Job Description
Mercy Corps partners with communities as they move from a place of fragility to resilience, meeting urgent needs while addressing root causes – always 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.
The Program / Department / Team
Mercy Corps has been operating in Zimbabwe since 2002 focusing its interventions on a multi-sectoral market systems development portfolio mobilizing communities to promote small-scale agriculture and revive local economies. MC Zimbabwe seeks to support at-risk communities in Zimbabwe to move towards sustainable development through building resilience and strong inclusive systems in the face of climatic and economic shocks and stresses.
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps Zimbabwe will implement a one (1) year USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded ELEVATE program to respond to households experiencing acute food insecurity by providing life-saving food assistance and support agricultural interventions to improve resilience of vulnerable households in targeted underserved pockets of rural communities.
Under the supervision of the Program Officer, the Program Assistant assists in the day-to-day implementation activities including community mobilisation , mentoring, and monitoring activities, responding to community risk mapping (CRM), community education on utilization of agriculture inputs, agronomic practices, community-based maintenance of water points.
Duties and Responsibilities
- In collaboration with the Program Team, the Program Assistant ensures timely program monitoring and learning data is timely collected in sufficient quality.
- Assist in training, monitoring and documentation of resilience design training in agriculture program participants.
- Assist in the distribution of food assistance vouchers through register verification, voucher disbursement and reconciliation.
- Assist in the implementation of interventions and ensure that they are effective in relation to
- expected outputs, results and impacts.
- Assist the Program Officer and MEL team with the planning and writing of progress reports.
- Translate program documents and manuals from local languages into English and vice versa.
- Assist groups in case they have problems that hinder the project in the field.
- Remain flexible and willing to handle unforeseen circumstances.
- Write minutes of team and working group meetings.
- Assist the Program Officer in providing capacity building support to relevant partners and stakeholders.
- Assist in facilitating field visits for Mercy Corps staff and donor agency visitors.
- Actively participate in the development of new initiatives.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or Natural Resource management, Agroecology, or any related field.
- Minimum of two years community development and/or project management experience in a government office or NGO, on issues relevant to the technical area. Experience in agriculture and resilience design programming will be an added advantage.
- Willingness to engage in problem-solving and troubleshooting.
- Excellent computer skills, including expertise in PowerPoint, Explorer, and digital camera technology, Excel and Outlook Express.
- Strong community mobilization skills and demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment, with project stakeholders including local government officials, other NGO peers, and community members.
- Proven experience of working with rural communities and participatory planning; Good
- understanding of community mobilization and participatory methods
- Strong organizational skills. Strong interpersonal communication skills: Excellent oral and written.
- communication skills, with an ability to write good reports, clearly, and meet a deadline.
- Ability to perform several activities simultaneously, while maintaining a controlled presence.
- Strong team player and communicator.
How to Apply
To apply, please send one document that includes your cover letter describing your interest, qualifications, contactable references, and your CV to Mercy Corps Human Resources at: zw-hr@mercycorps.org. Applications should be clearly marked with the position applied for in the email subject line.
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity organization and encourages both female and male candidates to apply. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis and shortlisting will proceed as applications are received. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Deadline: 31 January 2023
