Market Development Officer DYNAMIC Program Jobs – Mercy Corps
Job Title: Market Development Officer
Organization: Mercy Corps
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Project Manager
About US:
Mercy Corps is an International NGO that exists to alleviate poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps has been fully registered in Uganda as an operational NGO. Currently Mercy Corps has an office in Kampala and is implementing Food Security programs which comprise of Water and Sanitation, Livelihood and Agriculture and Conflict Mitigation Management Program in North and North Eastern Uganda. We implement programs in the northern districts of Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotido with funding from USAID, USDA, Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as other private donations.
About DYNAMIC:
Working in consortia with GOAL, VSO and Restless Development, the Driving Youth-led New Agribusiness and Microenterprise (DYNAMIC) program will strengthen systems and facilitate creation of sustainable economic opportunities for disadvantaged youth. DYNAMIC’s goal is to increase the number of young people who are in secure employment or self-employment and to promote agricultural market systems for youth. DYNAMIC will reach 125,000 out-of-school youth aged 15–24 in nine districts of northern Uganda over five years. Through a market facilitation approach, youth already engaged in on-farm activities will move from subsistence to more productive and profitable farming. DYNAMIC will increase the employability of youth by facilitating access to demand driven technical skills, knowledge and market information. In parallel, DYNAMIC will link agribusinesses and microenterprises to market opportunities and diverse stakeholders, and ensure they can utilize financial services.
Job Summary: The Market Development Officer will be implementing all aspects of the market systems development component of the district and lower level DYNAMIC program. S/he will be required to apply a wide variety of market development tools and approaches in order to catalyze innovative services and facilitate linkages between market actors in the assigned program areas.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategy & Vision
- Gather and analyze relevant market information for the purpose of accurate and confident decision-making in determining program strategy and selection of potential partners.
- Actively participate in assessments in the target geographic areas to assess current situation, economic opportunities and resources, needs and potential programs as well as challenges.
- Identify value-addition opportunities that strengthen economic opportunities, especially for young women and rural youth, in the livestock and agriculture sectors as identified by local and national government as well as independent market studies and needs assessments.
- Support in setting direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
Program Management
- Introduce program to relevant stakeholders including local business owners, local representatives and community members.
- In coordination with technical specialists and local partners, plan, implement and monitor market development activities.
- Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
- Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
- Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
- Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
- Work closely with supervisor to capture data for measuring output and impact of the program; and to ensure accurate and timely flow of information from the field. Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Prepare and submit timely weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports that will be indicative of program progress during implementation. Respond to queries if and when necessary.
- Maintain proper filing system.
Team Management
- Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
Finance & Compliance Management
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
- Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.
Influence & Representation
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
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.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidate for the Mercy Corps Market Development Officer job opportunity should hold a Bachelor’s degree in business, agribusiness, economics or other relevant field
- Good understanding of business and knowledge of private sector, with a minimum of 3 years’ practical experience in the private sector or related industry.
- Knowledge of the agricultural sectors highly desirable.
- Excellent (English) verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications.
- Good negotiation skills and high tolerance for uncertainty
- Demonstrated flexibility, creativity and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to learn and to be continually adaptive within a dynamic and often self-directed working environment mandatory.
- Willingness to spend much time in the field and work closely with program target groups.
- Ability and or willingness to ride motorcycle is an added advantage.
- The successful candidate will be one with a coherent sense of strategy to prioritize and guide activities, context sensitive and open to criticism and constantly step back from details to look for bigger picture.
- He or she is persistent; able to deal with rejection/failure (trial and error) and motivated and enthusiastic
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their E-mail applications including a cover letter clearly stating the salary requirements, updated CV (with three professional referees), and copies of academic qualifications/certificates addressed to the Senior HR and Legal Manager, Mercy Corps Uganda to: ug-mcjobs@mercycorps.org
Deadline: 8th May 2019
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda