes, ensuring they are connected with relevant contacts in the Global TSU, as well as global MSD tools and resources
• Conduct MSD trainings, webinars and/or learning sessions as and when necessary
• As needed, coordinate wider engagement in the region with different workstreams of the Economic Opportunities pillar
• Reporting and Learning
• Work with the Program and Quality (PaQ) team at the regional and country level to ensure that monitoring and evaluation is practical and reflects global best practices.
• Support new and ongoing programs with best practice advice and assistance on assessment, implementation, research, and evaluation needs.
• Contribute with the country and regional teams to the newly developed Middle East Research Agenda that will incorporate learnings and adaptations from country programs.
• Conduct assessments; write case studies, learning documents, short articles, and blogs; and develop internal and external disseminate plans for all products.

Supervisory Responsibility  : None
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Accountability**
Reports Directly To: Regional Technical Director
Works Directly With: Deputy Regional Director, Regional Technical team, Regional PaQ team, Country Directors, Director of Programs, Program Managers, Global Economic Opportunity Teams
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Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders**
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
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Minimum Qualifications and Transferable Skills**

• Bachelor’s degree required. Formal training in Market Systems Development or M4P preferred.
• 5-7 years of experience in international development work, with a minimum of three years in a program management or technical advisor role, including proposal design.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in Market Systems Development technical work -including experience with program design, partnership building, technical advising, and/or learning and research.
• Experience working in the Middle East required. Experience working in fragile contexts and humanitarian settings preferred.
• Strong writing skills required.
• Strong presentation and representation skills required.
• Very strong English skills, Arabic skills preferred

Success Factors
The technical advisor will demonstrate a winning track record in program development, and bring  flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm to every project they undertake. The individual must have exceptional writing skills and the ability to multi-task, set priorities, pay attention to detail, and work under tight deadlines within complex team environments. The regional advisor must take an active role in building and maintaining external relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts. The individual must learn quickly how to provide technical data and support in the most efficient and effective form possible for each unique field team and environment. The role requires strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and a level of emotional intelligence proficiency that quickly builds and maintains productive relationships across teams. Being aware and sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is critical.
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Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions**
This position is based in Mercy Corps office locations and is expected to travel up to 40% within the Middle East, depending on travel restrictions.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a country posting or on a visit/TDY to a country program. 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.

Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

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.

Keywords

Market Systems AdvisorMiddle East