About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps has been operating in Jordan since 2003. In partnership with civil society organizations, the private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Jordan has reached more than 3.4 million Jordanians and displaced populations in the country. Working throughout Jordan, Mercy Corps is driven by the mission to contribute to the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Jordan which is inclusive of youth and women. We seek to build a future for Jordan in which all people feel secure, believe in the goodness of communities and institutions around them, and are on a sustainable path toward economic self-reliance. Our strategic directions focus on promoting strong communities and governance, peace and social cohesion and environmentally sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The USAID Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa) is a five-year USAID-funded program that aims to support Jordan's Home-Based Businesses (HBBs) and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) to grow, transform, and become resilient to future shocks. The Iqlaa approach will explore new ways of doing business and improving access to finance, markets, and services. The program focuses on four sectors: agriculture, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, and services, with special attention to technology development and implementation. Iqlaa infuses a gender, youth, and social inclusion lens throughout all its interventions.
Through research and adaptive, collaborative learning, Iqlaa will identify opportunities, incentives, and market constraints that facilitate or restrict formalization and growth. Based on the findings, Iqlaa will implement best practices in enterprise strengthening, inclusive job creation, and financial sector development within a market systems development (MSD) framework, leveraging innovative behavioral change methodologies to facilitate long-term, sustainable changes in the MSEs ecosystem in Jordan.
Implementing Organizations: Mercy Corps (Lead Implementer), Andersen for Legal and Tax Consultancy (Andersen), Dalberg Design (Dalberg), Expectation State, Middle East Investment Initiative (MEII), Migrate-Jordan (Migrate), Q-Perspective, and American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan (AmCham).
General Position Summary
The Access to Finance Officer will provide support to the Access to Finance Specialist and work closely with the Access to Finance Lead to assist in implementing the Access to Finance Component’s activities. The goal is to contribute to Iqlaa’s objectives under Result 3 (R3: Increased access to appropriate financial services and products for MSEs) and related Sub-Results (3.1: Strengthened MSEs financial skills and 3.2: Increased capacity of financial service providers to better serve MSEs).
Essential Responsibilities
Program Implementation
● With guidance provided by the Specialist and Lead, coordinate with consortium partners (Expectation State and Middle East Investment Initiative) and market actors involved in access to finance, focusing on areas such as MSE lending, microfinancing, loan guarantees, digital financing, mobile wallets, and financial literacy.
● Collaborate with the Access to Finance Specialist and Lead to help plan and execute activities, ensuring they align with timelines, targets, and budgetary constraints.
● Aid in establishing partnerships with local financial service providers, assisting in the creation of support packages that enable providers to improve products and services for MSEs.
● Help manage sub-grants in line with USAID and Mercy Corps standards, including:
- Drafting scopes of work, assisting with sub-grant agreements, and monitoring the fulfillment of milestones.
- Supporting sub-grantee payments to ensure timely and compliant fund disbursement.
Program Quality and Report Writing
● Contribute to drafting high-quality progress reports for donors and internal leadership, including weekly, quarterly, annual updates, as well as Annual Work Plan (AWP).
● Work seamlessly with other components and teams including the research, Outreach, Performance, Quality and Learning (PQL), Market System Development (MSD) Communications, and GYSI teams to maximize synergies within Iqlaa components for optimized results and targets.
● Support the monitoring and evaluation of component activities in collaboration with the PQL team and consortium partners.
● Gender, Youth, Social Inclusion (GYSI): Work closely with the Inclusion Lead to ensure that all implemented activities are compliant with inclusion standards ensuring the component is sensitive and responsive to different opportunities and barriers faced by women and youth, as well as to fulfill GYSI-related targets,
● Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps PM@MC minimum standards within the component, including Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM).
● Support the Specialist with the development of communication materials (including presentations, success stories, etc.).
● Model and uphold safeguarding policies and practices in all interactions.
Financial and Compliance Management
● Assist in preparing budget inputs for interventions and activities, including Terms of References (TORs) and grants.
● Support the evaluation process as delegated by senior leadership by drafting required scopes and procurement/solicitation documents to align with the work plan.
● Ensure strict adherence to USAID and Mercy Corps regulations, maintaining full compliance throughout all processes and activities.
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
Supervisory Responsibility: None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Access to Finance Lead
Works Directly With: DCOP/Programs, DCOP/Operations & Finance, Access to Finance team members, Iqlaa technical teams, PQL and Communication teams, Partnership Manager, and other relevant support teams.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
● Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business administration, international development, or a related field.
● Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience in the field of financial services, MSE financing, or development programs with a focus on access to finance.
● High level of accuracy in tracking sub-grant progress, ensuring milestones are met and properly documented.
● Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adjust to changing priorities.
● Proven experience in working within a team and collaborating effectively with diverse partners.
● Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with multiple stakeholders (including public sector, private sector at both grass-root and corporate levels, and civil society).
● Experience in project and contract management including (sub) grants management, management of consultants, and procurement, among others.
● Prior experience working on donor-funded projects, preferably USAID, is highly desirable.
● Exhibits resilience and adaptability in dynamic or high-pressure environments
● Possesses strong interpersonal and self-awareness skills
● Demonstrates a proactive and solutions-oriented approach to challenges
● Previous work with HBBs, MSEs or Start-ups (desirable)
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft reports and contribute to presentations.
● Fluency in Arabic. High proficiency in English required
Success Factors
A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving. This position requires an ability to think creatively about changing norms that lead to greater opportunities for economic growth at household, community, and institutional levels. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem-solve, work within a complex and sensitive setting, and follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Amman, Jordan and it requires in-country travel across governorates to support program activities. Staff will have access to good medical services.
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.