Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) Support Intern

21/11/2023 www.akhtaboot.com
Location :

Amman, Jordan

Job Category :

others

Job requirements

  • 1 - 1

  • Fresh Graduate

Description

Job Description and Requirements

About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do
their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome
diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.
The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary)
Mercy Corps has been operating in Jordan since 2003. In partnership with civil society organizations, the private
sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Jordan has reached more than 3.4 million Jordanians and displaced
populations in the country. Working throughout Jordan, Mercy Corps is driven by the mission to contribute to the
emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Jordan which is inclusive of youth and women. We seek to
build a future for Jordan in which all people feel secure, believe in the goodness of communities and institutions
around them, and are on a sustainable path toward economic self-reliance. Our strategic directions focus on
promoting strong communities and governance, peace and social cohesion and environmentally sustainable and
inclusive economic growth.
The USAID Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa) is a five-year USAID-funded program that aims to
support Jordan's Home-Based Businesses (HBBs) and Micro & Small Businesses (MSEs) to grow, transform,
and become resilient to future shocks. The Iqlaa approach will explore new ways of doing business and
improving access to finance, markets, and services. The program focuses on four sectors: agriculture, hospitality
and tourism, manufacturing, and services, with special attention to technology development and implementation.
Iqlaa infuses a gender, youth, and social inclusion lens throughout all its interventions.
Through research and adaptive, collaborative learning, Iqlaa will identify opportunities, incentives, and market
constraints that facilitate or restrict formalization and growth. Based on the findings, Iqlaa will implement best
practices in enterprise strengthening, inclusive job creation, and financial sector development within a market
systems development (MSD) framework, leveraging innovative behavioral change methodologies to facilitate
long-term, sustainable changes in the MSEs ecosystem in Jordan.
Implementing Organizations: Mercy Corps (Lead Implementer), Andersen for Legal and Tax Consultancy (Andersen), Dalberg Design (Dalberg), Expectation State, Middle East Investment Initiative (MEII), Migrate-Jordan (Migrate), Q-Perspective, and American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan (AmCham).

Iqlaa Services:
• Grants: Iqlaa will extend grants to market actors for formalization, start-up funding, business growth,
innovation and scale, and technology integration. Grant schemes are updated annually.
• Increased business linkages and access to markets for MSEs through aggregators and lead firms.
• Supporting MSEs through incubators and accelerators.
• E-Commerce support to build e-commerce knowledge and skills and establish online stores.
• Business mentorship for MSEs through Mercy Corps’ MicroMentor.
• Business and financial management capacity building programs and software adoption services.
• Legal and formalization advisory services.
• Support for MSEs owned by people living with disabilities for better access to markets.

• Enhancing Public-Private Dialogue around priority issues faced by MSEs.

The Position (General Position Summary)
The MSEs Support Intern is responsible for supporting Iqlaa MSEs team in the implementation, the operational
and admin tasks of Component 2 in Iqlaa project, helping MSEs Support Coordinator for the day-to-day support
and follow-up with the partners and Mercy Corps shared departments such as Finance, M&E, procurement, and
logistics and admin.
This internship provides an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in gaining practical experience in
the field of MSE’s. Overall, the intern will gain a valuable combination of technical, analytical, communication,
and teamwork skills through their involvement in combining technical assistance and services for HBBs and
MSEs across Iqlaa’s four target sectors. On the demand side, the component will engage with diverse market
actors, including leading firms, to provide HBBs and MSEs with opportunities to recover and grow. These
skills and experiences can contribute to their future career growth and open doors to various opportunities
in the field of MSEs ecosystem. The component will also engage lead firms and Business Development
Support Providers (BDSPs) through results-based grants from Iqlaa’s Innovation Fund, ensuring payments
are contingent on impact; measured, for example, by number of MSEs formalized or increases in MSE
revenue. The MSE Component activities will include activities that better enable Jordan’s MSE environment,
and activities related to providing direct capacity building, financial support, technical support, and market
linkages to HBBs and MSEs.
Essential Responsibilities
• Support the MSE coordinators and MSE Lead in implementing component 2 activities.
• Collecting all sub-grant documentation for the Iqlaa project, and support in Subgrantee payment requests, documentation, and Filing.
• Support in ensuring the component compliance with Mercy Corps PM@MC minimal standards.
• Considering the implementation and modeling of safeguarding policies and procedures in all contacts with team members, partners, and IQLAA participants; AND
• Support the integration of gender and youth inclusion, ensuring the component is sensitive and responsive to women and young opportunities and impediments.
• Help the MSE team with ProSource, Data basics, and other MC programs.
• Support the MSE team's daily work and follow up on tasks.
• Help with MSEs Team meetings, workshops, and venues.
• Raise purchase requests (PRs) and follow up with the MC procurement department on contracts,
schedule delivery of goods and services, and manage payment requests with the MSE team and other
component leads.
• Support Iqlaa team in cash advances related to MSEs component activities.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
• Support the MSEs team in overseeing the monitoring and evaluation of the component activities in close coordination with the M&E Coordinator and Consortium partners, including monitoring, data collection, analysis, and report writing, AND
• Support in the M&E data reporting
Financial and Compliance Management
• Ensure compliance with USAID and Mercy Corps regulations.
RISK MANAGEMENT
● Engage and support countries across the region to ensure that adequate risk management systems are
in place;
● Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.

● Engage with country teams on the internal audit process to track findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations.
● Engage with country level Ethics and Assurance managers as well as the global Ethics and Assurance department to track and analyze trends and needs across countries.
Accountability
• Reports Directly To: IQLAA’s MSE Support Coordinator
• Works Directly with MSE’s Team.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program
participants, community partners, and 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
• University Degree in economics, social or political science, management or public administration, international development, or other relevant field to economic growth programming.
• Fresh graduates, 0-6 months of experience.
• Knowledge of business and entrepreneurship (Basic)
• Strong multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary.
• Accuracy and attention to detail is necessary.
• Excellent written and oral communication in English and Arabic
• Flexible and adaptable personality with a strong willingness to learn.
• Computer skills (Microsoft Word and Excel basics).

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Amman, Jordan, and it requires up to 20% travel to support other governorates.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. Team members are
expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies,
procedures, and values always and in all locations.
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.
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.
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. 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.