Economic Consultant (Short-Term Consultancy – 1 month)

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. 

General Position Summary:

Economic consultant with strong expertise in composite index design, economic modeling, and data analytics, preferably with experience in the agriculture sector and/or fragile contexts. The consultant will lead the development of a robust, transparent, and policy-relevant index to assess the performance and constraints of Ukraine’s agricultural sector across different actor levels.

Essential Responsibilities

Index Development

• Lead the design of a methodologically sound composite index to assess agricultural sector performance in Ukraine
• Develop a clear and documented index methodology, including indicator selection, normalization, weighting, and aggregation approaches
• Structure indicators across different levels (e.g. household / farm / market / system level)
• Conduct indicator validation and selection, ensuring relevance, data availability, and non-duplication
• Apply appropriate statistical techniques (e.g. weighting, dimensionality reduction, sensitivity analysis)
• Build and document the economic model underlying the index, including assumptions and limitations
• Ensure the index is replicable, scalable, and suitable for regular updates
• Collaborate with the UACAT team to align the index with programmatic and analytical needs

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.

Supervisory Responsibility N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: UACAT Senior Analyst UACAT Analyst

Works Directly With: UACAT Senior Analyst UACAT Analyst

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.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Economics, Econometrics, Data Science, or related field
• Experience in composite index construction (e.g. economic indices, vulnerability indices, sector performance indices)
• Strong knowledge of statistical methods such as Principal Component Analysis, factor analysis, or similar approaches
• Experience with data processing and analysis tools (e.g. Python, R, Stata, or advanced Excel / Power BI)
• Demonstrated ability to work with multi-source datasets and handle missing or inconsistent data
• Experience in agriculture, food systems, or economic analysis in fragile or conflict-affected contexts is a strong asset
• Strong documentation and communication skills (ability to clearly explain methodology to non-technical stakeholders)

Deliverables 

• Index methodology note (including full calculation approach)
• Clean and structured dataset with selected indicators
• Replicable calculation tool (Excel / Python / Power BI)
• Technical documentation (step-by-step calculation guide)
• Final index outputs + interpretation guide

Success Factors:

The successful candidate combines strong analytical rigor with the ability to translate complex methodologies into practical tools for decision-making. They are structured and detail-oriented, but also pragmatic—able to work with imperfect data and evolving requirements. Strong collaboration skills are essential, as the consultant will work closely with analysts and program teams to co-develop a usable product. The candidate should demonstrate intellectual curiosity, transparency in methodological choices, and a commitment to producing outputs that are both technically sound and operationally relevant.

.Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

Remote

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.   

Team Engagement and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

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 Ethics 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 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). 

Deadline for submission of applications: 15 May 2026

Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. 

People with disabilities and veteran status are welcome to apply.  

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