STA Senior Program Officer - Global Emergency Response Team - US, UK, NL - Remote
Description
Location: US, UK, NL, open to any Mercy Corps office locations.
Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based is required at the time of application for this position.
Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular (Short term assignment: 3-month)
Salary Level:
- US Starting Salary for this role will be USD $64,000 to $76,000 commensurate on experience.
- Starting salary for this role will be £44,320 per annum for UK and €52,960 per annum for NL commensurate on experience.
- Based on local benchmark for candidates outside the United States, United Kingdom, or Netherlands.
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 a long-term impact.
The Team
The Global Emergency Response Team (ERT) provides the agency with timely and effective leadership to prepare for, respond to, and learn from humanitarian emergencies, develops sharp, well-timed and influential humanitarian analysis to inform program design and implementation, and supports agency leadership and regional and country teams with safety and security expertise.
Mercy Corps works to achieve real and lasting impact in the world’s toughest humanitarian emergencies. We save lives and help people live with dignity in crises of all kinds. At the same time, we create the conditions to pivot to recovery quickly and effectively. We work wherever local capacity is overwhelmed, connecting people to the opportunities they need to strengthen their community in recovery. Whether it is a sudden shock or a slowly emerging crisis, whether the threat is natural or man-made, Mercy Corps is committed to rapid, needs-driven assistance. Mercy Corps supports a response that is market-driven and leverages the capacities of both traditional and non-traditional aid partners—and ultimately gives people the ability to make their own decisions and secure their own lives and livelihoods.
The Position
The Senior Program Officer (SPO) is a key member of the Global Emergency Response Team (ERT) and provides project management to ERT. The SPO plays an essential role in connecting the global response team to the rest of the agency in the coordination and support of emergency responses, including facilitating response decision-making, communication, managing emergency fund allocation, and reporting processes. During an emergency, the SPO supports deployment administration for the ERT and other team members. This position will help increase accountability of ERT-led emergency response efforts, increase the profile of the agency’s humanitarian efforts internally and support the global Humanitarian Community of Practice.
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Essential Responsibilities
FUND MANAGEMENT
- Working closely with the VP, act as fund manager of the emergency response fund, including tracking incoming revenue, allocations made, and spending against allocations.
- Ensure final reports are received according to requirements and records and analyses relevant data.
- Continually improve systems and processes related to the management of the emergency response fund.
TALENT MANAGEMENT
- Working closely with the VP, support the expansion of an existing Alumni Talent Pool (roster) to include emergency manager roles; Collaborate with other teams to customize and refine tools and criteria; Conduct outreach to potential candidates, shortlist applicants, and coordinate the vetting and selection process for new profiles.
- Liaise with other departments and teams to maintain, monitor and periodically refresh the Alumni Talent Pool membership.
- Work collaboratively to develop and use tools for teamwork, task management, analytics and reporting.
- Monitor and coordinate requests for temporary program leadership support as they come in and track how different requests are handled.
- Communicate regularly with country teams requesting support and monitor communications to ensure requests receive timely feedback.
KNOWLEDGE AND DATA MANAGEMENT
- Ensure ERT knowledge management systems (including collaboration, document management, archiving, and productivity tools) are optimized following the transition to M365.
- Ensure the ERT adheres to and takes advantage of agency systems, tools, guidance, standards and policies in a way that enables the team to operationalize these tools in an emergency.
- Track and report on key team metrics and deployment statistics.
- Create agendas, takes notes, and circulates action points for ERT meetings.
STRATEGY SUPPORT AND PLANNING
- Contribute to the delivery of Mercy Corps’ Humanitarian Response Approach and ERT strategy.
- Support reporting on agency objectives and team activities.
- Support the ERT VP with planning, reporting, and data management, as well as logistics for team, workshops, and meetings.
RESPONSE COORDINATION AND ADMINISITRATION
- Initiate systems, processes, and communications protocols for effective response start-up and agency-wide coordination; While this is primarily required for ERT-led responses, support may be needed for country and regionally led responses.
- Manage deployment coordination and logistics for members of the Global Response Team or other members of the Mercy Corps global team responding to emergencies.
- Contribute to the development and submission of emergency program concept notes and proposals, as needed when deployed.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
- Represent and promotes Mercy Corps’ emergency response capabilities internally.
- Support the increased visibility of Mercy Corps’ response work across the agency by maintaining the Humanitarians@MC workplace page and highlighting the ongoing humanitarian work of teams across the globe.
- Maintain the ERT Hub page.
- Proactively works with Internal Communications and other departments to ensure appropriate internal communication during periods of disaster response, which may also include support of internal coordination calls.
ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
- Assist with on-boarding of members of the ERT, ensuring they are set up for success and familiar with agency systems, procedures, and protocols.
- Provide briefings for new hires from other teams/departments on ERT strategy and remit and key policies and emergency procedures (or other relevant topics) as an initial step in the onboarding process.
- Manage planning, procurement, and logistics for ERT training.
SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
- Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
- Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
- Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.
Supervisory Responsibility
The Senior Program Officer has no supervisory responsibilities.
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Accountability
Reports Directly To: VP of Global Emergency Response Team
Works Directly With: Global Emergency Response Team and wider Program Department, regional and country leadership, relevant HQ departments and technical teams.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and 4+ years of professional in country-based experience in international relief and development.
- Proficiency in English (spoken, written, and reading) is required. Fluency in an additional language, such as French, Spanish, or Arabic, is a plus.
- Experience supporting a dynamic, dispersed team responding to fast-moving global crises.
- Experience providing logistical support and organizational structure in unpredictable situations.
- Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).
- Experience with proposal development including support and writing with various donors, particularly US Government, private foundations and corporations.
- 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, other international organizations, the media and the public – preferred.
Living, Travel & Environmental Conditions
This position is open to any Mercy Corps office location, ideally within the US, UK, or NL, and offers the option for remote work. Flexibility to work within Eastern Time Zone business hours is required to ensure effective collaboration across time zones. This is a short-term, 3-month assignment. The role may require up to 20% travel to support country programs, including travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement and amenities may be limited.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Staff 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.
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]).
Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees
Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.
This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.
For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.