Mercy Corps Resilient Livelihoods and Markets Team Lead - Nairobi Jobs in Kenya

Mercy Corps Resilient Livelihoods and Markets Team Lead - Nairobi Jobs in Kenya

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.

The Program / Department Summary

With funding from USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Mercy Corps’ Nawiri Program is leading a consortium of Kenyan and international partners on a five year journey to sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition in Turkana and Samburu Counties of Kenya.

Through a phased approach that emphasizes evidence gap analysis, as well as partnership, learning, and co-creation, the program takes a robust county-centered design with government leadership, active engagement from communities, the private sector, and civil society.

Mercy Corps’ consortium brings together the global leadership, research capacity, technical expertise, and implementation experience necessary to partner with local institutions to test, adapt, and scale evidence-based solutions. Together we will sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition for vulnerable populations in Turkana and Samburu counties.

The Position

The Resilient Livelihoods Team Lead will be responsible for guiding, supporting and overseeing all Nawiri Program team and activities related to strengthening resilient livelihoods from a “push” perspective, ensuring marginalized, underserved, ultra-poor households are able to practice market-oriented, sustainable, and resilient livelihoods that support nutrition in the last mile.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Program Quality

Lead and/or update existing high quality market and livelihoods assessment across underserved communities in project implementation areas, providing a foundation for designing and layering resilient livelihood activities across the programs’ peer support groups.

Train and lead the technical teams and partners in the design and implementation of appropriate market-based approaches or resilient livelihoods that can support income generation in last mile communities, and ultimately connect to nutrition pathways. This can include through voucher and viable smart-subsidy approaches.

Lead strategies in strengthening the capacities of market actors.

Introduce and facilitate access to appropriate technology to support market-based approaches, including digital vouchers, solar, etc.

Regularly guide and mentor resilient livelihoods and implementation team in identifying effective business models, and assessing the viability of income generating and return on investment across all livelihood activities.

In partnerships with the technical leads and Implementation Lead ensure consistency of high quality, technical approaches across all resilient livelihoods components - production, financial services, entrepreneurship and employment, and identify additional technical support where required.

Review all income generating and market activities from a resilience perspective, ensuring appropriateness to changing climate conditions, agro-ecological landscape, and conflict. Seek and receive additional technical guidance in these areas as required.

Ensure effective sequencing, layering and integration of market components with other critical activities, particularly natural resource management, water security and psychosocial support.

Regularly monitor and review the quality of implementation, and work with the Implementation Lead to scale what works or take corrective measures.

Private Sector Partnerships

Lead the process of developing partnerships with and growing a vibrant network of key ‘Lead Firm’ actors, such as large businesses and government partners who will contribute to promoted business models

Develop guidance and protocols for identifying and partnering with private sector actors at all levels, including local service providers/last mile agents, suppliers, buyers, processors, transporters

Identify appropriate modalities for engaging with and supporting private sector actors to build out businesses and local food systems in the last mile, including through vouchers, cost share arrangements, trainings, exposure visits, and business-to-business connections.

Represent and clearly articulate market-based approach to resilient livelihoods, and private sector

partnerships to government counterparts, as needed.

Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions.

Program Management

Ensure effective management of the resilient livelihoods component, including adhering to all established program management process related to work planning, implementation, review and reflection meetings, adaptive management and reporting.

Ensure all required submissions from the resilient livelihoods team are on time and of high quality.

Facilitate effective sequencing, layering and integrating of activities within and across the program components.

Learning, Adaptive Management and Representation

Monitor and report on implementation progress of resilient livelihoods activities.

Regularly partner with the MEL Lead and Strategic Learning Advisor to identify and track progress against results pathways.

Ensure team is effectively supporting data capture and monitoring of activities, in line with MEL and SLA plans and systems.

Regularly support team to reflect on progress of resilient livelihood activities and progress against outputs, outcomes and milestones

Represent Mercy Corps at academic events, conferences, media forums, and other events; contribute to thought leadership in last mile market-based approaches to resilient livelihoods.

Present concepts and ideas to program leadership, partners, and peer organizations that influence them to drive innovation and positive change.

Team Management

Build effective relationships with the resilient livelihoods team, based on mutual trust, collaboration, urgency and curiosity

Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives. Regularly conduct performance reviews and provide constructive feedback.

Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally

Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Adhere to all principles related to gender equality and social inclusion, and create an inclusive team environment.

Model Mercy Corps key leadership competencies, including “be curious,” “be collaborative,” “listen actively,” and “be inclusive.”

Security

Ensure data protection policies are adhered to, establishing security controls for software, hardware and archive beneficiary databases

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

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

The ideal candidate, should hold an advanced degree in Business Management, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, or Economics with major focus on rural livelihoods, resilience and/or livestock

A minimum of 8 years' experience in agribusiness, livestock production or marketing, or agri-enterprise development especially in a rural or pastoral community. Direct experience working in the private sector in development program is

Demonstrable experience in developing business financial models and evaluating common business analysis tools required.

Working knowledge of Kenya’s economy and business environment, particularly in the context of rural development, Turkana and Samburu

Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with a wide range of partners; private sector, banks, government and civil society;

Demonstrable quantitative skills, including familiarity with database management and analysis

Proven skills in networking, assessing information needs and developing appropriate tools

Proven skills in team work, holding community consultations and organizational development

Excellent English language skills (written and verbal) for reporting, communication and representation

Fluency or working knowledge in Turkana is an advantage

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; Mercy Corps Resilient Livelihoods and Markets Team Lead - Nairobi Jobs in Kenya

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