Grants & Finance Director –Mozambique STEP UP Activity

Position is contingent on new funding- National candidates and those with current residency in Mozambique are strongly encouraged to apply

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To create a better world, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Working in neighboring Zimbabwe since 2002, Mercy Corps began operations in Mozambique in early 2020 as part of a multi-country program to address the drivers of and pathways to violent extremism in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Mozambique. Mercy Corps is building on this program to establish a broader presence in Mozambique to address some of the country’s most complex challenges. Leveraging our core global and regional capacities, Mercy Corps aims to address the humanitarian crisis in the North, the underlying chronic development challenges, and the compounding challenges of weak governance, conflict, and climate change to bring value on interventions for peacebuilding and local governance strengthening; market systems strengthening; youth employment; resilience, DRM, and climate change adaptation; and systems strengthening for food security.

Mercy Corps is seeking a qualified Grants & Finance Director for the anticipated USAID-funded Stability Through Economic Progress, Unity, and Peacebuilding (STEP UP) Activity in Mozambique. The Activity is expected to support local businesses and civil society through grants and capacity development; increase opportunities for economic growth and diversification; and improve social cohesion within communities. STEP UP will empower local communities, especially in Cabo Delgado and other areas prone to conflict, to drive their own social and economic development through providing opportunities and tools (including but not limited to grant challenges and activities that strengthen business and social cohesion). The program is anticipated to begin in October 2024. Hiring is contingent upon successful award and USAID approval of the candidate.

General Position Summary

The Grants & Finance Director will support STEP UP's innovative and evidence-based activities to improve economic participation, livelihoods, and social cohesion in targeted communities, through providing grants and capacity strengthening to local businesses, civil society, or other public and private sector actors. The Director will Lead the grant-making function for STEP-UP, and they will be responsible for providing leadership in the technical and contractual management of a large portfolio of sub-grants/grantees under the project. They will be responsible for monitoring and reporting on grant implementation and providing technical assistance to grantees related to a broad range of compliance, programmatic, and administrative needs for effective programming. They will be will also be responsible for managing compliant systems and procedures for financial and subgrant management that serve the technical vision. The Grants & Finance Director will oversee STEP UP’s grants management team and any grant Fund operations, and coordinate with MC’s country and global finance staff.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Set direction of Finance department by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Work with the Country Director and senior management team to grow the program portfolio, formulating strategies and plans.

Grants & operational management

• Provide leadership and oversight for grants and contracts management on the project, ensuring effective, transparent use of grants and financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Lead the grant-making function for STEP-UP, outlining and overseeing compliant processes and tools for granting to civil society, businesses, and other community organizations, including complex management of many small grants.
• Manage and ensure compliance for all sub-awards, including those for consortia partners and sub-grantees.
• Build on lessons from Mercy Corps fund mechanisms under similar USAID-funded Activities to adapt grants manual as needed, including strong compliance, due diligence, and monitoring requirements.
• Train program and grants staff on Mercy Corps grants manual and grants management system, and work with staff to establish and effectively maintain a compliant grants management system.
• Coordinate closely with program and grants staff to support local organizations to develop project proposals and budgets, and to monitor and report on grantee activities.
• Develop and manage subaward solicitation and selection processes.
• Develop and provide targeted capacity development activities to support recipients' implementation/management of grants to achieve results, as well as grant monitoring and reporting. Ensure the effective start-up and close out of all sub-grants.
• Train and mentor relevant project staff and implementing partners on managing and monitoring subawards.

Finance & Compliance

• Plan and implement effective and transparent systems for financial operations in both main and field offices in accordance with the Mercy Corps Field Finance Manual and donor regulations.
• Provide financial oversight, including monitoring of the project budget.
• Manage and maintain Mercy Corps financial and accounting systems and files.
• Liaise with Mercy Corps country and headquarters offices on program financial matters and all internal or external audit requests, as needed.
• Participate in ongoing analysis, forecasting and review of project expenses, including monthly Budget vs. Actual (BvA) analysis processes and monthly forecasting. 
• Responsible for program compliance with USG rules and regulations, and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Provide operational and financial training and guidance to project staff, grantees, and local partners, as needed, to strengthen capacity.
• Prepare monthly expense reports and report expenses to HQ Offices.

Team Management (Human Resources, Safeguarding and Diversity)

• Supervise and manage, directly or indirectly, staff and subgrantees to ensure that activities are implemented according to agreements and financial resources are used in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Oversee and develop the capacity of team members, deepening understanding of their roles, and assisting them with tools, resources, and feedback to improve performance and reach professional development objectives. 
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Influence & Representation

• As directed by the CoP, represent Mercy Corps at donor, NGO, and other relevant events or field visits.  
• Manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall donor obligations are met.
• Interface with the (donor) representatives to convey information about grants, finance, and compliance matters as appropriate.
• Communicate with our partners to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.

Supervisory Responsibility

Expected to supervise several direct reports. The number of direct and indirect reports is to be determined.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Activity Chief of Party

Works Directly With: Activity team, Mercy Corps Country Director/Country Coordinator and team, HQ Regional Program Team (Desk), HQ Regional and International Finance Teams, Program Managers, Finance and Compliance Teams, HR, and Operations Teams

Knowledge and Experience / Qualification and Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent in international development, business administration, finance, or other relevant field. MA/S or other advanced degree preferred.
• At least 8 years of relevant work experience with positions of progressively greater responsibilities, including at least 5 years of experience in grants management.
• Familiarity with USAID programming, rules and regulations required. Experience with USAID project finances and budgeting preferred.
• Knowledge of subgrants and operating procedures and security considerations in complex environments, including remote monitoring and management.
• Experience working on small grants and local granting mechanism to community actors strongly preferred.
• At least 3 years of management experience with demonstrated ability to build and foster an adaptive team culture and inspire teams.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiating, decision making, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis and financial reporting, and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
• Experience working in the East and Southern Africa region, with preference for experience in Mozambique, strongly preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Fluency in Portuguese required. Fluency or proficiency in English and/or other languages spoken in northern Mozambique preferred.

Success Factors

The successful will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders, combining exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining relationships with partners, donors, and key stakeholders and collaborators including local sub-grantees businesses, CSOs, etc. The successful candidate will have an ability to interact effectively across program and finance teams successfully, both in a managerial as well as training capacity. They will support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial and grants management information and have a demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines, and process information supporting changing program activities. An impeccable professional standard of finance and grants ethics and the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The Grants & Finance Director must be willing to travel regularly to field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is expected to be based with Mercy Corps in Pemba, Mozambique. On a a case-by-case basis, and depending on conflict dynamics, accompanied status (for partner/spouse) and relevant benefits may apply. Housing is individual accommodation with relative freedom of movement beyond the house/office in Pemba and other locations in the country for which no travel restrictions exist. Staff have relatively reliable access to services – medical, electricity, water, etc. – with the occasional power cuts. Several evacuation options exist for serious illness. This position requires approximately 30% travel by road or plane to field offices, including in Cabo Delgado where there are varying levels of security.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside 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.

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 projects.

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.

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 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. 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 elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.