Description

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.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps implements a variety of programming throughout the Middle East in response to the diverse humanitarian and long-term development challenges of the region. While the Syria response is a significant aspect of Mercy Corps’ programming, Middle East program implementation also focuses on the Yemen crisis, the unique challenges of Palestine, as well as complex programming in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.

General Position Summary

The Program Officer (PO) supports strategic, impactful, high-quality programming in the Middle East region. S/he supports Country Directors in aspects of their country program and grant administration, plays a key role in connecting the field to HQ resources and represents the country/regional interests internally with various HQ teams as well as with external stakeholders. The PO works with the Senior Program Officer (SPO) and Deputy Regional Director (DRD) to provide the secondary check and supports the field (ultimate point of responsibility) in adhering to internal and external policies and regulations.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM & GRANT ADMINISTRATION

  • Serve as HQ point of responsibility for overall monitoring on grants/programs for both external/donor requirements as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and requirements.
  • Provide ongoing monitoring of the status of programs and complete regular check-ins on grant requirements (such as co-financing/match, BVA, data aggregation, etc.).
  • Support country team’s adherence to Mercy Corps internal policies and Program Management minimum standards. As identified, support adherence to Mercy Corps’ Complex Programs management standards.

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

  • Lead HQ coordination for proposals (unless designated otherwise). Throughout the proposal process, monitor the timeline, status of proposal and communicate to the relevant parties as appropriate.
  • Review final draft for coherence and manage submission to the donor. He/she may be appointed a different role in the design process and travel to field if needed. 

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT

  • With guidance from the SPO, coordinate partnership negotiation & development, ensuring the necessary teams are engaged, to help further program, country and regional interests.

 EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION

  • With guidance from the SPO, represent regional interests and programs with external stakeholders, in concert with the field teams.

 STRATEGY, PLANNING & LEARNING

  • With guidance from the SPO, support country teams with strategy development and planning.
  • Facilitate learning across country portfolios and regions and share lessons learned and knowledge of agency resources/tools/best practices/etc.

 RECRUITMENT

  • Participate in the interview process, providing contextual information on Mercy Corps’ programs and realities of the position, and selection for key positions as identified with the recruiting team. For senior management field positions, participate in Mercy Corps’ LEAP process and support the process as needed.

 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

  • In coordination with the APO, support internal communications and ensure knowledge management systems are up to date and accurate to support communication with other teams.

 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:

  • In coordination with the APO, ensure management of agency systems and adherence to HQ-related Program Management minimum standards, etc.

 Organizational Learning

  • As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to PARTNERS

  • Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
    to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Program Officer

Works Directly With: Deputy Regional Directorand other HQ Program units and other departments, including Resource Development, Finance, Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, Legal, Policy and Advocacy, Mercy Corps Counterparts at MC HQ offices in Europe; MC donors and partners

Knowledge and Experience

  • BA/S in relevant field required; MA/MS/MBA or equivalent preferred.
  • 2 – 4 years of field-based experience in international relief and development — ideally in the region; demonstrated knowledge of relevant sectoral and/or operational areas.
  • 2- 4 years of experience managing the development, implementation, administration and compliance (especially of US Government-funded grants); general program management experience preferred.
  • Experience with proposal development including support and writing with various donors, particularly US Government, private foundations and corporations.
  • Experience with monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts.
  • Experience representing the organization and its interests to a diverse range of local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public – preferred.
  • Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Preference given to candidates with prior work experience in the Middle East.
  • Proficiency in Arabic preferred/required.

Success Factors

The successful candidate is a problem solver, who is adept in successfully dealing with issues of complexity and demonstrates the ability to serve as a mentor for the Assistant Program Officer. They are a skilled communicator, able to develop and utilize strong relationships with staff, partners and donors. S/he will coordinate with their supervisor, the SPO, and be effective at building working relationships with stakeholders. They will collaborate with Mercy Corps’ diverse program support teams, including members of the TSU, Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness and Social Innovations teams to support impactful partnerships with country programs and the region at large. The Program Officer is part of a team that works with country teams to ensure that we learn from experience, thoroughly research and analyze context and develop high impact strategies. They will be a skilled writer and synthesizer of diverse and complex information, helping teams generate new insights into their work, the needs of their countries and the region, and how program impact can be scaled. A robust sense of humor is greatly appreciated.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position can be based in Portland, Oregon or Washington, DC and is expected to travel up to 25% of the time – sometimes on short notice – to areas with limited access to medical facilities and amenities.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/STA to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Apply here: https://jobs.jobvite.com/mercycorps/job/oUAjefwL