Mercy Corps
exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build
secure, productive and just communities.
Driven by local
needs, our programs provide communities in the world’s toughest places with the
tools and support they need to turn the crises they confront into the
opportunities they deserve.
Youth Enterprise Specialist
Location: Eldoret
Program / Department Summary:
The Yes Youth
Can (YYC) initiative is a complimentary program funded by the USAID and was
designed to empower Kenya’s youth population in areas recovering from the
post-election violence in 2007/8, through building capacity of youth groups and
organizations to engage with markets, governments and communities, and to
pursue their legitimate needs and interests more effectively in a way that
builds positive inter-ethnic networks.
Mercy Corps
manages two regional awards, the Rift-Valley Program which is based in Eldoret,
and the Central Program which is based in Thika.
General Position Summary:
Youth Enterprise
Program Specialist is a senior level position with Mercy Corps Kenya.
It will be
primarily responsible for providing leadership of the Economic Empowerment
under the youth Investment fund component of the Yes Youth Can (YYC).
The USAID-funded
project to genuinely empower youth in Kenya to develop themselves for greater
voice in national and local reforms and to create new opportunities for
livelihoods that meet the aspirations of young Kenyans.
The program will support youth in
achieving positive change in three major areas:
(1) increased
work skills/employment;
(2) increased
citizenship/civic engagement, and
(3) increased
inter-ethnic engagement.
It is expected
that activities will include youth-driven mobilization initiatives that benefit
communities and promote citizenship; creation of opportunities for life and
employment skills; and initiatives to bring together youth of different
ethnicities.
The Youth
Enterprise Program Specialist will work closely with the Chief of Party to
implement the current YYC Rift Valley regional program Youth Investment fund
component (Bunge SACCOs).
The activities
under this component include SACCO education on compliance for the CMC & SC
committees, entrepreneurship training for youth starting businesses after
acquiring loans from the SACCOs, job-skills, value-chains/market linkages and
linkage to Value Chain analysis information for SACCO loan Products.
The Youth
Enterprise Program Specialist will be responsible for designing and delivery of
livelihoods training, SACCO Supervision and management, managing consultants,
including international and national sub-grantees, and contractors.
Essential Job Functions:
- Member of the YYC Central Program leadership team in partnership with Chief of Party and Country Director;
- Direct supervision and indirect supervision of Field Officer and SACCO chairpersons in the four Counties under the program.
- Provide technical insight and advice for economic empowerment programming especially on SACCO components , including loan products, membership recruitment, committee meetings, compliance and employment activities, combining experience with practical on-the-ground identification of opportunities and constraints
- Provide technical leadership in value chain/market analysis to identify opportunities for improved Loan products for the SACCOs and business opportunities for young people and other beneficiaries
- Provide technical leadership and management of County Youth Bunge SACCOs component across the YYC Program.
- Provide technical and management leadership of any small enterprise grants issued by the CBF to individual bunges
- Management and mentorship of local program staff and other partners namely the youth county boards, and County bunge SACCOs gradually transferring skills and capacities;
- Work with program staff on an ongoing basis to ensure smooth planning, preparation, implementation, and joint monitoring and evaluation of program activities and achievements towards program goals.
- Facilitate deliberate linkage of YYC economic empowerment mandate to respective County government ministries, projects and staff to ensure sustainability and ownership
- Participate in the YYC programs’ strategic development and way forward process
- Provide training and mentorship to MC staff on Enterprise Development and related strategies and applications
- Support other Mercy Corps programs towards the attainment of their respective PMPs.
- Represent Mercy Corps in related thematic working groups within the Counties
- Engage with Government of Kenya national and County Government departments on economic development initiatives in conjunction with the Chief of Party.
- Represent Mercy Corps in donor-driven forums/meetings in conjunction with the Chief of Party.
Organizational Learning
As part of Mercy
Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are
responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal
professional learning activities.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
Mercy Corps team
members are expected to support all efforts towards 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.
Supervisory Responsibility: Supervision of the Yes Youth Can, Field
Officers.
Accountability:
Reports Directly To: Chief of Party, Yes
Youth Can
Works Directly
With: Country Director, Program Managers, Gender and Civic Engagement
Specialists, M&E staff, Operations/Finance Staff, other MC Kenya as well as
global MC staff.
Knowledge and Experience:
- MA/S or BA/S and compensatory work experience in Cooperative management business administration, economics/economic development, or international development;
- Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in international development;
- Technical expertise in youth economic empowerment, Microfinance including Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies general livelihoods and economic development
- Experience managing youth, micro-enterprise, community microfinance, job skills/employment, civic engagement, agricultural value-chains, program design and program M&E
- History of working effectively and respectfully with host government, NGOs, contractors and other partners;
- Ability to effectively convey programmatic goals, enlists partnerships, and work with a range of program and external stakeholders;
- Fluency in Kiswahili
Success Factors:
- Innovative, decisive and inclusive leadership approach
- Creative and insightful as regards development programming including the relationships between youth development, economic empowerment, peace-building and reconciliation
- Excellent communication and team-building techniques
- Proven experience managing and building capacity of diverse teams (expatriate and national)
- Cultural knowledge, sensitivity and respect
- Commitment to oversee projects for their duration
- Ability to engage with strategic institutional partners as well as current and potential donors
How to Apply
Interested
candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should
submit on or before December 13, 2013 at 4.00 p.m a cover letter, detailed
Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references( including a recent
supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org
Applicants must
clearly indicate on the email subject: The position and location they are
applying for, e.g “Youth Enterprise Specialist - Eldoret”
Applications
without the right subject heading will be automatically disqualified.
Please do not
attach any certificates.
(ONLY Qualified
short-listed candidates will be contacted)
