Location: The Hague, NL ; or London, or Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Dakar, Senegal; or Naribi, Kenya; or Abuja Nigeria
Position status: full-time, indefinite/permanent
Salary: UK: 30 – 35,000 GBP depending on location and experience, Netherlands: around 38,000 Euro – depending on experience, other countries pending reference
**Applicants must have the right to work independently (no visa sponsorship) for the venue.
Please note that applications must include a CV and cover letter to be considered by June 19. **
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is fueled by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know that our teams perform best when they are diverse and each team member feels like they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.
Mercy Corps is fueled by the belief that a better world is possible.
Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) has experienced rapid growth in terms of business volume and complexity. With offices in Edinburgh, London, Geneva and The Hague, we now attract over £90m in revenue. The scale and impact of our programs make Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve in national programs and we are always on the lookout for talented people who share our passion and commitment.
The position
The Program Officer (PO) supports strategic, impactful and high quality programming. Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, the PO supports the SPO, Regional Director (RD), Deputy Regional Director (DRD) and Country Offices in many aspects of their country program and grant administration . The PO plays a key role in connecting the field to HQ resources and represents national/regional interests internally to the various HQ teams as well as to external stakeholders. The PO works with the Main Program Office (SPO), DRD and RD to provide secondary control and supports the field (point of ultimate responsibility) in adhering to internal and external policies and regulations. The PO also provides guidance to the Assistant Program Officer (APO) and assists with the administration necessary for sound and accountable grant management. The PO also plays an important role in rolling out agency-wide initiatives in the countries of the region. This role could be entrusted to a portfolio of countries, for which they will provide specific support. This will depend on the relevant experience and requirements of the wider Africa portfolio.
Applicants should have professional experience in the field of international aid and development, as well as proven experience in managing the development, implementation, administration and compliance of grants funded by the ‘Europe. The successful candidate will possess excellent planning, communication and organizational skills, have a keen eye for detail, be proactive and flexible in their work and possess the ability to develop strong relationships with agency colleagues , both at headquarters and in the field. .
Core Responsibilities
PROGRAM AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION
● The PO is the HQ point of accountability for overall grant/program monitoring for external/donor requirements as well as Mercy Corps internal policies and requirements. They continuously monitor program status and perform regular checks on grant requirements (such as co-funding, budget vs. actuals, data aggregation, etc.). They support country teams’ adherence to Mercy Corps internal policies and minimum program management standards. They review and contribute to high quality reports and other donor deliverables.
PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
● PO leads HQ coordination for proposals. Throughout the proposal process, the PO monitors the timeline, the status of the proposal, provides design feedback, and communicates to affected parties as appropriate. The PO reviews the final draft for consistency and donor requirements, and manages the submission. They may be assigned to a different role in the design process and travel to the field if necessary.
EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION
● With guidance from the SPO, RD, DRD, Country Directors and other relevant stakeholders, the PO represents regional interests and programs to external stakeholders.
STRATEGY, PLANNING AND LEARNING
● With guidance from the SPO, the PO supports country teams in strategy development and planning. The PO facilitates learning across country portfolios and regions and shares lessons learned and knowledge of resources/tools/best practices/etc.
OTHER
● Internal Communication: In coordination with the APO, the PO supports internal communications and ensures knowledge management systems are up to date and accurate to support communication with other teams.
● Knowledge management: In coordination with the APO, the PO ensures the management of the agency’s systems and compliance with minimum program management standards related to headquarters, etc.
● Orientation: For new employees visiting HQ, the PO provides background, country strategy and program information prior to their departure as an initial step in the onboarding process. As requested, the PO helps supervisors integrate new expatriate team members.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members must support all accountability efforts, particularly to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively involving communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum qualification and transferable skills
● Graduated at Baccalaureate level, or equivalent experience.
● Fluency in French and English required
● 2 to 4 years of field experience in the field of international aid and development; proven knowledge of relevant industry and/or operational areas. Experience in Africa preferred.
● 2-4 years of experience managing grant development, implementation, administration and compliance; general program management experience preferred. Similar experience with contracts is also preferred.
● Experience in developing proposals with various donors, in particular European institutions (ECHO, EC, FCDO, Sida, etc.), private foundations and companies.
● Experience in monitoring and evaluation, and other learning efforts.
● Experience in representing an organization and its interests to a wide range of local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public is preferred.
Success factors
● Excellent planning and organizational skills.
● Proactive and able to work on own initiative.
● A problem solver, able to successfully deal with complex problems.
● Demonstrates ability to coach colleagues.
● A skilled communicator, able to develop and use strong relationships with staff, partners and donors at all levels.
● Able to harness the expertise, experience and ideas of colleagues and use them effectively to improve their own work and support that of others.
● Strong research and analytical skills.
● A skilful writer and synthesizer of diverse and complex information.
● A strong sense of humor is greatly appreciated.
● A demonstrable passion for, and clear empathy with, the goals and values of the organization.
● Willingness and ability to travel internationally as required.
Living conditions / Environmental conditions
This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, or Dakar, Senegal, or Edinburgh, or London, UK or The Hague, Netherlands, with some office access depending on current policies susceptible to COVID.
Continuous 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 commit 5% of their time to learning activities. learning that promotes their personal and/or professional growth and development.
Diversity, Equity and 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 backgrounds, beliefs, backgrounds and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the most challenging challenges. complexes of the world. We strive to instill a culture of trust and respect, where everyone brings their perspectives and authentic identities, achieves 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 is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills in order to be collectively stronger and have a lasting 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 practice or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability ( including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, veteran status or any other protected group in the places where we work.
Safeguarding and Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that everyone we come into contact with in the course of our work, whether they are team members, community members, program participants or others, be treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to respecting the fundamental principles concerning the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse set out by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment by or members of our team. 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 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.
How to register
Please apply at the following link:
