Junior Economic and Data Analyst (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the URL link provided below)

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.

The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary)

Mercy Corps has developed a Crisis Analytics function to support our programming in the most complex contexts, including Syria, Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and others. The Lebanon Crisis Analytics Team, which was launched in Lebanon for the first time in August 2021, seeks to support Mercy Corps’ in-country programming as well as the wider humanitarian and crisis response in Lebanon, currently experiencing a highly volatile and rapidly developing series of concurrent crises. It does this through the provision of quality, timely and relevant analytical products.

Mercy Corps’ LCAT team aggregates and analyzes data to provide a more nuanced understanding of both the humanitarian context and its impact on markets, households, and coping strategies to enable better decision-making for donors, implementers, and policymakers in complex crises. The team directly contributes to data-driven decision-making by layering information from primary sources, open sources, and responders’ programmatic data, which is analysed by subject matter experts and data scientists. This analysis is grounded in Mercy Corps’ status as an operational NGO, keeping our products constructive and relevant for policymakers, responders and donors within a given crisis.

While current data and analytics have tended to focus on the refugee crisis and the most vulnerable Lebanese, there is an urgently growing need to provide a more comprehensive countrywide view of what data around near-daily changes in prices, devaluation, shortages, and other shocks actually mean and how they impact those living in Lebanon. They help forecast humanitarian and economic needs and anticipated knock-on effects of multiple shocks and stresses.

The LCAT seeks to provide that contextualized analysis through monthly situation updates, forecasts, scenario building, bespoke deeper dive pieces on important humanitarian and fragility issues, and urgent flash analyses of rapidly developing situations.

LCAT’s products will also guide and influence the course of Mercy Corps’ programming, serving three distinct purposes:

• Provide analysis to program teams for more efficient, effective and targeted humanitarian program design, implementation, and evaluation;
• Provide information to program and operations teams that enable them to appropriately design risk mitigation plans; and
• Develop a knowledge repository and build expertise on programming landscapes and relevant actors in Lebanon, further contributing to a culture of research and learning.

LCAT products could be found on the Mercy Corps Lebanon Website.

About the Role

The Junior Economic and Data Analyst is part of an expanding team of analysts and economists forming the core of LCAT’s development, and service delivery. S/he will be expected to quickly develop and maintain a real-time understanding of multidisciplinary topics with a focus on economic trends across Lebanon, but also inclusive of climate change, agriculture, security, and social cohesion. Leveraging primarily quantitative data analytical skills, s/he will identify and manage quantitative data, execute statistical and geospatial analysis, and create data visualizations and maps. S/he will work with other qualitative-oriented analysts and specialists to provide analyses that feed into decision-making for Mercy Corps’ Lebanon programming and strategy and assist in actionable products that serve the wider humanitarian community and those living in Lebanon in need of right-sized, urgent, targeted support.

OVERALL

• Assist in drafting weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports focusing on socio-economic, political, and geo-political events.
• Identify and process novel or underused secondary datasets and propose new research ideas from them in coordination with the Regional Quantitative Manager.
• Identify open source data provided by other information management organizations, develop creative research designs, process the data, and execute statistical/geospatial analyses.
• Support the design and development of visual interpretations of analysis, including graphs, charts, maps, and infographics.
• As directed, research specific geographic locations with a focus on humanitarian dynamics (including access, needs, and activities) and actor dynamics present in the area.
• Identify reports on new or emerging issues of potential concern to the international community, particularly those of a regional or global nature.
• Assist the Senior Coordinator and other technical analysts on projects while also being able to independently produce products.

ANALYSIS

• Maintain and constantly develop a strong understanding of the rapidly changing context in Lebanon (political, legal, economic, social, and conflict, and their impact on the wider humanitarian/crisis context).
• Use open source, partner data, statistical data, and academic reports to collect, process, clean, and analyse information.
• Assist in the development of purpose-specific methodological tools for data collection and analysis of quantitative data.
• Support forward-thinking methodological perspectives that enable anticipatory analysis, such as economic forecasting and modeling for technical products.
• Contribute to key analytics products for the donor, broader humanitarian response, community, and Mercy Corps program teams based on local area dynamics and under the supervision of the Senior Coordinator.
• Collect and analyze data on local economic indicators such as inflation rates, employment rates, and household income levels.
• Assess the impact of crises and disasters on local economies, including the effects on different sectors and groups.
• Support the overall continuation of the culture of the team, which is highly aware of the context.
• Contribute to contextual presentations to program teams on a regular basis.

STRATEGY & CULTURE

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and contribute to an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome.
• Contribute to the development of humanitarian, crisis response, country-level and regional strategies, as well as other key thematic sectors of interventions (economic development, governance, etc.) for Mercy Corps in Lebanon.
• Understand and express conflict in terms of humanitarian needs, gender, diversity and inclusion, protection, shocks, stresses, and threats to the vulnerable and humanitarian community.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

None

ACCOUNTABILITY

Reports directly to: Senior Coordinator

Works directly with: Crisis Analyst, Regional Quantitative Manager, Team Lead, Program Performance & Quality (PaQ) Team, Program teams, relevant TSU teams, and other Crisis Analytics/Humanitarian Access Team members both regionally and globally under the direction of the Chief Analyst/Project Manager

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• Degree in Economics, Political Science, Data Analysis, Geography/GIS or a related field is required

• Excellent written and spoken English is a definite asset

• Excellent written and spoken Arabic is a must
• Analytical experience within a think-tank, University, UN, or NGO experience or a similar Crisis Analytics Unit is a strong asset
• Proven experience in statistical programming for quantitative analysis using software/platforms such as R, Python, SPSS, STATA, or similar tools is a plus
• Experience producing dashboards using PowerBI or GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS)  is a plus.
• Experience in data processing, manipulation, and database management  is a plus.
• Lebanese residence is a requirement with a strong depth of knowledge and experience with the Lebanese historical context and current state of multiple shocks and stresses, with specific understanding of political, social, conflict, and security dynamics within Lebanon a definite asset
• Experience working in small teams is a plus

SUCCESS FACTORS

A successful candidate will see opportunities where Mercy Corps programs can complement policy related to refugees, extremely vulnerable, and newly vulnerable, and contribute to exploring new partnerships or program modalities with private sector and local government. They will be able to relate programming in Lebanon with policy and work closely with regional teams to enhance our capacity and approach towards risk and access strategies. They will work on short deadlines, often under challenging circumstances, while remaining calm, flexible, patient and creative. They are able both to work as part of a tight knit, small and collaborative team or work independently as needed. They will be comfortable speaking and presenting quite complex information in digestible formats before groups both big and small, sometimes with potentially controversial content, while remaining confident, professional, and open. A good sense of humor and excellent interpersonal skills are key.

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.

LIVING/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

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. 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.