Area Coordinator BSP | Yabelo

Mercy Corps • , FN

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Area Coordinator provides senior field-level leadership, coordination and oversight for BSP-Ethiopia activities managed from Yabello. Reporting to the Ethiopia Country Lead – BSP, the Coordinator translates approved country strategy and workplans into disciplined field implementation and serves as the principal day-to-day programme coordination point for the assigned field area. The role ensures activities are coherent, timely, properly prepared and implemented in close coordination with government counterparts, implementing partners, communities and BSP technical and support teams.
The Coordinator brings together programme, partner, finance, procurement, security, MRELA and operational inputs required for field delivery; directly supervises assigned field staff; monitors implementation quality, progress and resource needs; and escalates material risks or strategic issues. The position operates within the regional BSP management framework, with major strategic or sensitive decisions escalated through the Ethiopia Country Lead to BSP leadership in partnership with the Mercy Corps Ethiopia Country Office.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in International Development, Public Administration, Political Science, Governance, Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Programme Management or a related field; a Master's degree is an advantage.
• At least five years of progressively responsible programme-management experience with an international non-governmental organisation (INGO), including significant field-level coordination, implementation or team-management responsibility.
• At least two years of supervisory or team-leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to set priorities, coach staff, manage performance and coordinate multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder implementation and coordinating government, community, partner, technical and operational actors; experience managing implementing partners is required.
• Demonstrated ability to engage constructively with Ethiopian government institutions at regional and local levels; experience working in Oromia Region or comparable field contexts is an advantage.
• Strong workplanning, budget-monitoring, reporting, facilitation, negotiation and problem-solving skills, with sound understanding of conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm, safeguarding, community accountability and inclusive programming.
• Relevant experience in borderlands, migration, trafficking, protection, governance, peacebuilding, community security, justice or law-enforcement-related programming is strongly preferred; FCDO or other major-donor experience is an advantage.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Amharic. Afaan Oromo is strongly preferred; additional Ethiopian languages relevant to programme locations are an asset.

Nice To Haves

• A Master's degree is an advantage.
• Experience working in Oromia Region or comparable field contexts is an advantage.
• FCDO or other major-donor experience is an advantage.
• Additional Ethiopian languages relevant to programme locations are an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day implementation of approved BSP-Ethiopia workplans in the assigned field area, ensuring timely, quality delivery within approved scope, budget and Mercy Corps and donor requirements.
• Translate country workplans into practical field implementation plans, maintaining a rolling activity calendar and coordinating government, partner, finance, procurement, operations, security and MRELA readiness before activities proceed.
• Track implementation progress, deliverables, dependencies and bottlenecks; coordinate corrective action and escalate material delays, risks or scope changes to the Ethiopia Country Lead.
• Coordinate field-level sequencing across BSP's four outcome areas, working with outcome leads and partners to maintain clear roles, information flow and operational dependencies while respecting specialist technical authority.
• Maintain disciplined implementation documentation and ensure agreed decisions, commitments and follow-up actions are assigned and tracked to completion.
• Maintain constructive working relationships with relevant Oromia Region regional, zonal, woreda/local and sector institutions connected to approved BSP implementation in the assigned field area.
• Coordinate field implementation with authorised government counterparts and facilitate timely communication and follow-up between field authorities and Addis-based BSP leadership.
• Coordinate closely with Ethiopian implementing partners on joint workplanning, activity preparation, delivery, problem-solving and progress review against agreed roles and workplans.
• Support meaningful and respectful participation of communities and local partners, recognising local power dynamics, conflict sensitivities, protection risks and the need for clear communication about programme scope and commitments.
• Provide direct supervision, performance management and day-to-day leadership to assigned field programme staff, setting clear priorities, providing coaching and supporting staff development.
• Maintain an effective field coordination rhythm across programme, Finance, MRELA, Security, Operations and other relevant functions around activities, risks, resource needs and follow-up actions.
• Promote a collaborative and accountable team culture, ensuring decisions remain within delegated authority and sensitive, high-risk or strategic matters are escalated through the appropriate management or technical line.
• Contribute to field budget planning, forecasts, activity costing and budget-versus-actual review with the Finance Officer, Finance and Subaward Specialist and country programme team.
• Ensure procurement, logistics, transport, payments and other operational requirements are identified sufficiently in advance and coordinated through established Mercy Corps systems and controls.
• Promote value for money, responsible use of programme resources and appropriate documentation while supporting timely implementation.
• Do not make unapproved financial, contractual, procurement or partner commitments; escalate requirements outside delegated authority to the relevant functional owner.
• Work with the MRELA Advisor and MRELA & CARM Senior Officer to ensure field teams and partners maintain required monitoring evidence, Progress Marker information, activity documentation and reporting inputs.
• Support monitoring and approved evidence activities, review implementation evidence and field observations, and contribute to quarterly reflection, learning and practical adaptation.
• Ensure field teams and partners support accessible CARM processes and protect confidentiality; sensitive safeguarding, ethics, fraud or other protected complaints must be routed through established Mercy Corps mechanisms and handled on a need-to-know basis.
• Provide timely and accurate field information for programme reports, management updates, learning products and implementation trackers.
• Monitor political, security, conflict, access and institutional developments affecting implementation and promptly share material changes with the Security and Risk Coordinator, Country Lead and relevant technical functions.
• Coordinate activity planning and field movement with BSP and Mercy Corps Ethiopia security structures and ensure field teams comply with agreed security, access, communications and contingency measures.
• Integrate conflict sensitivity, Do No Harm, safeguarding, gender equality and social inclusion, human-rights considerations and participant protection into field planning and implementation.
• Identify and escalate security, safeguarding, legal, reputational, compliance or programme-integrity concerns through established Mercy Corps channels and support agreed mitigation actions.
• Serve as the principal Mercy Corps BSP representative for routine field implementation matters in the Yabello field area, within delegated authority and agreed programme messaging.
• Represent BSP professionally in relevant regional/local coordination meetings and partner engagements and provide concise field updates to country leadership and technical teams.
• Do not independently commit Mercy Corps on programme scope, funding, subawards, donor positions or politically sensitive matters; consult or escalate such issues to the appropriate country or regional authority.
• 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.

Benefits

• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior