Graduate Trainee – Communications

Graduate trainee COMMUNICATIONS
Position Description
Location: West Nile Yumbe, Uganda
Position Status: Full-time, Regular
Salary Level: NA for GT
Current Team Member: New position
Salary: 1,000,000
Safeguarding Risk Level: Level 3

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.
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization and has been operating in Uganda since 2006 with a growing portfolio and proven track-record of providing market-oriented solutions (currently valued at over $60 million) focused on humanitarian response; food security; agriculture and livestock market systems development; peacebuilding, youth economic productivity; and resilience. Mercy Corps runs programs across Acholi, Karamoja and West Nile Sub-regions, as well as eastern Uganda and the greater Kampala area with funding from USAID, Sida, US State Department, SDC, DFID as well as other private donations. Our work focuses on building resilience and enabling economic growth, improving opportunities to attain better health and nutrition, improving governance and conflict management, and bridging humanitarian response with longer term development outcomes.

Program / Department Summary
The Delivering Resilient Enterprises and Market Systems (DREAMS) program is a collaboration between three leading organizations in the field of global poverty alleviation: Village Enterprise, Mercy Corps, and IDinsight. The DREAMS program aims to improve the well-being of 150,000 women, children, and men over the course of the five years. Targeting refugees and host community members in the West Nile region of Uganda, our innovative approach will layer two evidence-based models – poverty graduation and market systems development – to achieve increased household income, savings, and assets; improved food security and wellbeing.

General Position Summary
This is a new position for the program that seeks to boost the profile DREAMS works internally with the agency and with external stakeholders. The Graduate Trainee, Communications will support the implementation of a communications plan in support of key messages telling the DREAMS story creatively and innovatively to a wide and diverse audience. He/she will support in storytelling, photo-taking, and documenting learning. The Graduate Trainee Communications will support in ensuring clear, consistent, and strategic messaging allowing for influence of the stakeholders and donors of the DREAMS model.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Safeguarding Responsibilities
Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work

Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

Technical Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND PLANNING
Work with the Program Team to develop and implement a creative communications strategy and plan for the DREAMS and other MCU programs.
Craft key messages and identify critical components of DREAMS story for sharing with a wide and diverse audience, including staff, partners, government, and donors.
Ensure adherence to DREAMS and all other MCU programs branding and communication guidelines.
Support DREAMS and other Mercy Corps Uganda programs to develop quality programmatic communications materials including the design of posters, manuals, and IEC materials
Support in managing internal communications channels to build a positive team culture, including internal newsletters and bulletins
Support in drafting content for the communication plan including, press releases, website content, newsletters, and any other communications material (social media, speeches, Q&As)

PROJECT PRODUCTS’ DISSEMINATION
Prepare dissemination lists for project products
Disseminate project products through MCU neutral address

TEAM ENGAGEMENT
Work with DREAMS and other MCU programs leadership teams to develop internal communications messages and materials for program visibility.
Ensure all team members are aware of and compliant with Mercy Corps and donor communication protocols through the development of simple, clear guidance and training materials

EVENT MANAGEMENT
Support the Senior Communications & Advocacy Officer &MEL Team to design a series of learning events to effectively communicate DREAM’S story to diverse stakeholders.
Liaise with the media before, during, and after events.
Support the organization of events in support of program activities, including drafting invitations, documenting events, generating materials in support of the events (banners, promotional materials, press releases etc.).
Design and ensure the timely production of events materials.

Knowledge And Experience
A bachelor’s degree in communications, Media, Marketing, Public Relations or equivalent.
Advanced computer skills and administrative experience (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, design applications).
Excellent writing and editing skills in English.
Strong ability to efficiently prioritize competing demands with attention to detail.
Ability to speak local languages of the areas of operation is an added advantage.

Supervisory Responsibility
None

Accountability
Reports Directly to: Senior Communications & Advocacy Officer
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy 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.
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Success Factors
The successful candidate will be a self-starter with the ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team, be able to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously and manage a variety of diverse details. He/she must have the ability to occasionally work evenings or weekend hours.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Yumbe, Uganda. The region is secure with access to most basic amenities.
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 at all times 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.

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 and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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 e-learning 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 (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

To Apply
Interested applicants must submit their Cover Letter & CV saved in 1 PDF document of no more than 5 pages by 25th April 2025.

Please note that any application submitted that does not follow the above instructions will be automatically discarded.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.