Description
Background:
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 โ helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
MicroMentor is a growing initiative within Mercy Corps and functions much like a technology start-up. Through a proprietary online mentoring platform, MicroMentor provides a technology solution that connects small business owners and entrepreneurs with skilled volunteer business mentors on a global scale. We are the world's largest network of free business mentoring. Entrepreneurs matched with a mentor have shown significant results in terms of improved job creation, business survival, and revenue growth. Since inception, our community has grown to more than 300,000 entrepreneurs and 90,000 mentors across 180 countries. Our team is diverse, driven, hardworking and highly committed to the mission of helping small businesses thrive through mentoring.
MicroMentor was launched in the MENA region in 2020, with a localized Arabic platform, and has a growing community of more than 28,000 entrepreneurs, and 9,000 mentors.
Purpose / Project Description:
The purpose of this consultancy is to drive entrepreneursโ and mentorsโ sense of community in the MENA region by creating and providing the right tools, activities, and incentives to engage with MicroMentor. The consultant will connect with entrepreneurs and support them in finding the right mentor for their business needs. We are looking for a seasoned digital community engagement expert with a strong entrepreneurial and mentorship background, and a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will:
MENTOR AND ENTREPRENEUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (English and Arabic Communities)
Design and implement a mentor and entrepreneur engagement plan to ensure a valuable user experience for MicroMentor members. Engage directly with entrepreneurs and mentors on the platform, and support users to connect with the right mentor or entrepreneur based on their business needs and expertise with focus on the MENA region. Collaborate closely with the Partnerships & Innovations team to develop and launch Mentor and Entrepreneursโ Masterclass to prepare users to have the most successful mentoring experience at MicroMentor. Conduct onboarding meetings and info-sessions with mentors and entrepreneurs to provide a warm welcome and assess any concerns or questions. Conduct personal virtual meetings with mentors as needed to address any concerns they have, gather feedback, and provide them with dedicated support.
USER RESEARCH
Understand and report on specific challenges that mentors and entrepreneurs face in the MENA region using MicroMentor Coordinate with MicroMentorโs Impact and Insights Team to ensure there is a continuous feedback loop for findings and insights to drive adaptive management of the program and technology, and so that users can feel the impact of their feedback. Gather lessons learned from the experiences of entrepreneurs and mentors and systemize these learnings to share with relevant stakeholders within the MicroMentor team.MENTOR RECRUITMENT
Provide relevant feedback to the marketing team to ensure the recruitment of the right mentors for the MENA region. Design the strategy to activate the entrepreneur community to ensure Mentor referrals to other mentors and entrepreneurs are invited to become mentors as well.DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Ensure the MicroMentor community is treated with the highest level of professionalism and follows MicroMentor principles and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Represent MicroMentor's brand and values with the mentor and entrepreneur community. Act in accordance with MicroMentorโs Ethos.Consultant Deliverables:
The Consultant will:
Design and share a comprehensive Engagement plan which includes a strategic process to gather user insights to understand and address users' behaviors and gather insights to ensure a valuable user experience for MicroMentor members. Conduct direct engagement activities with entrepreneurs and mentors to ensure meaningful mentoring connections are occuring, to address any concerns users may experience, gather feedback, and provide MicroMentor members with dedicated support (activities may include, but are not limited to, virtual gatherings, WhatsApp groups, email campaigns, platform messaging, etc.) on a regular basis. Report on results of engagement activities weekly
Success Factors
They will be passionate about community engagement, with an innovative mindset willing to continuously experiment with new approaches. They must have the ability to think critically and make good decisions that contribute to the community's success. They must have a proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations. Awareness of and sensitivity to multicultural and diverse audiences is required.
Timeframe / Schedule:
Part-time Start date: Immediate End date: May 31, 2024The Consultant will report to:
Senior Officer MicroMentor
The Consultant will work closely with:
MicroMentor Partnerships and Innovations Team, Impact & Insights Team, Marketing Team, Mercy Corps Jordan MicroMentor Team, MicroMentor Entrepreneurs and Mentors, and MicroMentorโs Clients
Required Experience & Skills:
5+ years of experience in creating/engaging communities. BA in business administration or 4+ years related work experience. Relevant experience as a Business Mentor in MicroMentor or other mentoring initiatives. Strong interest in the development sector, and in Mercy Corps mission and vision. Entrepreneurship spirit - Driven, self-motivated, enthusiastic, and with a โcan-doโ attitude. Written and spoken fluency in English/Arabic. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to build trusting relationships with peers and management, and demonstrate emotional intelligence and empathy. Intercultural competencies, value of diversity, ability to manage the dynamics of difference, acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge, adapt to diversity and cultural contexts, and be a thoughtful leader in a diverse globally sprawling organization. Flexible approach and an ability to operate effectively with uncertainty and change. Dedicated to innovative entrepreneur and mentor success. Passion to drive impact at scale.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 worldโs 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
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 team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. 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.