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

The EMPOWER program is a European Commission-funded initiative implemented by Mercy Corps in consortium with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and local partners. The program supports conflict-and displacement-affected young people aged 15–35 across nine target states in Sudan. Launched in January 2026 and running for 42 months, EMPOWER responds to Sudan’s protracted crisis by combining short-term income opportunities with pathways to longer-term economic recovery, while strengthening protection and social cohesion, particularly for young women, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and youth with disabilities.

Through an integrated approach, EMPOWER delivers Cash for Work (CFW), community-based public works, livelihoods support, and training opportunities, while ensuring protection mainstreaming, conflict sensitivity, and inclusion are embedded across all activities.

Position Summary

The Project Officer will support the day-to-day implementation activities of EMPOWER

activities in Kassala State, ensuring high-quality delivery of cash-for-work, public works, youth livelihoods, effective coordination, community engagement, assessments, and activity delivery during the inception and implementation phases. The role will ensure activities are conflict-sensitive, inclusive, and aligned with program objectives.

Essential Responsibilities

Activity Implementation & Coordination

• Support planning, coordination, and implementation of all project activities under Outputs 1 and 2
• Coordinate field-level implementation with partners, community groups, and local authorities
• Ensure timely delivery of activities according to work plans.
• Coordinate logistics and preparations for field activities, workshops, and assessments.

Community Engagement & Assessments

• Facilitate participatory needs assessments, stakeholder mapping, and community consultations
• Conduct regular field visits to target communities and maintain strong relationships with local authorities and community leaders
• Support participatory needs, labor market, gender, and inclusion assessments
• Ensure inclusive participation of youth, women, IDPs, vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities

Cash for Work (CFW) &Public Works

• Support identification and selection of beneficiaries in a transparent and inclusive way
• Oversee implementation of labor-intensive public works activities
• Ensure safety standards, PPE distribution, and quality of infrastructure works
• Monitor attendance, payments, and compliance with Cash Working Group standards

Development Skills & Livelihoods

• Support delivery of technical, vocational, and life skills training for youth
• Facilitate training groups and on-the-job learning opportunities
• Support referrals to livelihood pathways (employment, entrepreneurship, TVET)

Entrepreneurship & Private SectorEngagement

• Support mapping and engagement of MSMEs, private sector actors, service providers, and relevant stakeholders
• Supporting youth access to business training, start-up kits, counseling, and mentorship
• Support development of employment and market linkages, B2B networking, and job fairs

Community Structures & Sustainability

• Support and mobilize the establishment and strengthening of community committees and youth groups
• Conduct site visits with local authorities and engineers
• Facilitate community ownership of infrastructure and project activities
• Promote collaboration between communities and local authorities

Protection, Inclusion &Conflict Sensitivity

• Ensure protection mainstreaming across all activities
• Promote inclusion of vulnerable groups, especially women and persons with disabilities
• Support delivery of awareness sessions (e.g., safety, peacebuilding, PSEA, Safeguarding, CARM, and protection where applicable)
• Promote conflict-sensitive and do-no-harm approaches
• Identify and report protection concerns and refer cases when needed

Monitoring, Reporting & Accountability

• Work closely with the MEL team to support data collection and indicator tracking
• Support regular field monitoring and reporting on the progress of activities
• Ensure accurate, complete, and timely documenting and submission of all required field and activity reports in accordance with agreed reporting schedules (daily, weekly, monthly, attendance, photos, success stories).
• Coordinate with the CARM team to ensure community feedback is collected and addressed
• Support baseline, endline, and other project-related assessments and evaluations in coordination with MEL teams.
• Review partner reports to ensure accuracy ,quality, and alignment with
   

program and donor requirements

Coordination& Representation

• Representing the project and Mercy Corps at the field level and the State level with local authorities, stakeholders, partners, and donors
• Assist in the establishment and maintenance of relationships with partners and other actors
• Participate in internal, cluster meetings, and planning processes
• Stay informed on Sudan-wide cross-cutting issues relevant to the Project, including development programming, cash and voucher assistance, technical and vocational support and community development initiatives … etc

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.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Actively learns 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.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

• Mercy Corps team member Sare expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our participants, community partners, other stakeholders, 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 professionally and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Project Manager

Works Directly With: EMPOWER Program Team, MEL Team, CARM, and support functions

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in development studies,Economics, Business Administration, Agriculture, Social Sciences, Engineering, or a related field.
• 2–3 years of experience in humanitarian or development programs
• Experience in cash-for-work, livelihoods, or youth programming preferred
• Demonstrated experience in field coordination, community engagement, or livelihoods/youth programming.
• Experience supporting assessments, surveys, or field data collection is highly preferred.
• Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and conflict-sensitive programming.
• Ability to support mappingof stakeholders, services, and project locations.
• Ability to work in dynamic and challenging field environments.
• Strong written and spokenArabic & English.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently within Kassala State.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (MS Word,Excel, and PowerPoint); Ability to manage shared folders and cloud storage (SharePoint, Google Drive, or similar).
• Experience usingemail and online collaboration tools(Teams, Zoom, Google Meet).
• Ability to support virtualmeetings, workshops, and coordination sessions.
• Ability to manage multipletasks and meet deadlines.
• Strong sense of integrity, accountability, and professional ethics.

Core Competencies (Optional but recommended for JD strength)

• Strong communication and coordination skills
• Problem-solving, adaptability, and an initiative-taking mindset.
• Reporting and documentation skills
• Ability to work with diverse communities
• Team player with ability to work independently

Success Factors

• Activities implemented on time and with quality
• Strong community participation and satisfaction
• Inclusive targeting of vulnerable groups
• Accurate and timely reporting
• Effective coordination with teams and partners

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Kassala and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.  Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard. 

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

Team Efficiency and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different 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. 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 elearning 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).