Mercy Corps Technology Innovation Fellow Job in Kenya

Job Vacancy Announcement

Technology Innovation Fellow (TIF)

Nairobi

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1 billion in assistance to people in 82 nations.

Supported by headquarters offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, the agency's unified global programs employ 3,500 staff worldwide and reach 9 million people in more than 40 countries.

Over the last five years, more than 90 percent of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programs that help people in need.

Mercy Corps has recently been awarded a 3-year program under USAID’s Yes Youth Can initiative, covering six regions in Kenya; Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, Nairobi and Coast.

The core of this program is a The Tahidi Youth Fund (TYF), which will be a youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed financial facility to support local solutions for community economic development as it grows in value.

This program aims to appropriately empower Kenyan youth (15-30yrs) to strengthen their socio-economic and political stakes through youth-led and managed initiatives and institutions.

The TYF will in the first three years provide sustainable financial and skills development assistance to approximately 200,000 youth through a variety of youth-identified social and economic community development projects.

General Position Summary:

The Technology Innovation Fellow (TIF) is a temporary( 6months) position with Mercy Corps Kenya. S/he will be responsible for providing technological assistance to the technology advisor for the USAID-funded project, Yes Youth Can.

The TIF will work under and report directly to the Technology Advisor for the project and assist in the design, construction, testing, implementation, and management of technological solutions to improve the Yes Youth Can project.

The responsibilities and tasks of the position will primarily include, but are not limited to technology project management, technology vendor management, custom software coding, software testing, and software management.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Accountability Reports Directly To: Technology Advisor
• Works Directly With: Relevant Field Level Colleagues

Knowledge and Experience

• Current Junior or Senior standing in university OR equivalent experience in technology sector
• Completed university courses in computer science or related field OR professional experience in ICT industry
• Experience building and coding for APIs
• Proficient in HTML, JavaScript, SQL, and PHP
• Experience with source code management tools (Git, etc)
• Experience with mobile money applications
• Experience with mobile phone technologies (SMS, USSD, WAP-based sites, etc)
• Understanding of test-driven or behavior-driven development
• Excellent problem solving skills
• Excellent writing and communications skills in Kiswahili and English
• Understanding of iterative development
• Passionate about making a difference in Kenya

Additional Qualifications Preferred (Not Required):

• Experience with hosted GIS applications
• Experience in dashboarding and related business intelligence coding
• Proficiency in Python, Ruby, and/or Perl
• Experience in programming for Nokia OS and Android OS

Success Factors

• Zero tolerance for fraud
• Demonstrated understanding of multiple business environments
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and communicate effectively with team members to ensure achievement of overall program objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and communicate effectively with target clients to ensure achievement of overall program objectives.
• Proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results.
• Even temperament and a good sense of humor are appreciated.
• Commitment to transparency, accountability and compliance with donor, organizational and national policies and regulations.
• Any other duties as assigned by supervisor and characteristic to the position

Living /Environmental Conditions:

The position will be based in Nairobi, with 75% field travel.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting.

Staff 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.

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before November 22nd , 2011 4.00 p.m. a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent or supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org

Applicants must clearly indicate on the email subject “Application for the position of "Technology Innovation Fellow”.

Applications without this subject heading will be disqualified.

Please do not attach any certificates.

Only qualified short-listed candidates will be contacted