Country Director: Timor-Lester
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
Timor-Leste is the newest country in Asia, having gained independence in 2002 after decades of conflict. Since establishing operations in Timor-Leste in 2007, Mercy Corps has earned a reputation for innovative and high-quality programming with our community-led, market-based approach. With a main office in Dili and with partners and offices strategically located throughout the country, Mercy Corps empowered people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. Mercy Corps has made the decision to exit its programming in Timor Leste due to a reduction in our programming reach and funding over time. Timor Leste has multiple NGOs to serve the needs of the most marginalized communities. By responsibly exiting our programming we create space for other organizations to help channel donor funds in a more impactful manner.
Mercy Corps intends to complete its programming in Timor Leste by June 30th and closeout operations by 31st August.
General Position Summary
The Timor-Leste Country Director is a thoughtful and compassionate leader responsible for resourcefully managing the close out of the current grants/projects and country office in Timor-Leste. S/He has held senior roles in managing transitions, program closeouts and/or exit of country programs within an international development context. The CD has supervisory responsibility for the country team and three programs, including HATUTAN, REDi+, MRED, funded by CARE/USDA Food for Education program, BHA, and MACP. The CD is responsible for implementation of the country exit plan, internal and external communications and security protocols.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY & VISION
· Get familiar with the Mercy Corps Country Entry/Exit Procedures, and close out processes and tools
· Work with the Team Lead to draft an exit strategy that outlines the priorities guiding the exit activities within 30 days of arrival.
· Review and confirm the exit strategy and timeline with the Country SMT and relevant stakeholders, including country teams, community partners, donors, and government partners.
· Work with the Team Lead to assess the support needed across key functions—Finance & Compliance, HR, Operations, Security, Legal, and Programs—to address the unique challenges of an exit in Timor-Leste.
· Engage SMT members to assist in the process to facilitate continuity in case of staff transitions.
· Participate in activities and efforts prioritized by regional leadership team.
· Leverage regional and technical teams to support current program activities and closeout
TEAM MANAGEMENT
· Establish leadership and personal credibility with team members and maintain a clear chain of authority and accountability.
· Chair a regular Senior Management Team meeting to support closeout and program monitoring or for any other matters that may arise.
· Consult with the Regional HR Director and the Legal Department – as well as in country legal counsel familiar with local and national labor laws – on staff employment decisions.
· Assist team members with information, tools and resources for new job hunting and job opportunities.
· Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect and celebration of achievements while ensuring a timely and compliant close out.
CLOSE OUT MANAGEMENT
· Organize an exit process kick-off meeting with the DRDs to review capacity needs and exit strategy
· Organize regular check-ins (at least every other week) as capacity needs evolve during the transition, especially as country staff depart.
· Organize monthly calls with headquarters / SMT to be structured to address the needs of the country team.
· Contribute to an After-Action Review (AAR) to assess the success of the exit strategy and whether the exit objectives were achieved.
· Ensure closeout and handover of active programs in a compliant manner ensuring final reporting and deliverables are met.
· Work with internal stakeholders and oversee department leads/closeout personnel to ensure IT, Warehousing and Asset/inventory disposition/transfers, and other operational tasks are completed.
· Work with external stakeholders to ensure legal and tax and statutory filing requirements are met and documented.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
· Work closely with Regional Finance and HR teams to confirm the file retention list, determine the appropriate format (digital or physical), and establish plans for file destruction.
· Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to grant close out.
· Build and maintain operational structures that ensure proper segregation of duties between finance, administration and logistics to support close out.
· Oversee accurate, transparent, timely and informative reporting to ensure program expenses are reasonable and in accordance with donor rules and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
· Work closely with finance and compliance staff to mitigate fraud, conflicts of interest and legal liabilities in accordance with Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
· Ensure adherence to internal/ external audit requirements.
SECURITY
● Together with delegated security focal points, manage security and safety of the country program team and assets according to best practices, Mercy Corps standard operating procedures and the local context.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
· Discuss the initial communication strategy with DRDs for feedback.
· Consult Regional and Global Communications teams to develop communication plans.
· Work with Evidence and Learning and TRaQ teams to document the impact, legacy and learning from Timor-Leste programs.
· Implement communication activities and dissemination of learning according to the communication plan.
· Maintain CARM to respond to queries and concerns from communities and participants.
Supervisory Responsibility
SMT (HR Manager, Operations Manager, Finance Manager, Program Managers, MERL Manger)
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Regional Director, Asia
Works Directly With: Deputy Regional Director – Programs, Asia; Deputy Regional Director – Operations, Asia; International Finance, Regional HR, Regional TRaQ Director, AMT Lead
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.
· 7-10 years of field experience in international relief and development programs, including demonstrable success in managing (large, complex, transitional) development programs.
· 5 years of senior-level leadership, capacity building and field management experience.
· Capacity to manage change, including exit and close out strategies.
· Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments.
· An internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.
· Proven skills in financial and grants management; prior experience with USDA, BHA and MACP is preferred
· Successful and proven negotiation, communication and organization skills.
· Excellent oral and written English skills required; proficiency in Tetum, Bahasa Indonesia, Portuguese) is a plus
· Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
· Previous work experience in Timor Leste or Indonesia is preferred.
Success Factors
The successful Timor-Leste CD will skillfully represent exit priorities of the agency to donors, partners, stakeholders and communities while providing effective leadership to the Mercy Corps team. S/he will have high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with transition/change management. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Timor-Leste, and it requires up to 20% travel to support field offices, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.
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 diverse, equitable more 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.
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]).