Mercy Corps Senior Advisor - Market Systems Jobs in Kenya
Mercy Corps Senior Advisor - Market Systems Jobs in Kenya
General Position Summary The senior advisor position focuses on providing expert technical support and capacity strengthening to Mercy Corps program teams in market systems development (MSD) and applying market systems principles in fragile contexts. Mercy Corps’ MSD programs span a range of sectors including Agriculture, Livestock, Employment, Financial Inclusion, and Energy, and are implemented in a variety of contexts that include fragile and conflict-affected areas, emergency responses, and more stable developed settings.
The Senior Advisor is a key member of the TSU team focused on MSD. Because this role focuses on MSD as a cross-cutting approach, it involves partnering closely with technical advisors across the Economic Growth team and other TSU teams. They will help us design and implement context-relevant market systems programming, generate evidence of our approach, support and mentor program teams to strengthen skills in this area, and develop externally facing thought leadership to raise the agency’s profile. The senior advisor will also support and drive research efforts toward understanding best practices for market systems approaches including support to the agency’s research and action-learning initiative.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Program and Proposal Development
Write/review proposals and concept notes for funding from donors including foundations, corporations and US, European, and UN agencies to support market systems programming.
Gather/analyze data and mentor program teams to conduct market systems assessments that improve program design, influence strategy, and Mercy Corps’ competitive advantage for funding.
Work with programs, country/regional teams, and technical support units on prepositioning and development of strategies related to market systems approaches.
Keep up to date on relevant strategies being developed or applied by significant governmental, academic, private sector, and non-profit groups. Work with Mercy Corps to determine how the agency can best work with and/or influence such materials.
Cultivate and nurture donor relationships and strategic partnerships that positively impact Mercy Corps ability to influence program strategies and proposal design, as well as strategic partnerships that result in stronger and impactful program development efforts that leverage market systems principles.
Program Quality
Provide technical support to a portfolio of programs including those in complex crisis environments, including supporting effective interventions in MSD and market-driven crisis response, applying expertise in market facilitation, using integrated approaches, and applying systems thinking.
Help maintain standards of program delivery that apply agency priorities and comply with relevant regulations and requirements.
Strengthen the capacity of Mercy Corps team members and partners to better design and implement programs that use market systems analysis and facilitation-based interventions to reach scale and improve program sustainability.
Learning and Impact
Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team and program teams to ensure that MSD measurement reflects best practices on topics such as results chains, systemic change monitoring, and market system resilience, and impact measurement.
Contribute to agency-wide initiatives such as the research agenda around market systems resilience and markets in crisis.
Support and lead market systems analyses; write case studies, learning documents, short articles, and blogs; and develop internal and external disseminate plan for all products.
Policy,
Advocacy, Representation
Represent Mercy Corps at academic events, conferences, media forums, and other events; contribute to thought leadership in MSD and market systems approaches in crises.
Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions.
Contribute to a strong and regularly updated network of technical experts and consultants that can serve as an additional resource to be deployed for program support.
Supervisory Responsibility
The position has supervisory responsibility over interns, volunteers, and/or consultants.
Knowledge and Experience
Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree or equivalent relevant experience, technical certifications or courses in Market Systems Development preferred.
5 to 7 years of experience providing increasingly proficient technical support in Market Systems Development that includes:
Producing and publishing influential articles and blogs related to market systems approaches.
Leading all aspects of large and complex proposals and managing integrated proposal teams.
Demonstrating strong theoretical and applied knowledge of market systems thinking, market facilitation, and private sector dynamics.
Working in partnership with, or for, private sector entities in fragile and/or thin markets.
Practical field experience of at least 3 years that includes:
Experience in fragile contexts or working on crisis response that demonstrates the ability to successfully adapt support and assistance methodologies to real-world complexities.
Managing and implementing successful programs in the field.
Supporting skills building and mentorship through workshops, coaching, and other means.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
Familiarity with major donors such as USAID, DFID, the EC and relevant foundations and corporations.
Fluency in English is required; fluency in French a strong plus.
Success Factors
The senior advisor will demonstrate significant experience managing programs in the field, further enhancing their ability to adjust technical theories to meet real world complexities.
The individual should have the proven ability to influence donors, partners, and peer organizations toward innovative programs and best practices.
Through significant experience managing all aspects of large or complex proposals, the individual will be able to advise and coach other Mercy Corps staff on how to adjust their methodology.
The senior advisor must take a lead role in building and maintaining external relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts.
All TSU positions require 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.
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; Mercy Corps Senior Advisor - Market Systems Jobs in Kenya
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