STA - Deputy Country Director - Palestine

Programs Ramallah, Palestine, State of

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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 Summary  
Mercy Corps has worked in Palestine since 1986 and currently operates across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The organization works to empower Palestinians to meet their basic needs and overcome the effects of the humanitarian crises as well as contribute to improving economic opportunities in the long term, to become more economically self-sufficient and civically engaged, to live with greater dignity and create a brighter future. We believe youth are vital stakeholders in this vision and we prioritize programming that empowers and enables them to be leaders in their communities.  
The Palestine program currently has a total budget of USD $90 million, representing a diverse portfolio of grants funded by USAID, BHA, ECHO, Global Affairs Canada, SIDA, and others. – The country portfolio is focusing on humanitarian response with a view to aligning with the nexus by integrating sustainable development and durable solutions approaches, as well as longer term development programs focusing on Palestinian youth to ensure lasting impact. 
General Position Summary 
Mercy Corps seeks a passionate, team oriented, visionary leader to lead strategically and manage our highly diverse program portfolio and teams along with the management of our business development efforts and quality and evidence and learning work to establish a strongly integrated and well-coordinated programmatic team while promoting technical excellence in Palestine.  
The DCD is a resourceful and proven leader who has held senior roles in challenging and volatile contexts and in managing large, complex and diverse portfolio across the Humanitarian-Developemnt-Peacebuilding nexus.  The DCD places a high value on accountability, cross-cutting teamwork, collaborative approach and innovative solutions to development and humanitarian issues while promoting staff growth. As a key SMT member, the DCD is an efficient and adaptive communicator to both internal and external audiences and strives to develop influential and creative partnerships while ensuring accountability to impact delivery, to program participants and to donors. The DCD is committed to bringing all parts of the programs departments together in a holistic manner while ensuring high level of coordination and coherence across the program portfolio. Overall, the DCD leads and is responsible of the successful implementation of MC Palestine’s programmatic strategy and contributes substantially to MC growth and impact across Palestine while excelling at managing risks 
  
Essential Job Responsibilities 
STRATEGIC VISION & LEADERSHIP 
  • Communicate a clear vision of present and future program goals and strategies to program leadership team, and other team members and stakeholders, translating into concrete work plans; 
  • Lead countrywide program strategy development and prioritize and organize actions and resources to achieve objectives and action plans set through those processes; 
  • Closely follow analysis of the Palestine socio-political, economic, access, and security context ensuring that this analysis is well incorporated and incorporated in planning for both short-term humanitarian and longer-term sustainable development and resilience programming; 
  • Ensure effective communication and collaboration between programs, and support function teams ensuring effective implementation of activities towards across MC Palestine programs and strategy; 
  • Recognize opportunities for innovative actions and create an environment of trust where alternative viewpoints are welcomed. 
  
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP 
  • Work closely with the Palestine Country Director, SMT and other Senior Program Leaders to ensure that Mercy Corps strategy is understood and guides decision-making throughout the country; 
  • Provide strong and strategic leadership to increase coordination, collaboration, integration, and efficient communication between Mercy Corps program, while ensuring smooth collaboration with the operation teams in Palestine; 
  • Contribute to change management whenever required and applicable, and support consensus building around a common vision of what shared success in Palestine looks like, including the development of appropriate key performance indicators; 
  • Provide clarity around priorities to improve the delivery of assistance in Palestine and to make program strategies and frameworks more consistent across the response; 
  • Ensure all programs are properly implemented and promote adaptive management across programs to ensure programmatic efforts are responsive to evolving needs based on contextual changes; 
  • Promote and facilitate sharing and learning across different Mercy Corps portfolios, teams and offices and support teams to incorporate learning in project design and management; 
  • Engage Palestine program leadership in ongoing context analysis that enables programs and teams to adapt to significant changes in the geopolitical/conflict environment; 
  • Create and maintain systems to ensure efficient program data management to support timely decision-making; 
  • Create and maintain systems to ensure technical coherence and promote creative programming across the programs portfolio; 
  • Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages relevant for the interests and MC Palestine country strategy and context; 
  • Ensures all program staff are familiar with the Mercy Corps Palestine Standard Operating Procedures and work in accordance. 
  
