Program Manager – Resilience and Climate Change

Oct 10, 2016 | Mercy Corps
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Mercy Corps alleviates poverty, suffering, and oppression and works to build secure, productive, and just communities in over 40 countries around the world. Our Program Department supports field-led work that delivers measurable impact.

Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU) is a key part of the Program Department. TSU subject-matter experts help set agency strategy and provide consultation – from assessment and design through project implementation and results measurement – to field offices worldwide, in some of the world’s toughest places. TSU team members lead research, foster organizational learning, represent Mercy Corps to external audiences, and develop partnerships. The TSU is also integral to global business development and revenue.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

 

Mercy Corps is implementing two related USAID funded programs; the first will provide technical assistance and guidance to USAID and implementing partners on approaches to resilience programming, particularly focused on assessments and measurement.  The second is an applied research project investigating how Climate Information Services are currently designed and used. This position focuses on coordination and management for both projects which will be managed from HQ and will involve close coordination with Mercy Corps field-teams, partners and the donor.

The Program Manager provides overall program management, partner coordination and vision to the implementation of both programs, managing resources to ensure that Mercy Corps influences and informs industry behavior and best practices for resilience assessment, measurement, and the use of climate information systems.

The Program Manager supports in-depth research, analysis, and the production of capacity building materials, in partnership with the technical lead. This requires managing inputs from consultants, technical partners and peer reviewers. It also requires managing dissemination of new resources, to ensure that they reach target audiences and influence ongoing policy/practice discussions and practices in the field.

The position will be embedded within the Environment, Energy and Climate (EEC) Technical Support Unit, and project activities will be aligned with core EEC priorities and will contribute to broader technical capacity building goals. The Program Manager will also participate in matrixed teams, share and build the capacity of others, and help integrate their technical areas with others.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Implementation: Resilience Learning and Capacity Building

  • Provide coordination and communications for Mercy Corps as a core consortium team member for the Resilience Monitoring, Evaluation, Assessment, Strategic Analysis and Capacity Building program.
  • Manage the budgets and workflow among technical experts contributing to lessons and approaches to resilience assessments and resilience measurement approaches.
  • Act as Mercy Corps point of contact for the project prime and other partners, and represent Mercy Corps in consortium meetings and communications.
  • Ensure project is meeting all documentation and reporting requirements.
  • Contribute to learning and thought leadership efforts by editing guidance notes, blogs and other written documents, leading online discussions, and representing Mercy Corps at learning events.
  • Contribute to the organization of webinars, learning events, and/or other capacity building efforts of the project.
  • Contribute to the dissemination of written products from the project

Program Implementation: Climate Information Services

  • Provide core program management functions for Mercy Corps as the project leaders, including workflow management, donor reporting and partnership management
  • Coordinate consortium communications and learning events and communicate frequently with the donor.
  • Work in partnership with the project technical lead to ensure project milestones are met and technical quality is sound.
  • Work with internal support teams to manage budget and ensure donor compliance.
  • Review and contribute to the finalization and dissemination of research products from the project

 

General Support

  • Work with Global Resilience Initiative co-leads to ensure project work is coordinated with other efforts across the organization, through producing regular updates and other internal communications.
  • Provide coordination support to internal resilience events, the production of key learning and capacity building efforts, and other relevant tasks as agreed with supervisor.

Learning and Impact

  • Contribute to agency-wide initiatives such as the research agenda and thought leadership strategy on priority topics related to resilience, including through reviewing and contribute to the finalization and dissemination of research and other products

 

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 Beneficiaries:

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

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

Consultants as required

 

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:

Senior Director, Environment, Energy and Climate TSU

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH:

Director Research and Learning, other TSU teams; Mercy Corps field teams; Program Donors.

 

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Bachelor’s degree required. M.A, M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in a field related to sustainable development, climate change, or other field are preferred.
  • 3+ years of experience providing coordination or management support to program implementation in a relevant field of expertise that includes:
    • Preparing writing and analysis on proposal development and project reports.
    • Managing budgets and project work plans
    • Representing programs with donors and external stakeholders
  • Proven ability to work cooperatively with internal and external stakeholders, and to play a leadership role in convening groups
  • 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, peer agencies, other international organizations, the media and the public.
  • Experience with proposal development and report writing including support and writing with various donors, particularly US Government, private foundations and corporations.
  • Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
  • Fluency in English is required.

 

SUCCESS FACTORS:

  • Self-starter, demonstrating knowledge of resilience and/or climate change research or programs
  • Flexibility in a non-hierarchical environment.
  • Multi-tasker with the proven ability to organize and prioritize competing priorities.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied experiences and work styles, follow procedures, and meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
  • Ability to communicate and work with a variety of actors including corporations, peer agencies, government entities, service providers.
  • Proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results.
  • Demonstrate a strong understanding for cultural, political and religious environments and be able to live and work successfully in those environments.
  • Ability to maintain a sense of humor in stressful situations.

 

LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position is based in 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 of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY 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.