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 leads humanitarian assistance and longer-term development efforts in conflict-affected regions across Sudan, supporting host communities, IDPs, returnees and refugees. Mercy Corps’ current areas of programming include food security and livelihoods, WASH, health, nutrition, peace building and protection, resilience, and Market Systems Development.

The EU Youth programme is an European Commission-funded action implemented by Mercy Corps in consortium with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and local partners to support conflict- and displacement-affected young people aged 15–35. The 42-month program started in January 2026, and will respond to Sudan’s protracted crisis by combining short-term income opportunities with pathways to longer-term economic recovery, while strengthening protection and social cohesion for youth, especially young women, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and youth with disabilities.

Through an integrated approach, the EU Youth programme will deliver labour-intensive, community-based public works and Cash for Work (CfW) activities that rehabilitate priority community assets and improve access to services and markets, alongside market-relevant training, entrepreneurship support, and linkages to employment and financial services (including VSLAs). All activities are designed using conflict- and inclusive approaches and are informed by assessments, with protection mainstreaming and community safety measures embedded where feasible to support safe participation and reduce vulnerabilities.

THE POSITION SUMMARY

The Livelihood and Employment Coordinator provides technical coordination and quality assurance for the EU Youth programme’s livelihoods, entrepreneurship, and MSME support interventions, with primary responsibility for Output 2: Strengthened technical and financial capacities of self-employed youth and micro and small businesses, with a specific focus on Activity 2.2 (entrepreneurship programmes, start-up kits, financial literacy, B2B networking, and entrepreneurship hubs). The role ensures interventions are market-informed, inclusive, and conflict-sensitive, supporting young people (15–35) affected by conflict and displacement to start and sustain viable micro-enterprises and improve access to income opportunities.

Working across implementation areas in Sudan, the Coordinator provides hands-on technical guidance to Project Managers and their teams, local implementing partners, and consortium counterparts, ensuring consistent standards, tools, and approaches. The position strengthens implementation quality through market-based programme design, clear technical guidance, coaching and mentoring models, and strong linkage strategies to suppliers, market actors, and service providers. The role also ensures that all Activity 2.2 modalities — particularly start-up kits/small grants and any cash/voucher support — are delivered with robust compliance, accountability, and safeguarding practices aligned with donor requirements and programme risk management.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategy and Vision 

• Lead the technical vision for youth entrepreneurship and employment pathways under Output 2, ensuring Activity 2.2 delivers outcomes that are market-relevant, scalable, and responsive to the realities of displacement-affected and semi-urban contexts.
• Ensure Activity 2.2 programming is aligned with the EU Youth programme’s Theory of Change: enabling youth, especially young women and youth with disabilities, to build sustainable livelihoods, reduce reliance on aid, and access safer economic opportunities.
• Translate assessment findings (labour/market analysis, local demand mapping, partner insights) into clear technical priorities for start-up kits, enterprise skills packages, coaching models, and market linkage strategies.

Program Management 

• Provide technical oversight and coordination for Activity 2.2 implementation across all areas, working closely with Project Leads to ensure standardization, technical quality, and timely delivery.
• Guide the end-to-end entrepreneurship support cycle: participant selection and sequencing; business/financial literacy training; business plan development; start-up kit or grant support; post-distribution coaching; and market linkage follow-up.
• Strengthen delivery models that reflect local feasibility (e.g., group-based training, peer mentoring, community-based hubs, mobile delivery) while maintaining quality and inclusion.
• Coordinate with partners and internal teams to operationalize Business-to-Business networking and job/market linkage events, ensuring youth have practical access to suppliers, customers, and service providers.
• Support the establishment and/or strengthening of community-based entrepreneurship hubs, including minimum service standards (information, mentorship, referrals, safe participation) and practical management arrangements.

Research, Learning and Impact (in close coordination with the PAQ unit)

• Work with PaQ/MEAL to define and monitor Activity 2.2 quality and results indicators (business readiness, start-up kit utilization, income trends where feasible, business survival/progress markers, market linkages, and participant satisfaction).
• Build practical learning loops with Project Managers: identify bottlenecks (e.g., market access, input shortages, security constraints), test adaptations, and document lessons to improve programme effectiveness.
• Contribute to evidence-based improvements in training curricula, mentoring approaches, selection criteria, and enterprise support packages, ensuring they remain responsive to market and protection realities.

Representation and Influence

• Coordinate closely with Mercy Corps programme leadership, Project Managers, and partners to align Activity 2.2 delivery with broader Output 2 services (career counselling, life skills, referrals).
• Collaborate with consortium counterparts (including Danish Refugee Council) to harmonize technical standards, tools, and market engagement approaches, and to strengthen linkages between entrepreneurship and other programme components (e.g., job matching, apprenticeships).
• Engage, as delegated, with relevant coordination platforms and market actors (business associations, suppliers, service providers) to strengthen ecosystem linkages for youth-led enterprises.

