Job Description

About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. Mercy Corps supports communities – and the most marginalized within them – to emerge from crisis in the face of climate change and build towards a more inclusive and resilient future.

Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps has been present in Zimbabwe since 2002, leading innovative programming focusing on evidence-based solutions that have lasting impact and build resilience. Resilience building is an agency priority and involves using a systems-based approach that builds on proven solutions, accesses new ideas and information, and integrates multiple sectors and partnerships to strengthen food and water security, economic opportunities, and climate change adaptation. Zimbabwe continues to experience recurrent environmental and economic shocks that affect the wellbeing of its communities and undermine development investments. Mercy Corps puts resilience at the core of its strategy to contribute to the wellbeing of Zimbabweans by building communities’ capacities and strengthening systems and institutions.

Mercy Corps is a consortium member implementing the USAID-BHA funded Resilient Food Security Activity (RFSA), Amalima Loko, in the Matabeleland North province of western Zimbabwe. Mercy Corps provides overall technical oversight and leadership on resilience as a guiding principle and approach to reach the program’s overall goal: Improve Food Security Through Increased Food Access and Sustainable Watershed Management. The Resilience Lead will be a senior position responsible for coordinating Mercy Corps’ resilience measurement and learning (RMEL) contributions to the program’s overall MEL system and brings technical leadership to guide the program’s use of R-MEL data for refining program interventions. The Resilience Lead is also responsible for setting the technical vision for resilience in the program, working closely with consortium partners to translate the program’s resilience logic into workplans and directly managing Resilience Coordinators to ensure quality implementation of key activities. She/he will also be a senior level representative for the Amalima Loko program with stakeholders.

General Position Summary
The Resilience Lead coordinates Mercy Corps’ resilience measurement and learning (RMEL) contributions to the program’s overall MEL system and brings technical leadership to guide the program’s use of R-MEL data for refining program interventions. She/he will also be a senior level representative for the Amalima Loko program with stakeholders.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Safeguarding Risk Rating is Level 2.
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 and have signed on to the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme - https://misconduct-disclosure-scheme.org/(Copy and paste this link to your web browser).

By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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. https://www.mercycorps.org/who-we-are/ethics-policies (copy and paste link to web browser).

Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e- learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline
([email protected]).

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Job Responsibilities

Resilience measurement, monitoring and learning
● Design and implement assessments and conduct or facilitate analyses to inform program understanding of resilience dynamics in target communities and among target populations.
● Facilitate the development of a resilience monitoring and learning agenda, tied to program outcomes, working in close coordination with Mercy Corps’ R-MEL focal point and the program’s CLA Lead and M&E Manager.
● Mentor program M&E and implementing teams to implement a resilience monitoring system, to track resilience program outcomes and document lessons learned.
● Work with the program’s CLA Lead to develop and facilitate resilience-informed adaptive management processes, to reflect on resilience monitoring results, take stock of successes and failures, and make program adjustments as necessary.
● Work with teams to set and oversee the delivery of research and learning priorities in resilience, in consultation with the consortium's senior management team and donor priorities.
● Identify opportunities for ensuring the program can demonstrate evidence and deliver compelling messages on what works best for resilience in western Zimbabwe.
● Coordinate the development of high-quality learning products, program briefs and thought pieces articulating and sharing evidence of success for building resilience.

Strategy and Program Management
● Provides overall direction and technical input for resilience integration across the program’s three main Outcomes and cross-cutting themes.
● Leads Mercy Corps’ start-up processes during the program Refinement Phase, including designing and managing key research, assessment, analysis, and design activities.
● Collaborate with program leadership, technical staff, and partners from the Amalima Loko consortium, and Mercy Corps’ regional and HQ technical support team to ensure buy-in and coordination of key resilience inputs into start up and throughout implementation.
● Directly manage key resilience program components and ensure successful implementation and reporting.
● Manage field staff and consultants as needed to accomplish objectives of specific components.
● Conduct regular field visits to assess strengths and weaknesses of resilience application in programming and develop detailed reports to adapt program approaches.
● Oversee timely reporting for Mercy Corps Amalima Loko team.

Team and partner capacity-building & technical support
● Work closely with technical managers to set team capacity-building priorities to ensure integration of resilience approaches into program design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
● Facilitate processes with team members that allow for integration of resilience approaches to improve sector-based and cross-sectoral programming, and get to impact
● Adapt and develop context and program-specific guidance, tools, and trainings to advance the integration of resilience-thinking and action into program systems
● Identify capacity-building needs and opportunities in resilience for program partners, to support an integrated resilience approach across programs
● Provide team members with information, tools, and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives

Knowledge management and communications
● Facilitate documentation and dissemination of program learning related to resilience.
● Package resilience content and information for key internal and external audiences.
● Facilitate capture and packaging of resilience stories.
● Secure additional support and resources in communications and knowledge management for resilience, as required.

Representation, partnerships, and outreach
● Facilitate liaising and maintaining strong relationships with donors and partners, jointly identifying resilience priorities and opportunities for influence, and demonstrating impact.
● Represent Mercy Corps Zimbabwe in strategic internal and external high-profile resilience events and conferences, including with donors, higher-level government stakeholders and multilateral institutions.
● Identify strategic partners for resilience building in collaboration and facilitate outreach and coordination efforts.

Safeguarding Responsibilities
• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Qualifications and Experience

Knowledge and Experience
● BA/BS or equivalent in Development Studies, Agriculture, Economics, Environmental Management, Governance or other relevant field.
● MA/S or equivalent in Development Studies, Agriculture, Economics, Environmental Management, Governance or other relevant field is desirable.
● At least 5 years of experience working in resilience building programming involving livelihoods, food security, market systems or environmental approaches required. Previous experience working in Matabeleland is desirable.
● Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate processes to use research and M&E to improve program learning and adaptive management.
● Experience with design and implementation of participatory assessment processes, quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, and monitoring and evaluation
● Strong representation, networking and facilitation skills with experience in conducting participatory trainings and workshops.
● Essential computer literacy and capacity to work with MS Office applications.
● Written and verbal proficiency in English and verbal proficiency in Ndebele is highly desirable.

How to Apply

How to Apply
Mercy Corps is committed to the community members we work with and the beneficiaries we serve. As part of this commitment, Mercy Corps has a zero tolerance for violations of our Code of Conduct (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Program Participants and Community Members (PSEA), Anti-Human Trafficking and Exploitation Policy, Child Safeguarding Policy, Mercy Corps’ Speak Out! Policy, Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace Policy, Anti- Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Policy, and Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy).

Applicants are required to download and sign the MC Candidate Declaration Form (copy and paste this link to your web browser) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RmlrQfcgAa7S5d5WkcUUHoKTNXXOPD74/edit and submit together with CV and Cover letter to Mercy Corps Human Resources at [email protected] by COB 12 July 2024. Please note that CV and Cover should be on one document.
Applications should be clearly marked with the position applied for in the email subject line.