Program Officer - MALL at Mercy Corps

Location: Maiduguri, Borno Ref No: MDG/HUMOPS/2018/00025

               Biu, Borno  Ref No: BIU/HUMOPS/2018/00004

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Program / Department Summary

• Market Agricultural Livelihoods and Livestock (MALL). The first program aims to revitalize the poultry livelihoods and markets in the context of Northeast Nigeria and the second program aims to facilitate the recovery of agricultural livelihoods and markets in the context of Northeast Nigeria.
• The position will be based in Biu and Maiduguri with travel to project sites on regular basis. The project works with vulnerable IDPs, returnees and the host community.

General Position Summary

• The Program officer, will be responsible for supporting activities in the intervention communities of MALL program.
• S/He will be responsible for supporting the implementation of strategic, impactful, and high-quality programming.
• The program officer will report to the Deputy Program Manager - MALL and work collaboratively with fellow program staff.
• S/he will work extensively with other sectors of the project to ensure that all activities are implemented successfully and timely.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.

Program Management:

• Support MALL in project management and administration of agricultural livelihood and poultry development related activities including beneficiary identification, selection, planning and distribution of vouchers, working with partners and facilitate monitoring.
• Contribute to all MALL project fieldwork, including identifying target locations, beneficiaries Mother unit and Inputs suppliers. Coordinate with community leaders, other stakeholders and other field-based tasks as assigned.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Contribute to effective program reporting, monitoring and evaluation systems for both internal and external use in coordination with the other program staff.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity, protection and capacity building into all MALL activities as appropriate.
• Assist with specific surveys or assessments as needed.
• Contribute to providing the MALL Deputy Program Manager with up-to-date information on the affected and targeted community and coordinates beneficiary lists and numbers with different stakeholders.
• Contribute to applying well researched and thought out interventions to revitalize the poultry livelihoods and facilitation of recovery of agricultural livelihoods and markets.
• Lead where necessary community meetings, sensitization to identify farmers and/or potential beneficiaries for agricultural livelihoods and poultry development.
• Mitigation where necessary maintaining a clear impartial profile for Mercy Corps in confusions or disputes between community/association/group members.
• Adherence to all MC policies and procedures as outlined in MC policies and procedure manuals;
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission in country of operation;
• Other duties as assigned.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Responsible for expenditure tracking of activities carried out in the field

Influence & Representation:

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with the community, government and other stakeholder's
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets are met.

Security:

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

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.

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.

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Deputy Program Manager
• Works Directly With: Other program Officers and assistants in the program

Requirements, Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S in relevant field required; MA/MS/MBA or equivalent preferred.
• 2-3 years of experience working in the development sector, or humanitarian program; general program management experience required.
• experience implementing distributions is required, preferably in a non-camp setting. Experience with cash/voucher distributions strongly preferred.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders to identify beneficiaries according to criteria required.
• Experience with conducting assessments, monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts required.
• Experience representing the organization and its interests to a diverse range of local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public.
• Commitment to renewing and maintaining knowledge of best practices.
• Demonstrated training and facilitation experience
• Ability to work under pressure
• Demonstrated strengths in analytical skills, monitoring and evaluation, and report writing
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills
• Fluency in English; fluency in Hausa is required

Success Factors

• Strong Work Ethic, having the ability to learn the most efficient way of learning the most efficient way to complete tasks and finding ways to save time while completing daily assignments.
• Dependability and Responsibility, having the ability to come to work on time, are there when they are supposed to be, and are responsible for their actions and behavior.
• Adaptability, being adaptable and maintaining flexibility in completing tasks in an ever-changing workplace.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours .
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.