Description

About Mercy Corps

Program Summary

General Position Summary

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGIC VISION & LEADERSHIP 

• Collaboratively develop and communicate a clear vision of present and future program goals and strategies with 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 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 across MC Palestine programs and strategy.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative actions and create an environment of trust where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Serve as the Safeguarding representative on the Senior Management Team, and champion agency Safeguarding standards in coordination with the Country Director and HR Manager.

• 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 programs, while ensuring smooth collaboration with the support 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.
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of 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.

• 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.
• Hold program leadership accountable to communities and participants through responding to and acting upon community feedback and concerns raised via Mercy Corps’ Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM)
• 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.
• Support the Reporting and Proposal Development Specialist to ensure that the agency’s best practices in proposal development are consistently applied and clear to all relevant team members. 

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect and continuous learning where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Ensure the program teams’ structures are 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, facilitate 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.
• Oversee the Budget versus Actuals (BVAs) process between Finance and Programs, 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 and to align with overall country needs and Mercy Corps global minimum standards.
• Lead on the country-wide risk management processes, in particular ensuring each program has input their respective concerns on the country-level risk register and that the risk management committee is reviewing and regularly updating it.
• Responsible for programs’ compliance with MC internal policies and donor 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.
• 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 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 across 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.

• 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

Reporting and Proposal Development Specialist, Program Quality, Evidence and Learning Senior Advisor, and oversees and supports directly all program-related aspects of Gaza Response Team, Gaza Sky Geeks, PtP and Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) Team. 

Accountability

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

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 context.
• 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.

Ongoing Learning

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Equal Employment Opportunity