Track 2 & MSD Lead FCDO Ukraine - Nexus Durable Solutions Initiative
Description
The position is contingent on funding
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Enhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through our programmes, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and ultimately thrive.
Since the escalation of the war in 2022, Mercy Corps has supported more than 300,000 people in Ukraine. We have provided cash assistance, food, shelter, and hygiene kits, psychosocial support, grants for micro, small, and medium businesses, as well as small to medium farming enterprises, and conducted large-scale information campaigns.
About the Programme
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has launched a call for proposals for NGOs to deliver the Nexus Durable Solutions Initiative. The programme will be funded by both FCDO’s humanitarian and resilience portfolios. The overall aim of the 3-year programme is to provide resilience support (farm & off-farm) to improve the food security and self-reliance of vulnerable, war-affected households and communities by protecting and restoring their food production and livelihoods.
The programme will further build on this work to conduct a market system diagnostic leading to the deployment of a pilot for a Durable Solutions’ Initiative, aiming to support the transition (of at least some) of the beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance to self-sufficiency, through access to finance and further development support, securing a pathway toward economic independence in the long run.
The programme combines humanitarian early recovery under a first component (“Track 1”), funded from FCDO’s Humanitarian portfolio, with a market systems based Durable Solutions Initiative component (“Track 2”)
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps is seeking candidates to lead implementation of the Track 2 component – leading the market system diagnostic and using the results to develop and implement a Durable Solutions’ Initiative. The successful candidate will oversee the implementation of the consortium’s programming under Track 2, as well as providing technical oversight on Market Systems Development (particularly under Track 2 but also under Track 1 interventions, where appropriate.)
The Track 2 & MSD Lead will be responsible for coordinating and implementing the delivery of the Track 2 component, including daily management of programme activities and staff, and ensuring appropriate systems and support mechanisms are in place to track, analyze and report on results. S/he will be a strong team leader and an effective communicator, able to work with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common objectives.
S/he will serve as a guide and mentor for programme staff, enabling them to apply the MSD approach to diagnose market systems challenges and design and deliver quality programme implementation using the MSD approach. This includes helping to identify strategic areas of focus (sub-sectors or cross-cutting areas such as finance), setting vision for sustainable systemic change, designing and implementing interventions and monitoring results, all under the umbrella of the Durable Solutions Initiative.
This work will be done in close coordination with the Consortium Director as well as in close collaboration with other team members, particularly the Track 1 Lead.
Essential Responsibilities
PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
- Provide effective overall leadership in the management of Track 2 interventions.
- Lead the development of a market systems diagnostic, including sector selection, market mapping, partner identification and intervention design.
- Utilise the results of the diagnostic to lead the development of a methodology for the Durable Solutions Initiative and manage activities as part of the pilot.
- Coordinate closely with the Consortium Director and other members of the PMU to ensure coordination between the programmes diverse activities, including Track 1 activities.
- Ensure timely and effective design and implementation of interventions, and achievement of targets, on time, on scope and on budget for Track 2 activities.
- Support the PMU to build, manage and maintain relationships with the donor, and communicate progress of Track 2 interventions.
- Prepare (or facilitate/enable the preparation of) high-quality reports FCDO and Mercy Corps standards, in collaboration with the programme teams and the other support teams, and in alignment and coordination with the process set out by the Consortium Director and MRM Manager. These reports should demonstrate how the programme’s Track 2 activities contribute to the overall strategic objectives.
- Collaborate closely with the Consortium Director to support partnership planning and modalities that enable effective MSD implementation.
TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP
- Ensure design and implementation of MSD programming aligns with MSD principles and standards, while also integrating technical resources and drawing on technical experts from other areas, such as GESI, and Climate resilience.
- Lead and manage sub-sector selection research and subsequent market system assessments (MSAs), and lead on putting findings into action.
- In collaboration with intervention managers, support adaptive management practices to ensure adequate targeting and programme success.
- Provide technical review of work products and deliverables related to MSD, including partnership engagement designs, scopes of work and key deliverables.
- Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems enable a diversely-skilled programme team to implement MSD effectively – including supporting the team with processes and procedures for engaging and building partnerships with the private sector, intervention or concept design, and adaptive management. Work closely with the SMT and other programme team members to navigate and strengthen operational systems to support MSD implementation.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Manage a team of implementation staff dedicated to delivering Track 2 activities.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence while also valuing diversity, debate and disagreement.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular performance discussions and strong performance management protocols.
- Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
- Work with other colleagues to identify training needs and capacity gaps, to train and mentor staff in MSD approaches to ensure implementation of MSD programme activities, and support them to access additional professional development and technical capacity building as appropriate to their individual professional development.
- Recognise opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Work closely with the PREVALE PMU to ensure cross-learning with other components of PREVALE and members of the wider consortium, avoiding any siloes.
PROGRAMME MONITORING, EVALUATION & LEARNING
- Work with the MEL team to develop and implement a MEL plan for Track 2 component, with clear designation of roles and responsibilities between the MSD interventions and MEL teams.
- Ensure that robust monitoring and evaluation, quality data collection and analysis systems are in place, adhered to and used as a decision-making tool, in coordination with the MEL team.
- Lead the development of the programme Evidence & Learning plan, including the development of case studies and learning documents.
- As relevant, collaborate closely with the Technical Resources and Quality team to provide feedback and share lessons to improve Mercy Corps’ MSD programme design and implementation.
Supervisory Responsibility
Number of direct reports is to be determined.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Consortium Director
Works Directly With: Programme Management Unit (PMU), Steering Committee, Mercy Corps Ukraine Director of Programmes, Director of Finance, Mercy Corps Finance and Operations teams, consortium partner focal points. Coordinates with HQ International Finance. and the Technical Resources and Quality Unit.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme 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.
Knowledge and Experience
- At least 7 years of experience advising or managing MSD programmes, at least 5 years in senior advisory or management roles on MSD-related projects in the field.
- Deep understanding of MSD methodology, frameworks and their operationalisation.
- Demonstrated experience operationalising MSD tactics, including experience navigating NGO procurement and administration systems.
- Experience working on large, complex ‘hybrid’ programmes preferred.
- Prior experience in Ukraine or similar complex environments preferred.
- FCDO prior experience is advantageous.
- Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organisational and prioritisation skills.
- Excellent oral and written English skills required;
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
- Knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian is advantageous.
Success Factors
A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. This position requires an ability to think creatively about changing norms that lead to greater opportunities for economic growth at household, community and institutional levels. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritise, take initiatives, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This position is based in Kyiv, Ukraine, with significant travel required to programme locations across the country.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organisations 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 organisation 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 world’s 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.
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, colour, 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, programme 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 to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.