Cash & Voucher Assistance Voucher Advisor at Mercy Corps

Essential Job Responsibilities 

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

• Develop Mercy Corps’ CVA strategy for response across the region and ensure it encompasses elements of broader agency goals such as resilience, food security, market systems strengthening, youth development and women’s empowerment.
• Facilitate cross-learning and exchange with CVA teams across the region.
• Identify potential opportunities for alignment and strengthening government-led cash-based social protection assistance.
• Ensure robust market analyses and monitoring mechanisms are in place to inform ongoing CVA and conditions for scale and adaptation over time. 
• Strengthen market systems where needed to enhance the enabling environment for HH-level CVA; this may include developing frameworks for supporting and working with traders, designing agreements, subsidies to govern specific trading items, quality, delivery timeframe and prices.
• Ensure program participants are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Collaborate closely with PMs to identify cash program partners and institutions for effective and transparent cash transfer, develop MoUs and contracts & oversee initial cash assistance delivery.
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team to ensure that monitoring and evaluation for the CVA is practical and reflects best practices.
• Facilitate adherence to MC PM@MC cash minimum standards, and proactive discuss risks within programs or areas that are under-performing against cash minimum standards. 
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct; Gender, Diversity and Inclusion guiding documents; Core Humanitarian Principles and Do No Harm.
• Facilitate CVA capacity building, sharing, and learning across the region with a focus on knowledge sharing across programs and country teams. 

MANAGEMENT

• Contribute to drafting scope of work/hiring CVA-focused team members and technical consultants
• Support evidence based advocacy for cash staffing and capacity strengthening at the country level where relevant.

INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION

• Coordinate effectively with Cash Working Groups (CWGs), CALP, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) clusters, government-led social protection agencies (eg HSNP in Kenya, PSNP in Ethiopia, etc), etc.
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Exhibit an awareness of their own strengths and development needs.

PROGRAM SUPPORT TO REGIONAL CASH AND VOUCHER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

• Gather/analyze data and complete assessments to determine program needs and priorities and Mercy Corps’ competitive advantage for funding.
• Contribute to concepts and proposals for funding from donors including foundations, corporations, and the US, European, and UN agencies.
• Support CVA in country by supporting the hiring process, selection, and onboarding of new in country CVA staff as well as skills building and coaching of CVA staff
• Provide remote and in-person technical support to field teams, through one-on-one country outreach, regional calls, webinars, etc.
• Work with country teams to design and document their CVA processes and support the process of developing or revising CVA SOPs
• Provide remote training and support to team members serving in CVA short term assignment positions.
• Provide in-country technical support to high-risk country programs to guide them in designing and implementing their CVA programs.
• Lead teams in process mapping to identify gaps in their CVA programming.
• Identify countries requiring increased technical support and liaise with the HQ CVA team and Regional Technical Director as needed.
• Track CVA programming progress at a regional level
• Support country programs in CVA analytics, establishing processes for using CVA data for learning and improved programming and prepare regional aggregations and reports.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• 5 years of experience in CVA required (i.e. writing and analysis on proposal development; humanitarian assessments; CVA implementation; CVA capacity building); 
• at least one response assignment that demonstrates the ability to successfully adapt support and assistance methodologies to real-world complexities (slow onset, rapid onset, protracted/complex crises) - required
• BA/BS or equivalent in Humanitarian Affairs, International Development, Economics or other relevant field; MA/S preferred.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Mercy Corps Core Humanitarian Competencies (as defined in the Humanitarian Capacity Framework) preferred.