Community Navigators are the face of Mercy Corps Northwest to the communities we serve. A successful candidate must have strong client service skills and excellent partnership development acumen. They must approach their work with a combination of confidence, curiosity, and humility. Community Navigators must approach MCNW services as a complement to, not replacement to, existing community resources; therefore, a critical factor for success is identifying and supporting the development of joint opportunities for collaboration.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

• Support administration of the Oregon IDA, Prosper COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Small Business Resource Navigation (ARPA), and Lending programs, while tracking and reporting activity, progress and impacts.
• Ensure the program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and is consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles including diversity, equity, and inclusion values and targets, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Ensure the underserved participants are effectively served in a way that is culturally responsive and accessible.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity, capacity building and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, on target and in budget, using effective monitoring evaluation systems to reach desired impacts.
• Use team tracking tools, surveys, and database systems to track participant engagement and technical assistance provided.

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS (IDA)

• Track participant progress for all assigned participants and ensure that participants complete all program requirements for successful completion of their respective IDA.
• Lead individual IDA disbursement meeting with all assigned participants and coordinate collection of all required documents to process their disbursement from the program.
• Provide technical assistance to IDA participants as needed to support successful completion, including business plan and financial projections development, business registration/licensing, obtaining EIN, and business bank accounts.
• Use team tracking documents and surveys to coordinate IDA participant data. Duties include data input and tracking participant information.

MICROLOANS

• Advise and assist participants with loan applications, compiling needed documentation and working with loan participants to support readiness for the underwriting process.
• Support Lending team with in-person loan singings in Portland Metro Area.
• Provide business advisor technical assistance to prospective and existing loan participants, including working with participants experiencing repayment issues.
• Utilize Lending Program tracking tools to track participant communication, technical assistance, and program status.

EDUCATION AND ONE-ON-ONE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

• Participate in regular (i.e., bi-weekly) check-ins with the Education teams, to discuss education programming and changes including information about classes, events, enrollment, scholarships and program development, training, consultant and subject matter experts, webinars and one-on-one consulting.
• Provide one-on-one resource navigation and business technical assistance to small business owners in the conceptual, start-up, growth, and rebuilding stages as needed.
• Actively participate in Prosper Portland ARPA project network meetings, ensuring timely tracking and updates to the business resources available to best navigate small business owners.
• Utilize technical assistance and Prosper Portland ARPA project tracking tools to track participant communication, referrals, and technical assistance data.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

• Coordinate the Education and Business Development Services teams on the development and execution of community outreach plans.
• Conduct consistent outreach with community partners and attend community outreach events as needed to market help secure participants to register for upcoming classes, one-on-one counseling, and other business development events and services.
• Utilize outreach and partner tracking tools to implement outreach plans to track progress.

TEAMWORK

• Support and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback to team members.
• Provide team members with information, tools, and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to Mercy Corps Northwest’s strategy, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

None.

Reports Directly To: Business Development Services Manager

Works Directly With: Community Navigation Coordinator (Bilingual Spanish/English), Credit Manager, Financing Support Officer, Education Coordinator, Curriculum Development Specialist, Southern Washington Program Manager

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.

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please submit a cover letter that clearly shows how your experience meets the minimum qualifications and prepares you to perform the key responsibilities of this role; be clear and specific about how your background is relevant:

• BA/S or equivalent in business, finance, banking, community development, economics and/or other relevant field or entrepreneurial experience. (Professional work at or near the level of this position can substitute yeah for year for educational requirement);
• 2-year experience service to the community preferably with underserved communities and low-income individuals;
• Demonstrated knowledge of asset building, small business development and/or resilience strongly preferred.

Transferable skills: Any skills you have gained through education, volunteer or work or life experience (including military) that are relevant for this position will be considered. Be sure to describe any transferable skills and how the apply to this position in your cover letter.

This person will have strong client service skills and excellent partnership development acumen. Demonstrated experience working with a diverse client base of low-income people and successfully addressing their needs is desirable.

They will have the ability to work independently and develop joint opportunities for collaboration. The ability to approach their work with a combination or confidence, curiosity, and humility will serve them well. We are looking for someone who has the ability to prioritize competing tasks and deadlines and possess exceptional communication skills.

This person will have experience working with databases and a strong attention to detail, specifically be proficient with Microsoft Office applications, specifically Word and Excel.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an ability to give personal finance/ business development advice. Small businesses development experience is strongly preferred but not required. They will have demonstrated knowledge of business and financial terms, in addition, lending, banking, and/or financial experience would be a plus.

The position is based in Portland, Oregon U.S.A. The majority of the MCNW team resides in Portland, OR; however, we also have team members and offices in Seattle, Vancouver and Walla Walla, WA that this position will directly support.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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 a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.