Finance and Compliance Management 

• Ensure Activity 2.2 start-up kits and/or small grant modalities are implemented with clear eligibility criteria, transparent selection processes, strong documentation, and auditable decision-making.
• Support Project Managers and operations/finance teams to maintain compliance for cash/voucher or in-kind support, including procurement standards, beneficiary verification, distribution controls, reconciliation, and data protection.
• Strengthen risk mitigation related to fraud, diversion, and safeguarding, ensuring feedback/complaints mechanisms are accessible and trusted by youth participants.
• Ensure implementation aligns with donor requirements (including any restrictive measures, screening, and partner compliance processes) and that expenditures reflect value-for-money and market feasibility.

Organizational Learning 

• Build internal capacity by developing and rolling out simple technical guidance and SOPs for Activity 2.2 (entrepreneurship training standards, business plan scoring rubrics, start-up kit specification templates, coaching approaches, and market linkage checklists).
• Mentor and coach Project Managers and field teams to improve technical consistency, inclusion practices, and adaptive management, especially in dynamic or constrained access environments.
• Promote cross-team integration (livelihoods, protection, and field operations) to strengthen “safe participation,” referrals, and sustained engagement of vulnerable youth in entrepreneurship activities.
• Capture field innovations and practical solutions and support their adoption across areas to improve scale, quality, and efficiency.

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

• 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.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Reports Directly To: Project Director

Works Directly With: EU Youth Program team (including but not limited to Deputy Program Director, Project Managers, Area Managers, CfW Coordinator, Officers), MC’s PAQ Unit, members of Operations, Program departments, the Senior Management Team and HQ Technical Support Unit (Cash and Market Advisors).

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 

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, international development, business/entrepreneurship, livelihoods, social sciences, or a related field required;
• 5+ of progressively responsible experience designing and/or managing livelihoods, employment, entrepreneurship, and/or MSME-support programming in fragile, conflict-affected, or displacement-affected contexts.
• Demonstrated experience delivering youth-focused entrepreneurship and self-employment programming, including at least two of the following: business skills training, financial literacy, business plan development, start-up kits/in-kind support, small grants, coaching/mentorship models, B2B networking/market linkages, or entrepreneurship hubs.
• Strong understanding of labour markets and market systems in crisis settings, including ability to apply market assessments to programme design and adapt modalities to supply constraints and volatility.
• Proven ability to provide technical oversight across multiple locations and teams, including development of SOPs/tools, staff coaching, implementation troubleshooting, and ensuring consistent minimum standards.
• Previous experience building capacity of staff and local partners.
• Ability to work in a collaborative spirit with other departments, in particular Procurement and Finance, to effectively support implementation of programs while staying compliant with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel. 
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to field locations and work in insecure or hardship environments, with flexibility to adjust to changing access conditions.
• Excellent oral and written Arabic and English skills required.

SUCCESS FACTORS 

The successful Livelihood and Employment Coordinator will be able to deliver high-quality, market-informed entrepreneurship support in a rapidly changing, conflict-affected environment, while strengthening consistency across multiple implementation areas. Key success factors include:

• Market-driven, practical problem-solving: Consistently translates labour/market realities into feasible entrepreneurship packages (training, start-up kits, coaching) and adapts quickly to supply constraints, inflation, and access limitations.
• Strong technical stewardship: Maintains clear minimum standards for Activity 2.2 and improves implementation quality through usable tools (SOPs, scoring rubrics, kit specifications) and hands-on coaching of Project Managers and field teams.
• Results focus with realism: Sets clear priorities, monitors progress, and drives follow-through on business support cycles (from training through start-up support to coaching and market linkages), while adjusting expectations to context and evidence.
• Collaboration and influence without authority: Builds strong working relationships with Program Managers, partners, and consortium counterparts; aligns diverse teams around consistent approaches and resolves bottlenecks constructively.
• Integrity, compliance, and accountability: Ensures transparent selection and auditable documentation for start-up kits/small grants; proactively manages fraud/diversion risk and strengthens trusted feedback/complaints mechanisms.
• Inclusion and “safe participation” leadership: Designs and reinforces practical measures that enable meaningful participation and benefit for young women, displaced youth, and youth with disabilities, and works closely with protection colleagues to reduce risks that limit engagement.
• Learning mindset and adaptability: Routinely captures lessons from the field, tests improvements, and institutionalizes what works across locations, strengthening programme effectiveness over time.

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 MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

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.

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).

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.

LIVING CONDITIONS / ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The position will be based in Nyala, South Darfur.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. 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. 

To Apply: Please submit you Cover letter,CV and Support documents to SARHO Office-Nyala