Food Security Coordinator at Mercy Corps Nigeria

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: Food Security Coordinator

Requisition Number: FOODS002280
Locations: Bama, Damboa, Jere and Maiduguri - Borno
Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development, and conflict mitigation.
• With the ongoing insurgency in Northeast Nigeria causing the displacement of millions of individuals, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in 2014 to address the rising humanitarian needs.
• As the crisis has persisted, Mercy Corps’ strategy has also expanded to address the root causes of the conflict and seek to build the long-term resilience of communities with integrated programs focusing on governance, the recovery of markets and livelihoods, social cohesion and social protection, youth empowerment, and local conflict management.
• The Nigeria country program has grown considerably over the last few years and is now the fifth-largest Mercy Corps country program, with a mixed grant & programming portfolio.
• With the insurgency affecting North-East Nigeria and displacing millions of people, Mercy Corps is expanding its humanitarian programming to support the conflict-affected population.
• As a result of the wide-scale needs, Mercy Corps is scaling-up food security, non-food items, nutrition, protection, livelihoods, and water sanitation hygiene (WASH) activities in Bama, Daboa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Ngala, and Jere Local Government Areas in Borno State to address emergency needs.

General Position Summary

• The Food Security Coordinator is responsible for humanitarian food security implementation across programs.
• She/he will provide field level technical and managerial oversight to the food security activities and their integration in the various technical approaches and sectors of the project.
• He/she will be responsible for working closely with Cash and Food Security Advisor to embed food security activities into their program components, ensuring that activities are at scale and implemented within the scope, time and budget.
• The coordinator will provide technical support to the team, develop material for and support in the delivery of necessary training, participate in strategic partnership development with actors, and monitor the context and implementation environment.
• He/ she will also take the lead role in field-level technical representation.

Essential Job Functions
Strategy & Vision:

• Develop and/or contribute to work plans to guide and monitor the implementation of food security activities.
• Coordinate the Implementation of all Food Security activities within the work plan and offer technical guidance to the food security team.
• Oversee the collection and timely reporting of data for the food security activities in line with internal and donor requirements/ guidelines.
• Analyse and report the humanitarian needs and provide clear and detailed recommendations for interventions
• Develop appropriate targeting criteria and mechanisms to ensure the needs of identified vulnerable groups are met.
• Ensure monitoring of food security projects (field visit, regular programme monitoring, budget forecast, staff evaluation and planning, donors reports, monthly reports, etc.).
• Ensure the preparation and writing of food security proposals and donor reports (log frame, narrative, budget) together with the FS team and in link with the support team.
• Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within the Food security unit, ensuring high technical quality and synergies in project implementation
• Support the organisation and facilitation of training sessions for technical teams and assisted communities.
• Provide technical direction on the execution of the implementation of Food security activities in a timely manner.
• Maintain filing of all Mercy Corps beneficiaries and ensure all food distribution lists are well captured electronically and manually.
• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from Food Security implementation and incorporate them in Food Security implementation and staff development processes.
• Coordinate the identification of staff capacity and technical assistance needs and build/strengthen capacity and required interventions to support quality project implementation.
• Represent Mercy Corps in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors when required.
• To promote the Food security strategy and its understanding among the teams.
• Coordinate the Cash voucher platform by approving beneficiaries and requesting approval to top-ups and task orders on a monthly basis.
• Coordinate and monitor/track financial and material resources relevant to project needs
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles
• Work with all program teams, M&E on food security monitoring including baselines, end-lines, midterm reviews, lesson learning exercises and evaluations and ensure learning informs programming.
• Liaising with donors, authorities, research institutes, partner organizations, NGOs, government bodies, and clusters at the sub-regional / country level.

Program Management:

• Oversee the collection and timely reporting of data for the food security activities in line with internal and donor requirements/ guidelines.
• Support program startup and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Participate in technical assessments, surveys, research etc. to monitor evolving needs, facilitate learning and relevant adjustments in programming.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Develop program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting and distribution process as well as psychosocial and capacity building of partners.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, scope and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Fulfil Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.

Team Management:

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Participate in developing capacity building plans and strategies for staff and stakeholders implementing food security activities.
• In liaison with the sector leads, identify relevant training and opportunities to advance knowledge and skills in food voucher assistance programming.
• Ensure appropriate support to the staff implementing food activities, make regular field visits and provide targeted feedback.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review scope of work contracts to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Coordination and Representation:

• Participate in both internal and external field level technical meetings and coordination.
• Ensure strong coordination with the various program sector leads and other partners to provide regular feedback and updates on food security activities.
• Develop new and manage existing relationships with food security clusters and other stakeholders in the areas of operation and potential collaborators for project activities.

Influence & Representation:

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, vendors, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members 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:

• 2 Senior Program Officer - Food security.

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To: Cash and Food Security Advisor
• Works Directly With: All program Staffs, M & E teams, MC beneficiaries, MC Partners.

Knowledge and Experience

• A Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Food Science or any related discipline.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience handling food security component
• Excellent skills and experience in the assessment and supervision of agriculture projects at the community level.
• Ability to train others on the food security component or any related fields. Should have experience in assessment and surveys.
• Experience working in complex and volatile contexts
• Hands-on experience in designing, planning, implementing, and evaluating food security interventions and/or communication campaigns is highly desirable.
• Ability to train others in agriculture-related fields. Should have experience in assessment and surveys.
• Knowledge of the context in Nigeria Maiduguri is an advantage.
• Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, including cross-cultural teams.
• Experience with emergency and recovery work and how to link the responses is an advantage.
• Fluency in English and Hausa.

Success Factors:

• The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring 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.

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. 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 Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.
• Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Application Closing Date
23rd March, 2022.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.
• This position is contingent upon funding approval.