Marketing Officer

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.  In disaster and hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Enhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Resilience means that people and systems can protect and improve wellbeing in the face of shocks and stresses. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through our programs, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and ultimately thrive.

Since 1986, Mercy Corps Afghanistan has supported communities to recover and build resilience to future shocks and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives, with a focus on the most marginalized. Our objectives include meeting immediate food and nutrition needs through cash, voucher, and WASH assistance, strengthening capacities for crisis preparedness and response, and in so doing, contribute to resilience through inclusive, climate-smart water systems, enhanced livelihoods opportunities, food security, and social cohesion. 

Program / Department Summary

The EU funded- Empowering Vulnerable Communities in West, South and South-East Afghanistan for Climate Resilience and Economic Stability in Afghanistan” will be implemented in a consortium with PIN (lead), CRS and AWEC (sub-awardees). The primary goal of the project is to Enhance resilient livelihoods and economic opportunities, particularly for women, children and vulnerable groups, including minorities, IDPs and returnees. This will be achieved through helping Vulnerable farming households have improved capacity and access to resources to subsist and generate income, Vulnerable farming households’ have enhanced access to market and targeted value chains have become more effective, Vulnerable farming households have improved access to financial capital and Communities at risk have strengthened their capacities to prevent and manage natural disasters

Mercy Corps is looking for a Market Linkage Officer who is responsible for conducting value chain analysis and fostering demand from key Afghan markets for the crops produced in MC’s target provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. The role will focus on enhancing vulnerable farming households' access to markets and making targeted value chains more effective. This will involve identifying weaknesses to provide technical assistance, identifying demand, facilitating market linkages and contract arrangements with traders and agri-processors, improving price information systems, and providing training and other technical support.

General Position Summary

The Marketing Officer works under the supervision of the Marketing Officer. S/he will be responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of market system development activities in the targeted areas.

The Marketing Officer will work closely with the Program relevant team.

 ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

·       Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work

·       Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members

·       Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Essential Job Responsibilities

·       Support organizing events to engage producer groups with local markets in the target areas

·       Co-facilitate the business training sessions to enhance the skills and knowledge of producers.

·       Facilitate the formation and organization of producer groups and cooperatives.

·       Work closely with the Marketing Officer to conduct value chain analysis to identify opportunities, needs, and assistance to provide targeted support for enhancing the efficiency and profitability of agricultural and livestock production, processing, and market access.

·       Support Facilitating market linkage to generate demand from the main markets for producers’ supply of target value chain produce including off season production to capture higher prices.

·       Develop market linkages between Agri-processors (wholesalers and value-added processors) in target markets with producer associations from program regions. 

·       Provide assistance in business and organizational capacity building and training to participating organized producers (associations, cooperatives, groups).

·       Improve a price information system to include target value chain for input suppliers.

·       Provide technical assistance and training based on market demand regarding varieties to cultivate in case of vegetables, processing, drying, packaging, storing, transportation and other requirements.

·       Support the Marketing Officer to write monthly, quarterly, annual or other reports as required.

·       Support the facilitation of the training in business development, marketing and value chain for the target participants.

·       Other duties required by the supervisor. 

Program coordination and management

• Maintain and coordinate reporting and documentation with the Marketing Officer and other relevant team members.   
• Timely preparation of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and interim reports and submit to the Marketing Coordinator of the Market System Development component of the Program.  

Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at national and regional clusters as delegated by the Marketing Coordinator and Program Manager 

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

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.

Knowledge and Experience

• This position requires a bachelor’s degree in business administration, agribusiness, business development, marketing or a related field.
• 3 years of experience in marketing or market development programs and trade promotion.
• Experience in private business development, project management related to agribusiness, trade of agriculture products, creating business alliances, producers and stakeholder engagement is required
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
• Knowledge of participatory approaches and community sensitization and mobilization.
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders including host government/authorities, and national and international NGOs.
• Excellent oral and written, Pashto/Dari and English skills required.

Email / Application Form: https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/MER1024MERCY/JobBoard/41c8a52c-7b72-4d86-83f0-e39fa33d0506/Opportunity/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=249f1f17-0555-4ea2-9227-9ded60686b2b