Regional Senior Climate Advisor - Asia
Description
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, 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
The Asia region is comprised of Afghanistan, Georgia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Uzbekistan. Programming in these countries focuses on humanitarian response, economic and market systems development, resilience, financial inclusion, food security, nutrition, sustainable energy, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), among others. Common themes include community engagement, inclusive development, gender, and working in partnership with local government, the private sector and civil society actors. Our locally led approach emphasizes the need to consider and integrate community voices and our partners who are on the frontlines to direct our technical approach and work together.
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps is seeking a Regional Senior Climate Advisor for Asia who has a broad range of experiences working across relevant climate adaptation approaches, including disaster risk reduction, climate finance, natural resource management, climate-smart agriculture, and climate and weather services, ideally with strong experience in community-based adaptation in response to climate-related shocks and stresses.
Mercy Corps has a strong portfolio of climate programming in Asia covering a wide spectrum of activities including climate and weather services, climate-smart livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction, governance capacity building, and natural resource management. To learn about our work and approach please visit: www.mercycorps.org/climate.
The Regional Senior Advisor will primarily focus on helping country teams in the Asia region strengthen their portfolio of climate resilience programming. This will involve supporting the development of country sectoral strategies, developing concept notes, donor engagement, producing influence-oriented learning products, and leading capacity strengthening initiatives, in line with country Annual Implementation Plans (AIPs), the regional Evidence & Learning Agenda (ELA), and the Asia Regional Strategy for FY25 (“Regional Overview”).
More broadly, this position will provide strategic technical support to existing climate resilience, water, and food security programs and countries teams, advancing Mercy Corps’ global programmatic resilience approach principles. This support includes program design and development, network and partnership development, representation at key sector forums and events, writing competitive proposals for submission to donors, capacity building, and technical influence amongst internal and external partners, and helping ensure program quality and relevance.
The Regional Senior Advisor position is part of both Mercy Corps’ Asia regional team, as well as a member of Mercy Corps’ collective of technical excellence housed within the Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) team.
Essential Job Responsibilities
PROGRAM AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
- Write/review proposals and concept notes for funding from donors including foundations, corporations and US, European, and UN agencies.
- Work with programs, country/regional teams, and technical support units on prepositioning and development of strategies.
- Work with other TRaQ and regional team members to integrate climate risk considerations and strategies into the design and support of multi-sectoral programs that encompass elements of broader agency goals such as resilience, food security, and youth development, with a possible focus on the climate-conflict nexus, the water-food-energy nexus, or other regional priorities.
- Support complex, competitive proposals and large integrated teams following Mercy Corps’ best practices in proposal development, team management, and the appropriate sectoral area.
- Cultivate and nurture donor relationships that positively impact Mercy Corps ability to grow its climate resilience programming, as well as strategic partnerships that result in stronger and impactful program development efforts.
- Work closely with country and program leaders to influence their engagement and support of program pre- positioning, development and implementation, including multi-country or regional programs.
PROGRAM QUALITY
- Participate as an active, integrated member of the team providing technical support to a portfolio of programs including those in complex crisis environments.
- Support effective interventions in the areas of the assigned team’s focus, using integrated approaches and applying systems thinking.
- Build capacity with Mercy Corps staff and partners to better design and implement programs, forwarding Mercy Corps’ “Locally Led” commitment.
LEARNING AND IMPACT
- Contribute to regional and agency-wide climate resilience initiatives such as the climate research and learning agendas.
- Provide in-country and remote training and support for Mercy Corps team members, partners, and others.
- Support new and ongoing programs with best practice advice and assistance on assessment, implementation, research, and evaluation needs.
- Conduct assessments; write case studies, learning documents, short articles, briefs, and blogs; and develop internal and external disseminate plan for all products.
- Nurture partnerships with universities, research institutions, and other organizations to produce case studies, assessments, and other learning documentation, as well as enhance program quality.
POLICY, ADVOCACY, REPRESENTATION
- Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions.
- Support a targeted policy and advocacy agenda with assistance from other Mercy Corps teams.
- Present concepts and ideas to donors, partners, and peer organizations that influence them to drive innovation and positive change.
Supervisory Responsibility
The position may have supervisory responsibility over consultants, interns and/or volunteers.
Accountability
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Director, TRaQ (Asia)
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Director, TRaQ (Asia)
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: the Climate and Water Security TRaQ team, the Asia Region’s Business Development team members, other regional advisors, and country teams
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 programs.
Knowledge and Experience
- Broad experience in a range of climate-related technical areas including natural resource management, disaster risk reduction, climate-smart livelihoods/agriculture, ecosystem-based adaptation, community-based adaptation.
- Bachelor’s degree required. M.A, M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in a field related to the TRaQ team specialty and relevant technical certifications are valued, but not necessary.
- Practical experience, that demonstrates an understanding of systems thinking and the challenges of working in a variety of complex humanitarian and development contexts.
- Demonstrable experience in designing programs and providing technical assistance to program teams.
- Ability to transfer capacity, expertise, and/or knowledge, including through the facilitation of trainings and workshops.
- Willingness and ability to travel to Mercy Corps project sites and locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
- Previous experience in, and knowledge of the region is highly preferred.
- Fluency in English is required; fluency in a relevant regional language is a plus.
Success Factors
All MC technical advisory positions require strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and a level of emotional intelligence proficiency that quickly builds and maintains productive relationships across teams. Being aware and sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is critical.
This Regional Senior Climate Advisor position will demonstrate the ability to apply systems thinking, see connections, and work across a range of technical areas related to climate resilience. The Regional Senior Advisor will demonstrate significant experience with providing technical support to programs and country offices. The position will demonstrate an ability to lead cross-team efforts in developing ambitions strategies and programs. The individual will show a strong ability to develop new business strategies through analysis, donor engage, and concept development. Importantly, the individual must demonstrate an ability to work across teams and institutions, building effective internal and external partnerships. The individual should have the proven ability to influence donors, partners, and peer organizations toward innovative programs and best practices.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This position is either based in one of the countries in the region in which Mercy Corps is registered, or in a location with working hours aligning within GMT +4 and GMT+9 time zones. The position requires travel approximately 30-40% of the time to locations in the region where living conditions may be exceptionally rugged and/or where security protocols will need to be followed. When visiting country offices or program sites, the team member may be required to work in remote settings and over weekends and/or evenings.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed or on a visit/short term assignment to a program location. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Every voice matters and diversity is powerful are critical elements of Mercy Corps’ values that allow us to achieve our mission of alleviating suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. We embrace diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have sustained impact. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
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 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 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.
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 ([email protected]).