Driven
by local needs, our programs provide communities in the world’s
toughest places with the tools and support they need to turn the crises
they confront into the opportunities they deserve.
Mercy Corps is looking for a committed and dynamic individual to take up the following position:
Natural Resources Management (NRM) Team Leader, PROGRESS Programme – Wajir
Programme / Department Summary: The Natural Resources Management (NRM) Team Leader will work in collaboration with the PROGRESS Programme Director, Programme Managers and PROGRESS Consortium members in the implementation of a proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems” (PROGRESS).
The Wajir-based NRM Team Leader will play a key role in implementation.
General Position Summary: The NRM Team Leader will be responsible for overseeing program activities aimed at strengthening the horizontal and vertical linkages that support good governance of community assets and resources derived from the natural environment, including the land and the naturally occurring elements above and below it.
The NRM Team Leader will lead the PROGRESS processes for engaging communities, governments and private sector actors in collective action plans that support household and community access to and management natural, physical environment and the socio-ecological systems supported by it.
This can include access to land and water resources for both human consumption and livestock rangeland and watering, plus innovative methods for land restoration and climate-smart agriculture.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation:
- Engage with remote communities to establish priorities for community-led natural resources management, and lead process for developing community NRM plans
- Work in conjunction with local government to advocate for community NRM needs and priorities, especially around rangeland management for Wajir and water resources
- Identify pilot opportunities for community NRM plan implementation and manage pilot projects and monitor for possibility of scale up.
- Work within national and local government strategic plans for resource management and advocate for cohesive implementation of projects that demonstrates government responsiveness to community processes.
- Identify opportunity areas for alternative methods of climate-smart agriculture, such as northern Wajir in the highlands.
- Work with Mercy Corps technical staff, Consortium members such as University of Nairobi and local partners to establish locally appropriate pilots.
- Work with private sector and line ministries to address environmental harmful methods of extracting local natural resources, such as lime, gums, resins, etc. and use Shared Learning Dialogues as a forum for policy formulation around sustainable methods, alternative energy mechanisms, and water management and conservation.
- Coordinate with counterpart agencies and organizations involved in conservation, climate change adaptation for information exchange, learning and optimizing efforts and resources.
- Engage pastoralists in inter-community dialogue around access to land and water for livestock management.
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting:
- Support Programme Manager in the achievement of program targets and objectives and support efforts towards the design effective M&E systems and operations.
- Facilitate the coordination, scheduling and production of formal and informal reports and documentation and communication of reports and learning materials.
- Actively record, document and demonstrate all aspects of governance activities for impact measurement and learning purposes.
Coordination and Representation:
- Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the Programme Director.
- Attend key events, committee meetings, fora, seminars, etc. as they relate to resilience.
- Coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
Staff Management, Professional Development and Team building: Contribute to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team and consortium members into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations:
- Ensure close communication across cross-country field teams and consortium members regarding program activities and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality implementation.
- Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.
Organizational Learning: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.
Supervisory Responsibility: NRM Officer, Community Mobilizer
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Manager
Works Directly With: Programme Manager, Team Leaders, Consortium Members, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A Postgraduate (MSc and PhD) degree in a related field of expertise (e.g. NRM, pastoral livestock management, animal husbandry, water resources, irrigation, agro-economy, rural development, conservation agriculture, environmental policy, etc.).
- Basic knowledge of various natural resource disciplines, including air quality, water quality, geomorphic and hydrologic processes, fire and vegetation management, fish and wildlife management, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, conservation biology and restoration ecology.
- Knowledge and experience in either livestock and rangeland management, OR irrigation, water harvesting and water saving methods in arid lands, OR economic feasibility in agriculture and rural development;
- At least 8 years of technical and practical work experience in one of the required fields;
- Experience and proven track record in rural development and participatory methods (including participatory integrated development plans)
- Experience with working with pastoral societies, including dealing with gender issues and complex social decision-making structures / conflicts.
- Knowledge of legal, institutional and/or administrative aspects relevant to the topic / in the region
- Expertise in organizational analysis and partner/project executing agency assessment.
- Expertise in conflict sensitive programme design and monitoring.
- Experience in environment and climate change assessments
- Ability to effectively communicate natural resource information to diverse audiences through a variety of media
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are pending approval of our PROGRESS program by the donor.
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before October 27th, 2014 containing a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org.
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before October 27th, 2014 containing a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org.
The email subject line must clearly show the job title and location they are applying for.
Applications without the right subject heading will be automatically disqualified.
Please do not attach any certificates.
(ONLY Qualified and selected candidates for the interview will be contacted)
NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.