Financial Inclusion for Women Entrepreneurs Program

Mercy Corps Indonesia (MCI) is a local Indonesian non-profit organization, which will implement humanitarian, and development assistance programs throughout the country. MCI mission is to empower people in Indonesia to become healthy, productive, and resilient communities. Resilience means an ability to recover form or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

Program Summary

Experience from YMCI’s previous program shows that women-led/owned micro and small businesses tend to have low access to financial services, with only 51% having an active bank account and using it in the last six months. YMCI learnt that although the financial inclusion and financial literacy rate for women in Indonesia has improved compared to the Global Findex 2017, women – who lead/own around 60% of MSMEs in Indonesia – still face challenges due to structural and behavioural factors to use the financial products and services from formal financial institutions. Gender-based barriers to financial inclusion arise from both the demand and supply sides. From the demand side, the most critical barriers are social norms that preclude women from owning property or being involved in financial decisions. From the supply side, barriers include lack of gender-specific policies and practices in product design, marketing, and distribution channels. Moreover, in terms of cultural limitations, women may face socio-cultural barriers in accessing services as empowered clients even when financial services are easily available or even mandated by the government.

This program aims to empower women-led /owned micro and small businesses in Semarang, Surabaya, and Medan Cities by improving their access to bundled financial literacy and services, business development, and digitalization. The program will replicate YMCI’s multi-stakeholder partnership and bundled services approach in facilitating a comprehensive package that includes financial literacy, financial management, access to financial products and services, digital literacy and mentoring, and digital marketing for women-led/owned micro and small enterprises, to enable them to increase their businesses performance, increase sales, and expand their market. This program expectedly will create impact to their financial health that leads to bettering their well-being and their family. The program will also facilitate ecosystem learnings, knowledge exchange and foster collaboration between women led/owned MSEs engagement and within the broader Micro and Small Businesses, and other stakeholders through learning events.

Jakarta

SENIOR MERL OFFICER – (MERL)

General Position Summary

Senior MELR Officer will support Program Manager to reach 40,000 women-led or women-owned micro and small businesses are reached within 24 months of program implementation. This includes 32,000 adult women (including women over 50 years old) and 8,000 young women aged 18–30 years old. Participants will receive training and mentoring through a hybrid model covering financial literacy, financial management, digital literacy (using the GSMA MISTT framework), cybersecurity, access to MicroMentor, and digital marketing. Through these interventions, the program aims to improve participants’ access to formal financial products and services, including digital financial services and loans. The outcomes and impact will be measured through beneficiary surveys, with the following targets: (1) 75% of 40,000 women reported an improvement in knowledge on financial literacy & services, business development & digitalization, (2) 60% of 40,000 women reported an improvement in access to digital marketing channels to support their business, (3) 60% of 40,000 women reported an improvement in access to financial products/services, (4) 70% of 24,000 women who have access to financial products/services reported to have used it actively (at least once a month), and (5) 30% of 40,000 women reported an improvement in financial health (increased sales).

S/he will design, implement, and maintain the program’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) system, including strategies, tools, data management protocols, and evidence-based learning mechanisms to guide decision-making. In addition, the Senior MELR Officer will be responsible for implementing and continuously improving program MERL activities in collaboration with program teams based in Jakarta and other provinces. S/he will work closely with MCI’s PaQ Manager to ensure program targets, deliverables, and timelines agreed with donors are achieved. The role also includes supporting data collection, analysis, and reporting, including preparing bi-weekly progress reports and interim reports, to provide actionable insights for program improvement and strategic decision-making.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Support the development of the MEL Plan, including the Results Framework, Logical Framework, Indicator Plan, and Program Participants tracking plan. Implement the MEL Plan for program activities, outputs, and outcomes, ensuring appropriate methodologies and data collection frequency;
• Develop data flow maps and information management plans.
• Develop digital data collection tools, including data visualization systems/dashboards based on program outcome and output indicators.
• Support the collection, aggregation, storage, and analysis of indicator data for dissemination and use.
• Develop, maintain, and implement a data analysis plan to reflect outputs, outcomes, goals, and assumptions.
• Revisit and revise the MEL Plan to ensure its relevance throughout the program life cycle.
• Establish and regularly update program indicator tracking in TOLA or equivalent system.
• Regularly track Program Participants’ Sex and Age Disaggregated Data (SADD).
• Ensure to apply Mercy Corps’ MELTech tools and Program Management Dashboard.
• Conduct needs assessments, GESI and Safeguarding Analysis, baseline, and endline surveys based on organizational standards.
• Support the Program Manager to ensure 40,000 women-led or women-owned MSEs (32,000 adult women and 8,000 young women aged 18–30) are engaged in program activities and accurately captured in administrative and MERL systems.
• Support the Program Manager to ensure MSEs have access to training, mentoring, and digital adoption support, and that program interventions meet targeted reach and quality standards.
• Collaborate with program consultants and partners to design and conduct needs assessment and GESI and Safeguarding Analysis, impact evaluation, and support development of learning documents and program stories.
• Support the Program Manager to prepare bi-weekly progress reports, quarterly M&E impact reports, interim reports (every six months), and final monitoring and evaluation reports based on donor and organizational templates.
• Manage program data and files in accordance with organizational filing structures and storage platforms.
• Develop and conduct MEL capacity building and training plans for program teams and partners as needed, and serve as a resource for staff on activity design and evidence-based programming.
• Ensure data required for program monitoring, evaluation, research, learning, communication, and reporting are available and accurate.
• Maintain regular contact with city government agencies, key partners, and community stakeholders to ensure quality outputs and troubleshoot any operational or administrative issues.
• Attend coordination meetings and maintain communication with relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct travel to project locations to monitor implementation quality and adjust plans and approaches to meet program objectives.

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.

Knowledge and Experience

• University degree in, Social Studies, Economic, Business, Mathematics, Statistics, or other relevant field.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working as MERL Officer.
• Have experience with research and impact assessment design, tools, data analysis, and produce reports.
• Have experience to collect, analysis, and manage big program participants (> 40,000 participants) data.
• Have knowledge on Mercy Corps’ PM@MC 2.0 would be an advantage.
• Experience conduct needs assessment, GESI assessment, baseline-end line survey.
• Have experience with digital financial services, digital marketing, digital training and mentoring would be an advantage.
• Proven experience digital data collection tools, include data visualization system/dashboard.
• Familiarity with KOBO and ONA digital data collection tools is preferred.
• Good knowledge of MS Office software and Mercy Corps Indonesia digital data.
• Able to write and understandable spoken English are preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to identify issues, propose practical solutions, and communicate them clearly in both written and verbal form.
• Proven ability to manage tasks independently while maintaining effective collaboration with a diverse team.

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 Indonesia 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 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).

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps Indonesia 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.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a cover letter that specifically addresses how you will handle this job responsibilities via https://www.mercycorps.or.id/peluang and fill in the position code:

“063 – MERL – Finance Inclusion for Women Entrepreneurs”

The vacancy will be closed on 31 Oktober 2025 and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. We look forward to hearing from those who are interested in taking this opportunity to grow and develop with us.

Thank You,

Human Resources Department

Mercy Corps Indonesia