Cash and Market System Specialist

What we are looking for:

Ready to turn bold ideas into life-changing action? Join NRC Ethiopia as our Cash & Market Systems Specialist!

You’ll be the driving force behind innovative programs that make market systems work smarter and fairer for the people we serve. From shaping strategy on Cash & Voucher Assistance to leading market-systems-based approaches across our Core Competencies, you’ll steer the entire journey, from new business design to impactful delivery. This is your chance to bring systems thinking to life, challenge the status quo, and create real, lasting change for communities across Ethiopia.

Please note: This is a resident contract – applicants must be Ethiopian nationals with the legal right to live and work in Ethiopia.

What you will do:

• Lead on internal advocacy and building shared understanding with country management and technical colleagues on Cash and Market Systems.
• Ensure sector selection and system framing, market systems research and analysis, and designing systemic interventions to address the root causes of market dysfunctions which disadvantage and exclude vulnerable displacement-affected people; finding strategic leverage points for co-investment and building public and private sector partnerships; monitoring interventions; and adapting strategy in response to results.
• Assist the country office in designing and carrying out market assessments, analysing and designing evidence-based programs, identifying and using appropriate technology and tools/approaches, and carrying out periodic appraisals of cash-based programs.
• Support programme field teams in building the capacity of programme teams in cash and market systems as a foundation for NRC programming and market systems programming as a response.
• Pilot and refining market systems approaches, identifying scalable best practices.
• Assess and support the use/piloting of mobile money in CVA interventions
• Select methodologies for analysing market systems and work with program colleagues and external actors to define a response to NRC program outcomes.
• Support logistics and program colleagues planning, conducting certain types of market analysis.
• Train and mentor staff in market systems approaches to ensure successful program implementation and support them to access additional professional development and technical capacity building as required.
• Support the country office in identifying gaps in terms of capacity to deliver cash-based programs on time and at scale; as well as supporting the activities to be undertaken to increase the country/area teams’ capacity
• Support critical interactions and decision-making with key actors in selected market systems
• Find pragmatic solutions to process gaps within NRC.
• Ensure documentation of lessons learned, success stories and programme impact of market systems programmes.
• Ensure NRC operational systems enable a diversely-skilled program team to implement a market systems program effectively – including standard operating procedures on engaging and contracting with the private sector, enabling intervention or concept design, and guidance for adaptive management.
• Manage the compilation of activity reports and periodic reports and liaise for review, submission, and dissemination with donors and other relevant stakeholders.
• Champion systems analysis of the socio-political and economic context, ensuring that this analysis is recognised and incorporated in programming, particularly with respect to displacement, gender and age, as well as to climate, durable solutions and conflict risk.
• Contribute to market systems-specific inputs relevant for the Country Strategy, Response Plans and CC strategies
• Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within CC, ensuring high technical quality and synergies in project implementation.
• Support finance teams in managing relationships with financial service providers and market actors for efficient cash delivery.
• Establish and maintain effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure systematic data collection and reporting. Work with MEAL and Area Managers to develop an effective system for addressing community feedback and complaints related to CVA programs.
• Represent NRC in external forums to advance cash and markets and (potentially) social protection priorities.
• Ensure cash-based intervention procedures, standards and operational guidelines are followed and updated in accordance with NRC policies, in collaboration with all other CCs

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position.

What you will bring:

• Masters’ degree or equivalent in Economics, International Development, International Relations, Business Management or another relevant field highly preferred.
• 5-7 years of field experience in cash and market systems programming with a focus on markets required. At least 3 years of experience in a management role.
• Understanding and experience of the specific demands of CVA and market-based programming in humanitarian response settings, including but not limited to Ethiopia
• Experience directly building partnerships with the private sector to increase opportunities for displacement affected people.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder engagement, building value propositions in both peri-urban and rural programming.
• Strong strategic thinker with demonstrated capacity to translate concepts into action, with proven ability to be accountable for all components of the program.
• Previous experience in working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Fluency in English and local language. More than one local language is preferred.
• Curiosity about the root causes of market failure, and instinctive ability to compile multi-actor collaborations in response
• Ability to enthuse diverse external and internal actors with multiple incentives around a common plan.
• Ability to network, quickly to generate social capital, and make the deal.
• Substantial experience working on market systems in a humanitarian and/or development context.
• Competent in building networks, strong problem-solving skills, and ability to influence with effective listening, persuasion, negotiation, and other techniques.

What we offer:

• Duty station: Addis Ababa.
• Contract: 12 months with possibility of extension.
• Travel: 30 – 40%.
• Salary/benefits: grade 9 on NRC’s Resident salary scale, with accompanying terms and conditions.
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC

Important information about the application process

• For Internal candidates: To apply as an internal candidate, log in with your official email or click on Opportunity MarketPlace.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• We receive many applications for each vacant position and so only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you have any questions about this role, please email ho.recruitment@nrc.no with the job title as the subject line.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.