USAID Food for Peace Project Jobs – Urban Development Officer at Mercy Corps

Organisation: Mercy Corps
Duty Station:  Kotido,
Uganda
About Mercy Corps: 
Mercy Corps is an International NGO
that exists to alleviate poverty and oppression by helping people build secure,
productive and just communities. Mercy Corps implements high-quality,
analytical development work in very difficult places. We have been operating in
Uganda since 2006 and currently implement development programs in the Acholi
and Karamoja sub-regions of Uganda with funding from USAID, EC, SDC, and USDA.
We were recently awarded a market-development focused 5-year USAID/Food for
Peace-funded program working in the northern half of Karamoja, and are in
search of six creative problem solvers with private sector experience to fill
the position of Economic Development Officers. The project, called Northern
Karamoja Growth, Health and Governance (GHG), aims to support the immediate
needs of program beneficiaries while promoting long-term development by
spurring systemic improvements in key economic sectors of northern Karamoja.
The Urban Development Project Manager will participate in strategy development
and the daily implementation of long-term development programming through
support to key business, local government and civil society partners working in
urban areas across Northern Karamoja.
Job Summary: The Urban Development
Officers will be to design, implement and support facilitation projects that
improve the performance of sectors that are key to sustainable urban
development in the semi-arid environment of Karamoja. At the start, this will
include water access, energy access, sanitation and construction, but will
expand to new sectors as the urban project progresses. These activities will
work almost exclusively through private sector actors, seeking to crowd in
provision rather than displace or replicate private actors with donor-funded
services. It will also require a high degree of fruitful coordination with
civil society and local government.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:  
1. Program Support:
  • With
    support from the team leader, carry out market assessments and develop
    sector-focused strategies;
  • Introduce
    the program to relevant stakeholders including local business owners,
    local representatives and community members.
  • Foster and
    build ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders;
  • Guarantee
    an integrated approach to program implementation in order to maximize
    resource utilization and synergy between the staff and different MC
    programs, if any;
2. Partnership Management:
  • Identify,
    assess and develop partnership strategies for potential private sector GHG
    partners;
  • Establish
    and maintain productive working relationships with town council,
    sub-county and district leaders and line departments, soliciting their
    participation in all activities where appropriate;
  • Conduct on-site
    field visits regularly to provide technical review and/or design
    suggestions;
  • Work with
    team leader(s) and Mercy Corps technical staff in order to develop
    potential projects, implement and closely monitor selected economic
    development projects including detailed work plans and business plans.
3. Monitoring and Evaluation:
  • Create a
    dynamic program environment that promotes inquiry;
  • Take
    primary responsibility for sector-focused data gathering;
  • Establish
    procedures and guidelines to monitor and evaluate the progress and impact
    of economic development support work including setting and measuring benchmarks
    along results chains;
  • Analyze
    project implementation strategies to identify constraints to program success
    and provide timely recommendations;
  • Provide
    data in support of team submission of timely weekly, monthly, and
    quarterly reports that will be indicative of program progress during
    implementation.
  • Where
    needed support external evaluations by research partner Feinstein
    International Centre and other organizations;
  • Work with
    the Chief Learning Officer to ensure accurate and timely flow of
    information from the field for entry in the database and for preparation
    of PR materials
4. Other:
  • 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;
  • Perform
    any other duties as assigned by the line manager.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:  
  • The
    prospective Mercy Corps employee should hold a University degree in
    business, economics or a related field, preferable in a related field
  • Two or
    more years’ professional experience in a related job role
  • Possess
    the willingness to work on the field
  • Ability
    to interact effectively with a wide variety of people
  • Ability
    to evaluate businesses and business plan
  • Good skills
    in networking, team-working, and community consultations
  • Excellent
    Good reporting, communication and representation skills
  • Fluency
    in both spoken and written English. Fluency in Ngakarimojong and Ethurr is
    an advantage
How to Apply:
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 HR/Admin Manager, Kampala Head Office in
Nsambya on Plot 1102 Nsambya Estate Road. Kampala, Uganda. E-mailed applications with cover letter
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: Thursday, 20th February, 2014

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