About Mercy Corps

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 present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. With the launch of Mercy Corps Global Strategy, Pathway to Possibility, the country office is poised to operationalize its three-year strategy with a vision to enhance the resilience of climate- and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. In Ethiopia, our strategy focuses in the four outcome areas: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently, we operate in six regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and South Ethiopia. Working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations, Mercy Corps Ethiopia empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good.

Program/ Unit Summary

Mercy Corps is implementing the Regional Livestock Program (RLP) targeted Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. The 12-year Regional Livestock Programme aims to increase the incomes of poor agro - pastoralist and pastoralist households engaged in the livestock sector across the arid and semi-arid lands of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Agence Francaise De Development (AFD), RLP is a collaborative effort by implementing partners IGAD, Helvetas, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and Mercy Corps. RLP targets to reach 540,000 people from pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in target trade corridors to have more climate resilient, inclusive, and sustainable livelihoods.

General Position Summary

The RLP program is currently looking for experienced and skilled Knowledge Management and Communications managers who will support the RLP program knowledge management, development of communications and learning strategy and implementation plans for the program. The successful candidate will be focused on documentation of best practices and evidence generation for program quality, fostering of a learning culture and enhanced visibility and influence, impactful storytelling, as well as collaborative work with the MEL team for high quality reports write – up.

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT (40%)

• Partner with the RLP program teams across countries to define strategic and thematic areas for storytelling objectives, develop tailored systems to collect and produce high-impact stories, and integrate products to the broader program strategy and vision.

• Lead the strategic documentation, collection, and production of high-quality stories and lessons focusing on key results and lessons learned.

• Design and implement capacity strengthening and facilitation materials for story collection and development, supporting programs’ ability to consistently and effectively communicate their program vision with key audiences. Provide ongoing mentorship to teams to improve story collection and production. The communications and knowledge manager also provides guidance to program teams on recommended strategies to build a foundation for strong storytelling, learnning and documentation.

• Enhance the communications approach of RLP team at Mercy Corps and its program partners to help them develop plans to elevate their stories, evidence and influence externally and internally.

LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (40%)

• With support from the RLP leadership and MEL team, the Knowledge management and communications manager will develop systems for institutionalizing learning and evidence culture, and use of them for program adaptation, enhance program quality, and contribute to influencing.

• Support implementation of learning events, including developing operational plans, helping develop content, and facilitating participation in different events.

• Collaborate with technical program RLP team members to connect story collection to monitoring and evaluation, learning and evidence pieces to produce highly substantiated learning and evidence products for knowledge curation.

• Support the RLP team in mapping existing data systems and compelling evidence pieces to answer high-level (strategic theme-based) learning questions and advance the program’s evidence and learning agenda.

• Support the RLP MEL team and the leadership in preparation of high-quality donor reports and relevant publications.

• Support implementation of learning events, including developing operational plans, helping develop content, and facilitating participation in different events.

• Collaborate with technical program teams to connect story collection to monitoring and evaluation, learning and evidence pieces to produce highly substantiated learning and evidence products for knowledge curation.

• Support program teams in mapping existing data systems and compelling evidence pieces to answer high-level (strategic theme-based) learning questions and advance the organization's evidence and learning agenda.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS (20%)

• Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps and donor branding and marketing standards, maintaining quality across materials, events, and other media.

• Oversee the development of publications, materials, and other products from design to writing, editing, branding and distribution

• Manage special events and relationships that include facilitating government, corporate, donor, and other high-level official visits to project sites and head office.

• Build the capacity of all relevant team members in communications, including Donor regulations and technical abilities such as photography, videography, and developing messages and materials for program activities.

• Communicate effectively to ensure overall program targets and donor obligations are met.

ORGANIZATION 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 – Mercy Corps expects all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Supervisory Responsibility

No direct supervisory responsibility.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Director

Works Directly Deputy Director/technical lead, Dryland Evidence and Learning Director, Monitoring and Result measurement Manager, Country-level Program Managers, Trade Corridor Coordinators, Investment managers, Women Economic empowerment Advisor and other field level team.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward 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.

Job Requirements:

Required Experience, Skills & Competencies

• MA/S in Communications and Journalism, Foreign Language and Literature, Social Science, International Development or similar fields preferred.

• 5 years of professional experience in a relevant field for international development programs.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in communications and learning on development and humanitarian response programming.

• Demonstrated experience working with diverse team, culture and context.

• Exceptional skills in technical communications such as synthesizing technical information into readers friendly, clear and impactful piece of story or report.

• Experience in market systems development, and resilience programming is an advantage.

• High degrees of computer literacy; graphic design tools, photography/videography, Excel and Word skills are essential.

• Ability to manage and meet deadlines.

• Ability to work independently on multi-task load.

• Excellent communication, presentation and organizational skills.

• Fluency in written and oral English and Amharic languages. Must be able to read and interpret documents and communicate with others as necessary to perform job duties effectively.

Success Factors

Excellent communication, facilitation, partnerships, and networking skills with a wide range of private, partner and NGO-sector actors. Business-minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, with great problem-solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated. Tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures. Computer proficiency especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other graphic design tools such as Adobe suites.

Living /Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Addis Ababa, however, will require between 30% and 40% to travel annually, sometimes to hardship locations across the regions. Care is taken to give the incumbent enough time in advance to prepare for their absence and allow them sufficient time between assignments.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside 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.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

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 a 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 on the basis of 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 come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, partners, program participants, or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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 adhere to the 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

How to Apply

All qualified individuals are invited to apply for the advertised position. All applications, including a CV, three references, and all applicable official papers, must be sent electronically using THIS LINK

Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: April 27 2025 / 4:00 PM