Technical Expert - Civil Society, Media & Social Cohesion (COSMA)

Please note this position is contingent on funding approval.

Location: Moldova (Various) Position Status: Full Time - National Position

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

We promote good governance, contributing to an enabling environment for inclusive decision-making, effective engagement between communities and local government counterparts, sustained and responsive service delivery, and stable, accessible markets. Our programs are designed to help address the underlying causes of conflict while reducing key social, economic, and environmental drivers of violence.

About the Project

The planned Strengthening Social Cohesion through Civil Society and Mass-Media in Moldova (COSMA) project - funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) - aims to strengthen social cohesion in Moldova by enabling civil society organizations and independent media to act as trusted intermediaries between citizens and institutions, promote inclusive dialogue, and reinforce accountability in a highly polarized environment. Through a facilitation unit model, the project supports locally led initiatives that respond to citizens' priorities, expand civic participation at the local level, and improve the quality, independence, and sustainability of civil society and media actors, with a particular focus on regions and communities where cohesion is most at risk.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps is looking for technical experts with relevant experience in supporting civil society and media organizations in Moldova. This could be in the form of implementing programming directly, working with local partners to implement programming, or conducting robust monitoring and evaluation around this programming. We are also looking for strong facilitators for dialogues/trainings/stakeholder engagements or experts with a network across the spectrum of the current polarization, perceived as neutral and trustworthy.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide thematic and technical expertise to support COSMA interventions related to civil society strengthening, support for independent media and media literacy, social cohesion, community engagement, communication strategies, behavioral change communication, social psychology, intersectional pedagogy, experiential learning approaches, mediation, conflict resolution and policy advocacy.
• Contribute to the design, review, and quality assurance of locally led initiatives, grants, and capacity-strengthening activities.
• Support the application of conflict-sensitive, politically informed, and citizen-centered approaches across project activities.
• Provide technical input to assessments, intervention strategies, and Theory of Change refinement.
• Support capacity strengthening of local civil society and media actors through mentoring, advisory inputs, and tailored technical guidance.
• Contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes, including indicator development, reflection sessions, and adaptive management.
• Participate in stakeholder consultations, learning events, and coordination meetings with civil society, media, public institutions, and donors.
• Prepare or review technical notes, guidance documents, and inputs to narrative reporting, as required.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme 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.

Knowledge and Experience Requirements

• Degree in social sciences, governance, media studies, communications, international development, or a relevant field for this project
• Demonstrated knowledge of the civil society and media landscape in Moldova
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in civil society development, media support and literacy, governance, social cohesion, or related areas in Moldova
• Demonstrated experience providing technical advisory support to donor-funded programs or initiatives
• Strong understanding of the role of civil society and independent media in democratic governance, accountability, and social cohesion
• Experience working in politically sensitive or polarized contexts, with the ability to apply conflict-sensitive and adaptive approaches
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong facilitation, negotiation, and mediation skills
• Fluency in Romanian and/or Russian, with working knowledge of English
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including local partners, public institutions, and international donors
• Previous experience with SDC or similar donors

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

These positions will be based in Moldova with travel required to project locations across the country. The project will have nationwide coverage focusing on regions where social cohesion is particularly at risk, e.g., Gagauzia and the Northern region.

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.