Program Assistant - Livelihoods at Mercy Corps

Supervisory Responsibility: None
Reports Directly to: Program Manager
Works Directly With: Finance, Program and Operation Teams.

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on adolescent girls’ empowerment, economic development and conflict mitigation. With the insurgency spilling over from the Northeast of Nigeria and causing displacement of millions of individuals, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in 2014 to address the rising humanitarian needs.
• With funding from institutional donors, foundations and private corporations, Mercy Corps continues to provide assistance to meet the basic needs of vulnerable populations in the areas of food security, shelter, water and sanitation, protection, and livelihoods.
• With the recognition of the protracted crisis in Northeast Nigeria, Mercy Corps’ strategy and expansion plans aim to address the root causes of the crisis and seek to build long term resilience of communities with integrated programs focusing on the recovery of markets and livelihoods, social cohesion and social protection, and youth empowerment with emphasis on adolescent girls and boys.
• With multiple funding streams from large institutional donors and foundations, Mercy Corps’ programs in Northeast Nigeria continue to scale up and serve communities by transitioning them from humanitarian aid to early recovery programs.

General Position Summary

• The Program Assistant will provide all required logistics, procurement, administrative and general program support.
• This will also include providing capacity building support and maintenance of all operational systems, as well as supporting the program with the development of relationships with government, NGOs, and private sector partners.
• This position will work directly on the agricultural livelihoods and poultry development projects.

Essential Job Functions
Programmatic:

• Assist program officers to track program progress according to the developed schedule and work plan, including community mobilization, beneficiary registration, community sensitization and coordination in the target geographical locations.
• Assist in promoting community participation including organizing for community meetings and inclusion so as to encourage community ownership over activities implemented and ensure equal representation of various community groups during implementation.
• Conduct program related messaging to ensure the messages developed address the current knowledge and practices gaps, messages channels are in line with those most commonly used by the communities.
• Support the Program Officers in conducting trainings to Mercy Corps community volunteers and committees on community sensitization and messages delivery.
• Attend coordination meetings, whenever delegated.
• Together with the Program Officer, ensure inclusion of protection principles like gender segregation, adaptation to meet the gender-specific and disablement needs, in the design and implementation of the program.
• Organize and conduct focus group discussion on program related topics.

Operational:

• Maintain procurement, financial, and administrative systems
• Provide ongoing support in maintaining these systems, problem-solving, and functioning as a focal point for communications with operations, human resources and finance team.
• Facilitate and organize all required meetings with internal departments as well as external contacts to communicate accurate and up-to-date information as and when required
• Assist in organizing all logistics for trainings, workshops, events and other activities including flight bookings and procuring office supplies.
• Assist in maintaining of work calendars (internal and external).
• Take meeting minutes and circulate to identify recipient lists as and when required.
• Assist in development of TORs and contracts for events and consultancies.

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.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• 1-2 years of working experience. Previous experience in community work is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain good relation with the local communities and project beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated skills in planning, organizing and reporting
• Bachelor degree in relevant field or equivalent experience is highly recommended
• Ability to work under pressure
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills
• Fluency in English; fluency in Hausa is required.
  

Success Factors

• The successful candidate will be an effective communicator, with dedication towards community work, commitment to work long hours in the field conditions with limited access to resources.
• S/He will be highly motivated, with initiative and capable to work without direct supervision.
• S/he will be willing to conduct field travels and work in ethnically and culturally diversified and fast growing team.