Mercy Corps Youth and Conflict Management Group –>
Mercy Corps works in countries in transition, where communities are recovering from disaster, conflict, or economic collapse. Our experience demonstrates that even during times of turmoil and tragedy, there are
many possibilities for positive change. A commitment to peaceful change is at the heart of Mercy Corps’ approach to relief and development. Mercy Corps Youth and Conflict Management (Y-CM) team is dedicated to helping our field teams and country programs design and implement programs that help to reduce violence, build peace, and constructively engage young people throughout these times of transition.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Senior Youth and Peacebuilding Advisor will work closely with the Director of the Youth & Conflict Management Team in the implementation of the Y-CM strategy with an emphasis on enhancing and deepening the agency’s experience and capabilities in working in and on conflict, with a specific emphasis on programs that help steer young people away from violence, by helping them to find constructive forms of political, economic, community, and social engagement. This position will be responsible for building Mercy Corps’ youth and conflict portfolio through program design, improving program quality, and cultivating and nurturing donor and peer relationships and partnerships. The Youth and Peacebuilding Advisor will provide support to the team and provide coordinated support to country teams. There is a strong emphasis in this position on; thought leadership in the area of youth and peacebuilding; and representation of Mercy Corps approach to a broad range of partners and donors.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Provide support to Mercy Corps worldwide programs in order to help integrate and operationalize conflict management principles into relief and development proposals and programs. This includes support in all areas related to conflict management, including assessments, program and proposal development, monitoring and evaluating program impact, scaling up of effective interventions and approaches, strategic planning, skills building, training, relationship building with donors including foundations, and identifying and fostering linkages with other agencies to deepen our impact. –>
• • Strengthen Mercy Corps’ programming and reputation as a leader in designing and implementing conflict programs that reduce the young people’s participation in violent movements and increase young people’s positive contribution to their communities.
• • Serves as an active member of the Y-CM team and Technical Support Unit (TSU) and participates in team phone calls, teambuilding activities, and works toward shared team objectives.
Program Development:–>
• • Working closely with Y-CM Director, Regional Program Directors and Country Directors to identify and pursue new strategic opportunities in integrated and traditional conflict management programming.
• • Actively collaborate with other TSU teams to address drivers of conflict and youth participation in violence, including livelihoods, health, economic development, food security, and natural resource management on developing multi-sectoral assessments and programs.
• • Integrate Mercy Corps’ experience in various sectors to develop tools that aid country and other MC teams in constructing innovative youth and conflict programs.
Program Quality
• • Provide vision and technical expertise to contribute to the implementation of technical assistance, training, training of trainers, development of best practices, formation of partnerships and networks leading to a refined model for conflict management programming in country programs with support of country teams as well as to the agency overall.
• • Maintain and update a Mercy Corps Toolkit for Youth and Conflict programming to be used by country programs and other TSU units.
• • Maintain effective relationships with relevant Mercy Corps and partner agency US and field-based staff to promote successful integration of conflict management activities into on-going, programming.
• • Assist in building the evidence base around Mercy Corps youth and conflict programming.
Representation
• • Maintains effective relationships with relevant peer agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, and the private sector, and identifies and fosters linkages with other agencies to deepen our impact, particularly at the macro level, for our conflict programming, and in particular our youth and conflict programming.
• • Deepens Mercy Corps’ reputation as a thought leader in youth and conflict programming through collaborations and the building of relationships with peer agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, and the private sector.
• • With the Director Y-CM and the rest of the Y-CM team, actively engages in external and internal relationship building, provides project updates, and participates in meetings, academic events, conferences, media forums and other events.
Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
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: Interns and consultants as assigned. –>
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Sharon Morris
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Y-CM Team, Technical Support Unit teams, Program Operations staff, and country office teams
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
• • An MA/S in International Development or equivalent.
• • Substantial experience with youth engagement and conflict management and negotiation tools and training.
• • 5+ of project management experience, including budget oversight, grants management, proposal development, relationship building, effective M&E systems.
• • Experience working collaboratively in matrixed environment to complete projects.
• • Demonstrated ability to build a strategy and be a thought leader in area of conflict and youth.
• • 3+ years of experience working overseas in youth and/or conflict management programming.
• • Experience with assessments, monitoring and evaluation and training design.
• • Spanish, French, and/or Arabic language abilities preferred.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The successful Senior Youth and Peacebuilding Advisor will combine exceptional program design, program quality, and representation skills with a focus on conflict management and negotiation. Experience in maintaining relationships with the US Government, NGOs, for-profit firms and private donors with strong creative and entrepreneurial skills to lead and support new opportunities, partnerships and the scaling up of proven interventions. Effective verbal and written communication, facilitation, participatory leadership and solid management skills are needed. In addition to these qualifications, we are seeking someone with a great attitude who is flexible, outgoing and thrives in evolving and changing environments. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability.
LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
This position will be based in one of Mercy Corps headquarters offices and requires up to 40% travel to overseas program locations and headquarters offices in Cambridge, MA (preferred) Portland, OR, or Washington, DC. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
How to apply:
APPLY VIA URL:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjo…
Closing Date: Sunday, 12 February 2012