PROGRAM QUALITY, EVIDENCE & LEARNING 
  • Set strategic directions for the newly created Program Quality, Evidence and Learning team; 
  • Support the QEL Senior Advisor in establishing this new department, ensuring a clear workplan is developed with achievable objectives to strengthen quality programming across MC Palestine portfolio and promote evidence and learning across teams; 
  • Contribute and/or support the QEL team in all related initiatives, including MEL, CARM, GESI and Evidence and Learning, ensuring that all Palestine programs meet PM@MC minimum standards and that systems, processes and tools are effectively used by the programs teams; in line with Mercy Corps guidelines and policies; 
  • Ensure that all programs' staff have received trainings in line with their level of responsibility and receive technical support relevant to their programs; 
  • Promote a culture of shared learning across program teams and of evidence-based decision making in line with MC organizational strategy and sector wide best practices.  
STRATEGIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 
  • Develop and lead on a compelling and impact business development strategy in Palestine, to support ongoing programs and new opportunities; 
  • In coordination with the Country Director, Program and QEL teams, and regional program teams as needed, lead the identification of new initiatives and program opportunities that respond to identified needs and the country strategy as well as new potential donors or funding streams; 
  • Provide overall leadership and quality control to Program teams working on the program development process, including ensuring that all program design processes are evidence-based; 
  • Support Country Director to cultivate strategic partnerships or relationships with new/existing donors and private sector actors to further strategic development opportunities. 
  • Lead directly on the development of highly strategic concept notes and proposals as needed; 
  • Coordinate with partner organizations and field program staff on proposal development and design, to ensure compelling proposals are submitted at all times; 
  • Apply the agency’s best practices in proposal development efforts for institutional donors and any other donors. 
  
TEAM MANAGEMENT 
  • Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence; 
  • Ensure the program teams’ structure is fit for purpose and adapt as needed while ensuring that all program departments are well-staffed in a timely manner to prevent any gaps in program leadership and implementation; 
  • Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews; 
  • Manage performance of program leaders including establishment of clear and measurable objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews and regular check-ins. 
  • Contribute to country team-building efforts, cross departmental cooperation, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes. 
  • Hire, orient and provide mentorship and capacity building to team members as necessary. 
  
  
FINANCE, COMPLIANCE & RISKS MANAGEMENT  
  • Recognize the high level of donor scrutiny in Palestine programming and ensure effective, transparent and responsive compliance mechanisms are in place; 
  • Ensure compliance with all donors’ and Mercy Corps regulations related to all programs; 
  • Serve as country-wide main overall budget holder at program level and manage and support budget holders for individual programs and awards and ensure project expenditure is in line with work plans and commitments to donors, ensuring that all programs are on time, on scope and on target; 
  • Lead when applicable and/or oversee all Budget versus Actuals (BVAs) meetings, ensuring all key stakeholders of MC Palestine take part in the meetings and process and that necessary measures are taken and followed through as needed; 
  • Maintain oversight of overall program budgets ensuring appropriate allocation of resources to meet program objectives; 
  • Contribue to country-wide risk management processes, and lead on all program-related risks, ensuring each program has their respective risk registers that are properly maintained and regularly updated; 
  • Responsible of programs’ compliance with MC internal policies and donor’s rules and regulations, , including efficient coordination on common program, operational and funding issues 
  
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION  
  • Represent Mercy Corps programs with national and international media and participate in community activities in coordination and consultations with the Country Director; 
  • Ability to work with formal and informal government structures and representatives, maintain and develop relevant and productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders; 
  • Maintain productive relationships with internal and external constituents such as private partners, local NGOs and civil society organizations and academic institutions; 
  • Anticipate program needs, understand donor pool and contribute to shaping donor views on the evolving context and its impact on civilians in Palestine; 
  • Explore, evaluate and present innovative funding opportunities that support program objectives; 
  • Ensures appropriate level of coordination and information sharing about representation and influence is taking place; 
  • Ensure that Mercy Corps maintain a high degree of risk awareness; 
  • Respect and understand differing cultural and ethnic differences and nuances and have the ability to navigate between them, recognizing the complexities involved; 
  • Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, governments and other stakeholders. 
  
