Senior Advisor Youth Employment And Market System Development At Mercy Corps

PROGRAM QUALITY
Proactively engage with and provide close technical assistance to specific target programs/projects to ensure that they apply best practice MSD/MSD4E methodologies.
Support effective MSD interventions at all relevant stages of the program cycle from assessment, analysis and design, piloting, monitoring and adapting, scale-up, close out and ex-poste monitoring.
Review core documentation (work plans, reports, intervention concept notes) of target programs to ensure quality and support programmatic improvements.
Support the team leader and program team to translate program learning into tangible adjustments to intervention strategies, as well as to share this learning in the MSD4E internal community of practice or other forums as appropriate.
Serve as technical quality assurance focal point, ensuring quality standards, and working with program, country and TRaQ leadership to improve plans and deliverables when they fall short.
Provide leadership and strategic vision to technical componentsof the target programs including workplan development, market and labor assessments, partnership selection and management, and overall sector strategy.
Support teams to maintain standards of program delivery and compliance with relevant regulations and requirements, without compromising on technical quality.
Increase program capacity within Mercy Corps through mentoring, coaching and training program staff as appropriate, as well as by developing and circulating implementation tools, manuals and guidance, case studies etc. in coordination with the relevant regional and global TRaQ directors.
Integrate other key Mercy Corps approaches, such as jobtech and green jobs, Market Systems Resilience, and climate-resilient agriculture principles, into target programs where appropriate and apply learning from other relevant programs, such as the Regional Livestock Programme and the Jobtech Alliance.

PROGRAM DESIGN AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
Collaborate with program, country, regional, and other TRaQ teams on prepositioning and strategy development, to support the design of MSD programs in Africa that meet the outcomes and commitments in Mercy Corps' 10-year strategy
Write, review and advise proposal teams on grant proposals and concept notes for donors including foundations, corporations, and government agencies, with a focus on harnessing the Market Systems Development approach - especially for employment - within the design of new programs.
When needed, support teams to research, analyze, and assess data to determine program needs, priorities, and Mercy Corps' strategic advantages for funding

TRAINING AND COACHING
Identify ongoing opportunities for project/program staff upskilling and work with team leaders to implement professional development initiatives for staff.
Coach, advise, and support project staff and intervention managers, in collaboration with project leaders.
In close partnership with project leaders, create a work atmosphereconducive to professional growth and development of excellent MSD personnel at all levels.
Develop and deliver in-person and remote training for Mercy Corps staff, partners, and programs on MSD and MSD4E approaches
As needed, develop and disseminate guidance, tools and resources that scale technical support on MSD and MSD4E to a wider group of programs, and that provide a reference for program teams

RESEARCH AND LEARNING
Support cross-learning between MSD programs across Africa, including by supporting the growth of MSD community of practice(s) across Mercy Corps to strengthen program quality, facilitate cross-learning, and build a community of technical experts.
Encourage systematic opportunities to use data for learning and improvement, and to focus on learning lessons throughout the life of the program; support target projects to develop and implement learning agendas that contribute to regional and global learning agendas,
In collaboration with the research and learning team, support program teams to develop and disseminate learning briefs, case studies, blogs and other communication pieces for internal and external audiences with a focus on MSD technical approaches (and, where relevant, our other strategic approaches); oversee dissemination of lessons learned to internal and external stakeholders.
Support research projects led by the Research and Learning team on target programs.
Support program staff to represent Mercy Corps at academic events, conferences, media forums, and other events, to cultivate relationships and establish Mercy Corps' voice as a thought leader in Market Systems Development, particularly for employment, and where appropriate represent Mercy Corps directly

STRATEGY
Ensure that lessons, experiences, and tools from target projects are fed back into Mercy Corps relevant strategies, both at the regional and global levels

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP
Demonstrate exceptional leadership by consistently delivering expectations and maintaining composure, even in challenging situations.
Embrace a growth mindset, actively seek diverse perspectives, and welcome feedback to drive continuous improvement.
Maintain the highest ethical standards, treating all individuals with respect and dignity.
Demonstrate professionalism in all aspects of life, ensuring that your conduct reflects positively on Mercy Corps and does not compromise its mission or work.
Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
Actively learns about safeguarding and integrate it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
Practice the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
Encourage openness and communication in their team; encourage team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility
The position does not have supervisory responsibility, though there is a strong support role to program staff in collaboration with team leaders. The person in this role will sit on both the East and Southern Africa TRaQ team and the global Youth Employment team. S/he will also liaise closely with the West and Central Africa TRaQ team and the global Markets team.
Accountability
Reports Directly To:TRaQ Director of East and Southern Africa, and Director of Youth Employment (dual management)
Works Directly With:West and Central Africa TRaQ team, the global Markets team, all other TraQ teams, HQ, Regional and Program teams, and external partners
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.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
5+ years of experience of increasingly proficient management and/or technical support in MSD programming, with at least one job experience in a well-reputed MSD project.
Proven experience assessing markets and working with private sector partners
Experience working across different geographies, including Africa, and more specifically in fragile environments.
Strong ability to understand and manage multiple stakeholders and complex relationships at multiple levels of the organization.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites, including traveling to insecure environments, is required. This position is expected to spend up to 30% time traveling to field programs and countries. A proven proactive approach to work and self-driven leadership.
Fluency in English is required, with strong written and oral communication skills.
Fluency in French is preferred
Experience in or knowledge of youth employment programming and labor markets preferred.
Experience of delivering capacity building support (training, coaching and/or other related processes) preferred