Deputy Chief of Party/Technical Director, Food Basket Activity - Nigeria 

**Contingent on Funding**

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 member feels they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have a long-term impact.

The Program / Department / Team

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and its influence spreads across the continent. Yet, inequality and insecurity have consistently undermined Nigeria's development. Mercy Corps Nigeria was established in 2012 to respond to these challenges. The Nigeria team is headquartered in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with programming across 16 states of Nigeria. Mercy Corps works with communities to build economic opportunities, enhance water security, drive peace and good governance, and ensure food security. Our activities aim to build resilience through an integrated approach, helping communities– and the most marginalized within them– cope, adapt, and thrive in the context of numerous shocks and stresses. With a strong and growing team, Mercy Corps works to achieve the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient, and secure.

The Position

Mercy Corps is seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for the implementation of the anticipated five-year USAID/Feed the Future-funded Food Basket Activity. The Food Basket Activity will increase the productivity and competitiveness of selected value chains (rice, maize, and horticulture) and market systems in targeted areas of Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Plateau states of Nigeria.

The DCOP / Technical Director will be responsible for the technical design, management, and implementation at the Activity level, including ensuring effective operations. The DCOP / Technical Director will work closely with the Chief of Party (COP) to drive the program’s strategic approach and ensure strong technical models are translated into high-quality operational plans and interventions. They will directly manage implementation and technical teams to operationalize systems, structures, and processes that enable high-quality program implementation tailored to the local context. 

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

●        Works closely with COP to develop the overall vision and strategy that drives program impact, innovation, and learning. Ensures the vision and strategy is systematically shared and internalized with the program team, partners, and key stakeholders.

●        Lead the development of a technical strategy that is closely aligned with the vision and technically sound.

●        Integrate and embrace all voices into shared strategies and foster an inclusive culture of curiosity, collaboration, learning, and adaptation. [WP1][AK2]

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

●        Leads the implementation of the technical strategy ensuring it is appropriate to meet activity objectives, quality standards, and adapts with learning and contextual changes.

●        Manages the consolidated consortium work, ensuring the program is on time, on scope, and budget, and that program plans are well coordinated with operational support functions (procurement, operations, HR).

●        Adapts and develops context and program-specific guidance, tools, and training to advance the technical components of the program.

●        Ensures data-driven adaptive management, learning, and reflective practices against work plans are adopted across the implementation team and facilitate improved decision-making.

●        Integrate cross-cutting approaches including locally driven, shock-responsive, climate adaptive, social and gender inclusive, youth empowerment, and nutrition sensitive approaches.

●        Ensure interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, program participant accountability standards, and program management minimum standards.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

●        Recruitment, onboarding, and supervising the Activity’s technical staff and consultants.

●        Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect and learning where team members strive to achieve excellence.

●        Provide team members with information, tools, and resources to improve performance, enhance technical and partnership management skills, and reach objectives.

●        Promote staff accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.

REPRESENTATION

●        Identify, build, and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments, and other stakeholders.

●        Actively contribute to and collaborate with country, regional, and global counterparts to drive collective impact and share learning including with other Mercy Corps Nigeria programs.

●        Communicate effectively across teams and partners to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

●        Contribute to program visibility and advocacy work by helping disseminate program research and learning information. Represent Mercy Corps in forums with the broader humanitarian and development community.

FINANCE and COMPLIANCE

●        Ensure compliance with USAID and Mercy Corps’ regulations.

●        Monitor partner activities to ensure adherence to grant agreements, Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures, and other relevant regulations, including those of USAID and the Government of Nigeria.

●        Support systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor, and Mercy Corps’ needs.

●        Support sound financial management, including programmatic budgeting, spending projections, and monitoring of payments in compliance with USAID standards.

SECURITY and RISK MANAGEMENT

●        Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.

●        Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.

●        Ensure that activities are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

Supervisory Responsibility

Supervise Activity’s Technical Team. The number of direct and indirect reports will be determined at a later stage.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: COP, Food Basket Activity

Works Directly With: The Activity Team, Director of Programs, Program Performance and Quality Director, other COPs/Directors, HR, finance and operations teams, Regional Programs and Technical Teams, and HQ Technical Resources and Quality Unit

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

●        Advanced degree in agriculture, economics, business administration, or related field.

●        At least 5 years of international experience in management/supervisory positions for large programs (preferably $15 million and above).

●        Demonstrated technical expertise in market systems development with a focus on agricultural development, livelihood development, resilience, and/or food systems programming in the African context preferred.

●        Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a proven ability to network and maintain effective working relationships with diverse actors.

●        Experience managing diverse teams in dispersed geographic locations including inspiring staff and developing a shared vision with staff and stakeholders.

●        Knowledge of Nigeria’s governance and conflict dynamics is preferred.

●        Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

●        Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations is required.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. This position requires an ability to be curious and think creatively to achieve sustainable impact and enhance long-term resilience. They will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results. They will understand the larger picture while remaining focused on problem solving and effectively navigating complex and sensitive political, conflict, and security dynamics. The most successful Mercy Corps team 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 DCOP will be based in Kano. This position requires 40% of time of travel by flight or road to field offices in with varying degrees of insecurity.

This position requires obtaining medical clearance through the successful completion of a medical assessment by an external third party prior to deployment and following any medical evacuation if applicable. If you are not medically cleared and Mercy Corps cannot reasonably accommodate a medical condition if required, you may not be able to deploy for/return to this position

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 Mercy Corps’ 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 field 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 and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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.