Job Title:  Market Systems Team Leader

Mercy Corps is an International NGO that exists to alleviate poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps has been fully registered in Uganda as an operational NGO. Currently Mercy Corps has an office in Kampala and is implementing Food Security programs which comprises of Water and Sanitation, Livelihood and Agriculture and Conflict Mitigation Management Program in North and North Eastern Uganda. We implement programs in the northern districts of Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotido with funding from USAID, USDA, Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as other private donations.

Job Summary: The Market Systems Team Leader will be responsible for leading the implementation of facilitation projects that make market dynamics, actors, institutions and services accessible to households within the PROGRESS focus areas. These activities will work through public sector enabling strategies and private sector actors, seeking to crowd in provision rather than displace or replicate private actors with donor-funded services. Facilitation projects increasing access to technical services, improving access to locally appropriate products, developing agent input and aggregator networks, improving service offerings and profitable provision of community animal health services, commercializing access innovative energy products and methods, and expanding the role and relationship of line Ministries in strategic prioritization of investment for economic vitality that contributes to household and community resilience.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• With support from the PROGRESS Programme Manager and fellow sector-focused Team Leaders, carry out assessments in the target geographic areas to assess current situation, economic opportunities and resources, needs and potential programs as well as obstacles that could be mitigated through PROGRESS engagement with public and private sector actors;
• Recommend program priorities and explore, evaluate and present new opportunities that leverage impact and/ or complement core activities.
• Emphasize the role of, and opportunities for women and girls in the economic realm in both rural roles and in the urban sphere;
• Highlight market-based skills which are emerging with urban growth and work with public, private and development actors on efforts to match skills of people transitioning out of pastoralism and urban poor for urban livelihoods and services;
• Introduce the program to relevant stakeholders including local business owners, local representatives and community members. Foster ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders and forge links between market actors, producers, end users, etc.;
• Make sure that there is an integrated approach to program implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy between the staff and different MC programs where relevant and feasible.
• Offer direct and ongoing field supervision to provide quality advise and technical review in areas related to economic development.
• Identify small business activities for seed support through basic improvements or inputs;
• Identify value-addition opportunities that strengthen economic opportunities, especially for rural women and urban poor, in the livestock and agriculture sectors as identified by local and national government as well as independent market studies and needs assessments; these will focus on urbanized areas such as Moroto and Kotido and districts that are heavily engaged in agriculture development;
• Identify opportunities within the long-term plans for Karamoja County that can be fostered through progress, such as activating initiatives in designated livelihoods zones;
• Establish and maintain productive working relationships with sub-county and district leaders and local government departments, representing Mercy Corps in coordination meetings and soliciting their participation in all activities where appropriate and as directed by the line manager;
• Ensure close coordination and sharing of information with relevant stakeholders such as local government departments, NGO’s and local authorities, as appropriate and advised by the line manager; Identify opportunities for social innovation and enterprise that could be launched through catalytic investments from PROGRESS, or public and private sector initiatives;
• Guide Shared Learning Dialogue series that are thematically focused on enabling environment for market activity, including long-term infrastructure strategy and prioritization and identification of potential investors and innovators.
• Steer the planning of Karamoja-based and Kampala-based learning events, exhibits, workshops that bring private and public sector entities together to collectively review and discuss technology developments and innovation and to examine private sector approaches to household and community challenges that can be incubated through public sector incentives;
• Engage with PROGRESS Consortium members such as local civil society and the University of Nairobi around innovation and best practices for new technologies in climate-smart practice, renewable energy and energy saving methods;
• Take primary responsibility for district data gathering and documentation of program activities
• Comply to M&E systems that will be established to measure program impacts and desired results
• Analyze project implementation strategies to identify constraints to program success and provide timely recommendations;
• Compile and submit timely weekly, monthly, and quarterly report that will be indicative of program progress during implementation.
• Where needed support external evaluations by research partner Feinstein International Center and other organizations;
• Work closely with the M &E to ensure accurate and timely flow of information from the field for entry in the database and for preparation of PR materials

Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 

• The applicant should possess a good University degree, preferably graduate level, in Business Administration, Economics or Finance is required;
• At least five to seven years working for a formal financial institution with orientation to mass markets or within the private sector is required;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Excellent computer skills, specifically in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to complete tasks in a timely manner;
• Excellent teamwork abilities and interpersonal skills;
• Good knowledge and understanding of M&E, information, communications and knowledge sharing technologies and use of innovative approaches on digital financial services
• Exceptional networking and negotiation skills required;
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills as well as familiarity with financial accounting required;
• Demonstrated flexibility, creativity and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to learn and to be continually adaptive within a dynamic and often self-directed working environment mandatory;
• Possess the ability to focus on day-to-day tasks at hand while also working towards longer-term objectives with an understanding that these will change continuously
• Willingness to spend much time in the field and work closely with program target groups.
• Proven ability to work independently as part of a regional team and with international professionals.
• Excellent analytical and information management skills.
• Good organizational skills and ability to work under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
• Highly flexible and creative in planning and problem solving.
• Attention to detail, ability to follow procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Proven excellence maintaining professional internal and external relationships.
• A focus on building staff capacity.

How to Apply for the job:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their applications including a cover letter clearly stating your salary requirements, CV (with 3 referees), and copies of academic qualifications/certificates to the Human Resource Manager via E-mail to: mcuganda@ug.mercycorps.org will also be accepted.

NB: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted by Mercy Corps. Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.

Deadline: 10^th October, 2014

  JOBS, Mercy Corps, NGO