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.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Strategic Learning Specialist
Requisition Number: STRAT003822
Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Category: Programming
General Position Summary
- The Strategic Learning Specialist (SLS) will create and maintain a culture of learning across the portfolio in collaboration with the country and program MEL teams and the Technical Support Unit comprising sectoral leads.
- The SLS will engage internal and external stakeholders in gathering and analyzing results and lessons emerging from the intervention areas to further inform the adaptation, sequencing, and effectiveness of Mercy Corp interventions and the broader sectors in which we work.
- The SLS will generate knowledge from the ground to further the country-level learning agenda, strengthen program efficiency and effectiveness, and drive influence with peers, donors, and government.
- Additionally, the role will be the key focal point for mapping, articulating, and developing a centralized resource that tracks MCN research objectives and priorities across the country portfolio and ensures research uptake, and builds the capacity of program staff in learning
Essential Job Responsibilities
Research and Learning:
- Track the programmatic learning agendas, linking them to portfolio-level goals to ensure alignment of resources across the portfolio to drive forward the country strategy, acting as the PAQ focal point for learning.
- Map and consolidate the database of ongoing research initiatives across the country portfolio.
- Track new research and learning opportunities and where relevant, contribute to research/learning- research processes and products.
- Collaborate with program leads, MEL units, and communication team to strengthen the related elements of proposals.
- Support the Program Leads and MEL teams to ensure the quality, timeliness, and utility of all dissemination of research, including identifying key internal and external audiences, country / regional for a, key events, conferences, and speaking events and driving forward engagements.
- Coordinate with Program Leads and MEL teams to ensure integration and alignment of research fieldwork into program MEL activities and timelines.
- Document, and make available in useful form, evidence and analytic results from studies and evaluation reports, meeting notes, decisions made, and follow-ups from learning engagements.
- As needed, act as a liaison between HQ research teams and MCN program teams to coordinate in-country research activities.
- Provide training and capacity building on research and learning to staff and stakeholders.
- Bringing knowledge and best practice from outside around new research and learning.
- Creating and/or strengthening in country communities of practice around key outcomes for Mercy Corps.
Program Quality And Accountability:
- Support programs to conduct Quarterly Review and reflection meetings in close collaboration with program leads, ensure learning from those reflections is shared beyond the program and well articulated for external audiences where relevant.
- Work with the community accountability and reporting mechanisms (CARM) to ensure findings from feedback are being integrated into program strategies.
Team Building And Integration:
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Driving a learning culture in the organization.
- Actively contribute and collaborate with programs, sectors, and regional and global counterparts to promote the use of learning best practices.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
Influence & Representation:
- Represent Mercy Corps at national and state-level coordination forums as required.
- Where relevant, develop agenda and talking points for contribution at national and state-level coordination forums.
- Represent Mercy Corps with local stakeholders and authorities as required.
- Represent Mercy Corps at internal coordination forums as required.
Security:
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that you operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
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 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.
Supervisory Responsibility:
- None
Accountability:
- Reports Directly To: Knowledge Management Lead
- Works Directly With: PaQ Team, Grant focal points, All Program team members, CoPS & PMs, support departments
Knowledge and Experience
- BA/S Degree or equivalent in relevant field; advanced degrees preferred.
- 5 to 7 years of field experience in international relief or development programs
- Experience developing and implementing learning agendas and other learning activities including capacity building of staff.
- Strong written and oral cross-cultural communication skills, with experience in developing a range of communication tools (briefs, webinars, etc.)
- Proven ability to work with diverse teams across multiple locations.
- Ability to clearly articulate complex ideas to diverse audiences
- Familiarity with research methodologies and approaches.
- Successful and proven negotiation, communication, and organization skills
- Familiarity with various tech platforms for dissemination of learning (zoom, teams, etc.)
- Excellent oral and written English skills.
- Knowledge of resilience, livelihoods, conflict, and/or protection programming is a plus.
Success Factor
- S/he will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive communication skills and proven experience with capacity building.
- S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions:
- The position is based in (Abuja, Nigeria) and it requires up to (40 %) travel. Briefly list security information, housing options, access to medical care, specific medical risks (such as epidemics), transportation options, and access to telecommunication as well as accompanied status and whether the position is eligible for hardship and/or R&R benefits.
- Also, be sure to include exceptional work schedules (e.g., evenings and weekends required; 6-day workweek; etc.). 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.
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, colour, 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, 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 e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
Application Closing Date
30th June, 2023.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
Note
- Applicants should have their CVs and Cover Letters in one document addressing the position requirements.
- Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.
