GYSI TECHNICAL SPECIALIST- HIGHLANDS RESILIENCE ACTIVITY: DIRE DAWA

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.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas of: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations.

The USAID-funded Highland Resilience Activity (HRA) will contribute to the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) 5s Big Push initiative and has the overarching goal of strengthening resilience among vulnerable households in Ethiopias Highlands, resulting in 120,000 PSNP households reaching the graduation threshold. HRA will support these households in moving above the graduation threshold and to where they no longer require social safety net programming for household food security and have the capabilities and assets to withstand regular and predictable shocks. The Activity will achieve this goal by directly supporting households in increasing their on-farm, off-farm, and employment incomes while facilitating improvements in the market systems required to increase demand for goods and services in PSNP communities. HRA is a five-year program that started during October 2023.

General Position Summary

The Gender, Youth and social inclusion (GYSI) Technical specialist position holder will ensure the program activities' technical quality and integration of gender, youth and other socially marginalized groups needs and requirements across the programs intervention and identify and address related concerns through various assessments and strategies. The Specialist will also contribute to new business development, provide capacity-building training, contribute to organizational and staff transformation on GDI (Gender Diversity and Inclusion), and represent Mercy Corps in relevant regional coordination forums and platforms.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Collaborate and work closely with Mercy Corps team members and HRA program partners to make sure effective integration of gender, youth and social inclusion, across all the programs.
• Collaborate with relevant government and non-governmental actors in the regional to effectively identify gender, and social related norms and challenges and inform project designs and activities.

Program Management

• Lead the implementation of GYSI-focused project activities of HRA program across the field office.
• Represent Mercy Corp in the regional platforms and meetings.
• Provide appropriate technical guidance and support to program implementing team members.
• Lead GYSI analysis and provide technical advice to other assessments of the program process to inform program design, implementation and activity revision.
• Make sure gender, youth and social inclusion concerns are integrated across different assessments to better understand the concern and to inform program design and strategy development.
• Promote women's and youth leadership and meaningful engagement at various levels of community structures by suggesting relevant strategies to address the gaps.
• Ensure project MEL plans and indicators are GYSI sensitive Coordinative with the monitoring and evaluation team to do regular monitoring and evaluation of the project activities.
• Lead/oversee the process of gender and social norm reflections at the community and organizational levels.
• Provides capacity building trainings to program staff and stakeholders as required,
• Work closely with the GYSI advisor, share plan of works at regular level, engage on reflections for efficient interventions and monitoring and evaluation.
• Facilitate a community of practice for regional level project participants and facilitate experience sharing and learnings.

Team Management

• Provide technical guidance for Project Coordinator at regional level and work closely with Technical Advisors and specialists Supports and liaises with all project teams and provides capacity building including training and coaching on gender mainstreaming, Youth and social inclusion, and other related on-the-job training and capacity building.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback formally and informally.
• Sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Influence & Representation

• Make sure to coordinate with regional level government, development, and humanitarian actors to promote gender equality, youth, social inclusion, and prevention of Gender Based Violence.
• Always upholds the image and values of Mercy Corps

Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion

• Promote recruitment of diverse teams and inclusive and safe work environments including supporting early career team members to fulfill their professional goals.
• Lead by example to promote a gender-equal and inclusive workplace culture in day-to-day interaction with team members, partners, and program participants.

PROGRAM AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

• Provide project teams with technical support, coaching, and capacity building to ensure high-quality gender and youth integration in the program.
• Gather/analyze data and complete assessments to determine community needs and priorities, identify partnership opportunities, and Mercy Corp's competitive advantage for funding.
• Provide support for prepositioning and new program strategy design efforts.
• Cultivate and nurture donor relationships and strategic partnerships that may result in stronger or more impactful program development efforts.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• The GYSI Specialist is responsible to provide technical support to the program at the regional level and responsible to provide day to day technical support for the Community Technical Outreach Officers and Technical Advisor.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Reports Directly To: Program Coordinator

Technical Reporting line: Youth Engagement Specialist and GYSI Advisor

Closely work with All Mercy Corps and Partner technical teams, Regional and Zonal and Woreda government and private sector stakeholders

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively operate in a secure environment and be aware of policies.
• Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, and other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in designing, monitoring, and evaluating our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• BA degree in Gender and social development, Sociology, Psychology, Social work, political science and governance or other similar social science field of studies
• Minimum four years of work experience as GYSI or on positions related to gender, youth and social inclusion in development and humanitarian settings.
• Experience working with NGOs and USAID funded projects has advantage.

Success Factors

The GYSI Specialist will demonstrate experience-managing programs in the field, further enhancing their ability to adjust technical theories to meet complexities on the ground. The individual should have the proven ability to influence project participants, partners, peer organizations and stakeholders. 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 national development issues and diverse cultures is critical. Knowledge of the local language is mandatory. Knowledge of local language is an asset (Oromifa).

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and it requires travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

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 worlds 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. 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 toMercy Corps Code of Conduct Policiesand values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.