SECURITY  
  • Provide support in oversight of access challenges acorss Palestine to ensure Mercy Corps’ continued ability to access our most vulnerable and hard-to-reach program participants; 
  • Coordinate with the Palestine Country Director on crucial events, high-risk periods, incident reporting and any security policy changes; 
  • Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies; 
  • Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies. 
  
Supervisory Responsibility  
GSG Director, PtP Director, Reporting and Proposal Development Specialist, Program Quality, Evidence and Learning Senior Advisor, West Bank Emergency Response Manager (TBD), and oversees and supports directly all program-related aspects of Gaza Response Team and Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) Team 
  
Accountability  
Reports Directly To: Palestine Country Director 
Works Directly With: Country Senior Leadership Team, Regional Program and Technical Team, Headquarters Technical Support Unit, additional headquarters-based support departments as needed. 
  
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 field projects. 
  
Knowledge and Experience  
  • BA/S or equivalent in relevant field required, MA/S preferred; 
  • At least seven years of senior-level leadership (CoP, DCD) and management experience in large and complex programs including humanitarian operations, previous work experience in the Middle East and insecure environments strongly preferred; 
  • Good knowledge and experience in one or more of MC outcome areas and technical priorities (water security, food security, economic opportunities, peace and good governance, climate); 
  • Proven experience and strong knowledge of rules and regulations of key and donors, notably USG, ECHO, Sida, GAC, and other leading donors; 
  • Robust experience in developing, operationalizing, and implementing program strategies; 
  • Demonstrated expertise in representation and negotiation resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organization; 
  • Experience in leading and developing successful proposals, concept notes, policy papers; 
  • Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments; 
  • Experience leveraging Information Management Systems within development or humanitarian programs to evaluate program outcomes; 
  • Experience in managing strategic transitions from humanitarian to early recovery, social cohesion programs in a post- conflict transition phase; 
  • Proven record in guiding the formulation of sectoral strategies in a rapidly evolving contexts; 
  • Highly-developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching; 
  • Excellent project management skills related to international, cross-functional teams; 
  • Experience of solving complex issues collegially, defining a clear way forward, and utilizing best practices in management to ensure shared success; 
  • Outstanding analytical and strategic thinking skills, with a focus on results and impact; 
  • Excellent oral and written English skills required, proficiency in Arabic preferred. 
  
Success Factors  
The successful candidate is a team oriented, strategic thinker, and experienced leader. They have a thorough understanding of what it takes to deliver impactful programs in challenging environments. They are an excellent communicator, who can inspire broad and diverse teams towards achieving a shared goal and drive a fast-paced and adaptive program. They are able to create a stimulating working environment encouraging innovation and accountability. They are a confident representative in public settings, able to speak up when needed to defend Mercy Corps’ positions and influence key stakeholders internally and externally to further and expand MC Palestine’s goals in the response. They are able to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment and prioritize team-building and capacity-building of national staff. They have excellent information management skills and are a strategic thinker. They have an outstanding ability to design, implement and manage innovative programs that respond to current needs and reinforce the future program structure of Mercy Corps in Palestine.  
  
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions  
The Deputy Country Director position is based in Ramallah, Palestine. This is a non-accompanied position. This position requires travel to the field sites in Mercy Corps Palestine’s operational areas up to 50% of the time, as security allows, including travel to some locations that may be insecure or austere. Frequent travel to project sites in the Gaza Strip will be required if/when access allows it. When traveling around the country, strict adherence to Mercy Corps security policies and procedures will be required as well as respect for local cultural norms and traditions. Candidates must be able to work in an environment with energy, transportation and communication challenges.  
  
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. 
  

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