Senior Advisor Resilient Agriculture - US

Mercy Corps is seeking a Senior Advisor for Resilient Agriculture in Washington, DC, for a fixed-term position until December 31, 2026. The role involves providing strategic technical support on agriculture and natural resource management to BHA partners, developing tools and resources, and leading knowledge-sharing efforts. Responsibilities include implementing capacity-building strategies, offering technical guidance, and collaborating on research to enhance food security interventions in emergency contexts.
Description

This is a fixed term position ending 31 December 2026. Closing date: Monday June 2nd About Mercy CorpsIn 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. The PRO-WASH & SCALE Award PRO-WASH & SCALE (Practices, Research, and Operations in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene and Strengthening Capacity in Agriculture, Livelihoods, and Environment) is an Associate Award funded by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).The purpose of PRO-WASH & SCALE (PWS) is to strengthen the design, implementation, and overall effectiveness of key sector-specific interventions in food security activities across BHA’s portfolio in emergency, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) activities. The technical intervention areas include water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), agriculture, livelihoods, infrastructure, natural and water resource management, resilience to shocks and stresses, and disaster risk reduction. PRO-WASH & SCALE is implemented by Save the Children and Mercy Corps, through the Agriculture Systems Technical Resources and Quality Unit. Mercy Corps leads PRO-WASH & SCALE’s activities related to agriculture, livelihoods, natural resources management and market systems. The Position The Resilient Agriculture/Natural Resource Management (NRM) Senior Advisor provides strategic technical support to BHA implementing partners on agriculture and NRM programming. This includes identifying, adapting, and disseminating practical tools and resources tailored to partners’ needs. The advisor will work closely with local experts to co-create context-specific solutions and strengthen mutual capacity. In addition, the role involves leading external knowledge-sharing efforts and engaging with donors, implementing partners, BHA learning awards, and relevant agriculture and NRM communities of practice. Essential Responsibilities STRATEGY & PLANNING
• Implement PWS’ capacity strengthening, research and engagement strategy for resilient agriculture and NRM. Update and adapt the resilient agriculture/NRM strategy as needed, to ensure PWS’ work remains responsive to implementers’ needs.
• Build external visibility and awareness around resilient agriculture/NRM-related work, including representing PWS to senior leadership within Mercy Corps, across peer agencies, to USAID and to other communities of practice.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
• Provide technical support to BHA implementing partners (IPs) on agriculture and NRM interventions, including through the Refine and Implement (R&I) process.
• Identify, develop/adapt, and share best practices, tools, and guidance for agriculture and NRM activities in emergency and ER4 contexts—with a focus on local actor engagement and integrating localized knowledge.
• Support IPs in interpreting and applying agriculture/NRM-related research findings to strengthen programming and guide them in developing and implementing their own research.
• Collaborate with the broader PWS team on cross-sectoral guidance, including integrated approaches such as IWRM and resilient agriculture-MSD linkages.
• Lead or contribute to the design and implementation of PWS research studies.
• Connect IPs to relevant research initiatives, academic institutions, and applied research efforts.
• Liaise with peer learning platforms to curate and share knowledge products.
• Identify and connect IPs with partners offering relevant tools and information to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Represent PWS in roundtables, workshops, and peer-learning events, both online and in-person.
• Increase visibility of PWS’s resilient agriculture/NRM work with external stakeholders, including USAID, peer agencies, and within Mercy Corps.
• Ensure timely and quality delivery of learning activities, aligned with work plans, budgets, and M&E systems.
• Maintain a partner-centered approach, ensuring all activities respond to the needs and priorities of BHA IPs and USAID missions, and uphold Mercy Corps’ values and quality standards.
MONITORING, EVALUATION & IMPACT MEASUREMENT
• Implement activities to assess and document the impact of PWS’s agriculture and NRM interventions and contribute to reflection sessions to analyze findings and inform adaptive programming.
• Support the maintenance and use of PWS’s M&E systems, ensuring data is accurately collected, organized, and accessible for ongoing learning, adaptive management, and reporting.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
• Support the maintenance of systems that ensure the efficient, transparent use of financial resources, aligned with Mercy Corps and donor policies for timely and informative reporting.
• Review and approve program expenses in accordance with the program’s Authority and Accountability Matrix.
• Develop scopes of work and oversee technical consultants and vendors to ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Lead the development of resilient agriculture/NRM-related sections of reports to USAID.
• Ensure all interventions align with Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and accountability standards.
REPRESENTATION, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with USAID, USAID-funded programs, peer organizations, and key networks.
• Represent PWS and Mercy Corps in external forums and through thought leadership pieces and online platforms.
• Ensure effective communication with stakeholders to support achievement of program targets and compliance with donor expectations.
• Foster strong internal collaboration across teams and contribute to a supportive, engaged work environment.
• Maintain and expand a roster of qualified consultants to fill technical gaps not available in-house.
Supervisory ResponsibilityRelevant technical consultants, as the need arises Accountability Reports Directly To: PRO-WASH & SCALE Technical Director, Mercy Corps Works Directly With: All PRO-WASH & SCALE team members, TraQ Food Security, other TraQ teams, country teams Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy 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
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in resilient agriculture, natural resource management (NRM), agroecology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in agriculture, NRM, or related sectors.
• Additional expertise in one or more of the following areas is strongly preferred: integrated water resource management (IWRM), permaculture, agricultural markets, or agricultural research.
• At least 4 years of experience leading knowledge-sharing initiatives and developing learning resources
• Experience conducting research, assessments, or analysis within the context of international development is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, developing, and disseminating technical tools, case studies, or briefs tailored for a range of audiences
• Strong ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders across agencies, countries, and sectors
• Experience leading or contributing to sustainable communities of practice is highly desirable.
• Previous engagement with USAID (at headquarters and/or mission level) and familiarity with USAID-funded program contexts is preferred.
• French fluency preferred.
Success Factors The ideal candidate will combine strong technical expertise in agriculture with practical experience in implementing knowledge-sharing initiatives. They will understand how to translate field realities into effective learning and knowledge management. Success in this role requires innovation, strong communication and networking skills, and the ability to engage diverse, global audiences. A self-starter with a collaborative mindset, the candidate will thrive in dynamic environments and be committed to continuous learning, teamwork, and accountability. Living Conditions / Environmental ConditionsThe position may include travel to USAID/BHA implementation countries, which may include program areas of sometimes high security risk. 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. Ongoing LearningIn 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 OpportunityMercy 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 & EthicsMercy 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 ([email protected]).