Vacancy Announcement

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has been working in Liberia since 2002.

Mercy Corps invites applications from all interested and potential Liberian candidates for the following position(s):

1. GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION (GESI) OFFICER – 01 position, based in Monrovia, Montserrado County 2. Please find below the full position description for this position.

“Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, especially women and members of disadvantaged groups to apply. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer”.

3. How to apply?

Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit their detailed CV with a cover letter along with other relevant certificates to the email address lr-jobs@mercycorps.org. You are requested to mention the title of the position on the subject line of the e-mail while applying.

Hard copies of the CV with cover letter along with all relevant certificates can be dropped at Mercy Corps’ Office located at “Tubman Boulevard Sophie Junction Opposite SOS Clinic, Monrovia”. Label the left corner of the envelop with the title of the position for which you are applying.

Last date for the submission of CV’s is January 4, 2022, by 04:00 pm. Mercy Corps reserves the right to accept or reject any or all CV(s) without assigning any reason. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.

“The recruitment processes will be ongoing while receiving applications”. FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY!

mercycorps.org

GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION (GESI) OFFICER

Location: Monrovia, Liberia

Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Salary Level: 5

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps Liberia began operations in 2002 in response to the humanitarian crisis brought about by the two Liberian civil wars which took place from 1989-1997 and 1999–2003. Since then, Mercy Corps’ interventions have evolved based on the context and needs of the Liberian people. With funding from the Swedish Embassy, European Commission, French Development Agency, Irish Aid, and US Department of Agriculture, among others, Mercy Corps Liberia has implemented a range of programs focused on renewable energy, food security, agricultural livelihoods, financial inclusion, nutrition, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and youth economic empowerment. Mercy Corps Liberia works closely with the Government of Liberia (especially the Ministries of Youth and Sports, Health, Labor and Education), the private sector, civil society, international and local NGOs to implement its programs from three offices/sub-offices (Monrovia, Buchanan, and Rivercess). Mercy Corps is one of the foremost development actors in Liberia implementing strategic and systems driven programming in youth employment and entrepreneurship, market systems development and good governance.

The Program / Department / Team

Mercy Corps Liberia will start implementing a 4-year market system development (MSD) program, funded by the Swedish Embassy, focused on urban/peri-urban youth employment with bases in Monrovia and Ganta, with possible expansion to other secondary cities services in 2-3 counties. The first six months of the program will include an Inception Phase with market assessments that will build the foundation to refine the program objectives, design interventions, determine geographies, structure, and other core components.

The programme intends to focus on three market systems: Labour Supply, Micro-enterprise, and Wage Employment across all geographies, based on the outcomes of the Inception Phase. The Labour Supply Market System is about youth employees and potential employees – at their readiness for work, in terms of skills and experience. The Micro-enterprise Market System aims mainly at developing youth entrepreneurs while the Wage Employment Market System looks at businesses offering employment to youth.

The Position

Reporting to the Team Leader – MSD (responsible programme manager), the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Officer will be responsible for ensuring we achieve Mercy Corps aim of ensuring 50% of our participants are female, as well as ensuring the programme meets the diverse and unique needs of youth programme participants, as well as green growth. This position holder will ensure Mercy Corps minimum standards for GESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion) are included in all phases of programme cycle. They will develop an assessment framework which will include gender and inclusion considerations as well as potential risks within each market system explored. They will conduct a supporting gender/GESI assessment to identify factors that either inhibit or enable the participation of young women, young men and other vulnerable groups.

S/he will oversee all aspects related to gender analysis, and action planning to ensure inclusion of people with disabilities, vulnerable groups into the programme design and implementation. While much of the detail of programme design will be developed during the Inception Phase (first 6 months of the programme), some examples of activities include the following: 1) Research and analysis into the major barriers of GESI generally and for specific market systems or sectors; 2) Integration of analysis into program design and program activities; 3) Monitoring of program activities and their impact on GESI indicators; 4) Adaptive management– integrating learnings and evidence from implementation into subsequent iterations of the same or new activities.

Essential Responsibilities

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

• Support the Team Leader to create a strong vision for the programme’s approach when it comes to the integration of gender and vulnerable groups.
• Support Team Leader to ensure all activities aim to target 50% females and aim to be socially inclusive. ● Ensure that cross-cutting aspects of gender equality, social inclusion are included and well-integrated into all proposed approaches and activities.
• Develop gender/GESI framework and ensure all relevant staff and stake holders are involved in process of developing and implementing framework.
• Contribute technical expertise, share best practices across all stake holders, and involve staff to seek opportunities to build staff’s motivation and capabilities in GESI.
• Collaborate with different program components including Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) to drive overall effectiveness and coherence of program strategy.
• Represent Mercy Corps in relevant forums (as agreed with Team Leader).

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Develop detailed evidence-based analysis on social and cultural barriers, economic barriers, skills development and lack of resources, risks for women working and how to address them, analysis on gender imbalance in micro enterprise, and other core constraints or opportunities.
• Conduct research and analysis related to gender-based constraints in each market system and present recommendations to address them.
• Conduct gender/GESI capacity building activities such as training, learning-by-doing, reflection process and field monitoring support.
• Contribute to research conducted in the program to ensure that relevant issues on gender/GESI are well represented and applied across all sectors.
• Monitor the implementation of the strategy and other gender related commitments in the project’s design and ensure that the project activities align with SIDA/Swedish Embassy’s gender approaches and guidelines.
• Work with field teams to conduct regular community consultations to ensure programming remains gender and age responsive and on-track. Support field teams with ensuring that gender diversity principles inform processes of community consultations.
• Assist Team Leader and staff to communicate information from the field to the appropriate decision making forum on the gender/GESI integration in activities undertaken in all components, processes, and impacts.
• Provide support, coaching, mentoring and technical guidance on gender/GESI.
• Routinely collect and share learnings and best practices on gender, youth social inclusion with diverse project stakeholders.
• Share learning and best practices on gender, youth and social inclusion among Mercy Corps’ global team and forums.

Supervisory Responsibility N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Team Leader MSD

Works Directly With: Program teams, finance, MEL, CARM and operational staff, GESI team based in HQ

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program 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.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant academic area – e.g., a Gender studies, development studies, social science discipline.
• Minimum of five years of experience in gender equality and social inclusion related positions or programs. ● In-depth understanding of gender, age, v u l n e r a b i l i t y , and other locally significant socio cultural factors in the contextof Liberia.
• Demonstrated ability to foster commitment to GESI principles and build capacity among activity staff and in-country stakeholders.
• Ability to self-manage with demonstrated proactive and flexible nature in resolving problems and finding innovative solutions.
• Cultural sensitivity, patience, flexibility, and ability to work well in a multi-sectoral and multi-cultural team and to work closely, understand and support private sector, government, and civil society.
• Excellent written and persuasive oral communication skills in English required. ● Ability to travel for field missions for 30-50% level of effort as needed.

Success Factors

Successful candidates will be creative problem-solvers and with very good experience, knowledge and understanding of gender and GESI challenges in Liberia. They should be able to learn quickly and be able to apply new skills and concepts on the fly. Successful candidates will have strong instincts and solid analytical decision-making skills. They will enjoy a somewhat ambiguous environment and bring structure to a team to ensure a team is well-supported. They will enjoy learning the MSD framework and principles and will ensure inclusion of Gender/GESI – and apply those principles to real life, adapting and communicating to their supervisor as they go.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations 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 organization 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.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

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 based on race, color, 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 encounter 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. 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.