Market Systems Development Lead At Mercy Corps

About Mercy Corps

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.

Program Summary

Mercy Corps has been operational in Sudan since 2004, and currently has a country office in Port Sudan and field offices in South Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan, North Kordofan, Kassala, River Nile, Northern and Gedaref states. Mercy Corps’ current areas of programming include food security and livelihoods, WASH, health, nutrition, resilience, and Market Systems Development. Mercy Corps’ Sudan crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Sudanese and other conflict-affected people across the country. Mercy Corps Sudan is recognized as a leader in market systems, agricultural, and food security and building on this experience, the Mercy Corps Sudan humanitarian program will layer in resilience and other program activities where appropriate and feasible to do so.

The Sudan Somoud – Enhancing Community Resilience Project is an initiative funded by the World Bank which has two interlinked components:

Component 1: Community Led Basic Service Delivery. This component supports: (i) delivery of improved community led basic services; (ii) temporary engagement of frontline workers and volunteers in select sectors; (iii) project management and technical assistance costs; and (iv) technical assistance and training to select local authorities.

Component 2: Improving Food Security. This component supports: (i) increased resilience and production of select crops and protection of livestock assets in rural areas that supply food to the target communities; (ii) agricultural value chains; (iii) the scaling-up and strengthening of community consumer cooperatives and organizations and community food centers that distribute agricultural outputs and provide affordable food to vulnerable groups; and (iv) project management and implementation costs.

General Position Summary

The Market Systems Development (MSD) Lead will oversee the technical design, implementation, and management of agricultural and market systems development activities under the SOMOUD program. As a member of the PMU, the MSD Lead will ensure the integration of market-driven approaches that promote increased agricultural production, build value chains, and support the development of local markets in Gedaref. The role will focus on improving agricultural productivity, enhancing market access, and fostering partnerships with private sector actors, ensuring that the program achieves its goals of increased food security and resilience.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Program Management:

• Lead the technical design, implementation, and adaptation of market systems development (MSD) approaches in line with the objectives of the SOMOUD program.
• Oversee agricultural interventions, ensuring they are market-driven and align with MSD principles to create sustainable, systemic change in local markets.
• Ensure that all activities are technically sound, aligned with best practices, and effectively address market barriers for local producers and businesses.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop work plans, ensuring that MSD and agricultural components are integrated with other program activities.
• Regularly review and adapt program strategies based on emerging opportunities, challenges, and learning from implementation.

Strategic Planning and Development:

• Develop and implement market systems strategies that promote increased productivity, focusing on agriculture value chains, market linkages, and SME growth.
• Identify key market actors and design interventions that catalyze private sector investment and engagement.
• Lead market analysis and assessments to identify systemic constraints and opportunities for market system improvements in the agricultural sector.
• Design innovative market-based solutions to improve access to finance, input markets, and output markets for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses.

Stakeholder Engagement and Representation:

• Engage with local private sector actors, financial institutions, and government stakeholders to foster partnerships that support MSD objectives.
• Represent the SOMOUD program in external forums, meetings, and events, advocating for market systems approaches to agricultural development.
• Build and maintain relationships with key partners, including donors, government agencies, NGOs, and local businesses, to leverage resources and enhance program impact.
• Facilitate dialogue with value chain actors, including producers, traders, processors, and service providers, to strengthen market linkages and improve market access.

Team Management and Capacity Building:

• Lead and manage a team of field staff responsible for implementing the agricultural and MSD components of the program.
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and capacity building to team members to ensure high-quality implementation of MSD interventions.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning within the team, encouraging adaptive management and iterative learning.
• Ensure clear communication and coordination between the MSD team and other program components, including monitoring and evaluation (M&E).
• 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.
• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

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.
• 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.

Supervisory Responsibility

Project Officer – Agriculture

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Chief of Party

Works Directly With: Director of Programs, MSD Specialist, Director of Finance, Director of Operations, Program Performance & Quality Director & MEL Manager

Knowledge and Experience

• This position requires a Bachelor or master’s degree in management, Agriculture, Engineering, Economic or Social Science.
• An experienced (at least 5 years) social or development expert with substantive knowledge and experience of private sector engagement initiatives for development projects;
• Proven experience in Market Systems Development Livelihoods, Resilience, Financial inclusion, Renewable energy, Social Accountability and/or related fields in a management capacity
• Has demonstrated experience/understanding of both humanitarian and development work and how solutions and resilience work can bridge them
• Administrative capacity and planning skills to manage a large team of national staff of multiple sectors.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in written.
• Proven solid analytical and problem solving skills.
• Excellent writing and verbal skills in English is required.
• Extensive travel to program areas is required.

Success Factors

The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. A professional standard of program, finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The post must be willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Gedaref, and it requires up to 40% travel , which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. 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 MercyCorps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

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 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, color, 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 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. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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 to adhere to 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.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).