Cash and Market Specialist

Contract

This is a Professional contract, Grade 9 (NRC) contract. More about Professional contract, Grade 9 (NRC) contracts.

In view of the growing significance of the use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in emergency contexts and the deliberate efforts to increase our capacity in Market Based Approaches (MBA), the Cash and Markets Programming Specialist position is a strategic role. The NRC Regional Office (RO)’s strategic direction is for all programmes to be market sensitive, utilizing intervention approaches that either use, strengthen, stimulate or change market capacity and functionality, and at the same time not undermine local market(s). Therefore, this role is key to the achievement of this ambition. The NRC RO expectation is that by the end of 2022, all CO programmes will “support” markets and at least one (1) new multi-year, multi-million programmes have a strong element of market change. As this role is a shared resource across multiple countries, the overall oversight of this role will be undertaken by the regional office.

The role of Cash & Markets Programming Specialist will have a cross-cutting function, working across and within programme teams and alongside Core Competency (CC) specialists, support teams, Area Managers and Area Programme Managers to institutionalize MBA and CVA.

The incumbent’s role will include (but is not limited to) strengthening staff capacity in the design and implementation of markets based interventions (which includes CVA), ensuring that all projects select response modalities based on systematic situation, response analysis and justification. This includes supporting market assessments (based on programme needs) and modality feasibility analysis.

The Specialist will also be responsible for the development, roll out and uptake of systems and tools to enhance the quality, efficiency, effectiveness, monitoring, accountability and reporting and risk management of MBA. Contributions to country and area office strategies, CC strategies and programme policy documents is also expected from the Specialist.

The specialist will be supporting numerous countries (South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen), at times on a part-time basis, a work plan will be articulated at the start of their contract. Heads of Programme of South Sudan, Yemen and Somalia will provide technical line management for tasks associated with their country offices. The Regional Cash and Markets adviser will also provide technical line management.

Responsibilities

1. Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures.
2. Responsible for providing technical programme support on MBA and CVA, internal coordination and technically sound implementation of MBA programming by area office teams. This includes leadership and technical support in objective situation and response analysis and response modality selection justification for proposals and the selection of monitoring indicators.
3. Ensure/ provide capacity building of all programme and support staff on MBA and CVA.
4. Lead MBA specific inputs relevant for CC strategies and overall country strategy.
5. Ensure that there is an understanding of and compliance to, global CVA and MBA terminology and quality standards in project cycle management
6. Develop, contextualize and/or adapt relevant systems and tools for the institutionalization of MBA and CVA. This includes those relevant for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting of programmes. This will require tasks including:
   1. The inclusion of MBA in relevant strategy and policy documents,
   2. Frequent review and update of relevant SOPs,
   3. Lead /follow-up on the MBA consultancy CO roadmap, and support WASH MBA follow-up,
   4. Identifying and sharing new learning on MBA and continuous capacity building of staff,
   5. Participation in internal strategic programme and operational meetings to promote and embed the application of MBA in the CO and,
   6. Supporting the development of proposals and strategy documents at core competency and Country Office level.
7. Develop robust risk analysis, risk mitigation/management plans, risk monitoring systems and maintain up-to-date risk register on MBA in collaboration with relevant CC, protection, and support and security colleagues.
8. Support the process of Type-1 market assessments with the Logistics departments. Monitor that market assessments are conducted and leveraged to inform project design decisions.
9. Lead on specialized market assessments to promote informed market system based interventions across all CCs – for example labour market assessments.
10. Innovate and promote the uptake of appropriate technologies that enable NRC to deliver CVA in a more efficient manner. This will include systematically piloting and/or adapting evidence-based best practices; as well as review of workflows/business processes to enhance efficiency (e.g. eliminating cumbersome or multiple transactions) and strengthening accountability (e.g. securing supporting documentation).

G****ene****r****i****c professional competencies

1. Advanced degree in Agriculture, Economics, Econometrics or Business Studies.
2. Documented technical competences related to the position’s responsibilities, with a minimum of 6 years’ relevant experience in a similar role.
3. Previous experience from working in complex and volatile humanitarian context.
4. Additional documented experience as technical specialist or programme manager related to NRC’s Core Competencies/sectors will be advantageous.
5. Experience of undertaking capacity building using a blended methods approach, including remote training methodologies.
6. Strong computer skills - proficiency in Microsoft Office and Microsoft Excel and is mandatory.
7. Fluency in English, both Written and verbal. Arabic language skills are an added advantage

For more details regarding the role please click on Job Description

C****on****text related skills, knowledge and experience:

1. Experience with MBA in the development/ humanitarian field in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia or similar contexts.
2. Experience undertaking market analysis in the humanitarian sector and ideally also in the development sector.
3. Experience of institutionalizing approaches such as MBA as CVA within an organization and across technical teams.
4. Experience with inter-agency coordination in the development and/or humanitarian contexts.
5. Experience working in a protracted crisis context.
6. Experience working with vulnerable communities and people (displaced people, women, youth).

What we Offer:

Duty Station: Juba, South Sudan with travels to Somalia and Yemen

Contract Duration: 06 months (with possibility of extension)

Grade: 09 of NRC’s grade structure

Start date: May 2022

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