Central America Program Development & Reporting Manager - Guatemala; Honduras; El Salvador
Description
Location: Guatemala; Honduras; El Salvador
Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular
Assignment Length: Guaranteed through June 2025, potential extension contingent to funding.
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 / Department Summary
Mercy Corps’ programming in Central America is currently limited to Guatemala, where it has over 20 years of programming and deep connections to rural communities, and has carried out rural development, food security, water security, health, land conflict mediation, land formalization and violence prevention activities with funding from a multitude of institutional and private donors. Given the high levels of humanitarian need and mixed migration flows throughout Central American countries, the need to develop more robust, multi-country focused programming has become apparent. Mercy Corps is currently seeking registration in Honduras - where Mercy Corps had a presence until 2004 - and El Salvador, with ambitions to also expand beyond these geographies. Humanitarian needs range widely, but in general span from the need for multipurpose cash assistance to purchase basic needs, access to essential health services, protection and psychosocial support. Target communities in need include individuals on the move, including Central Americans, Haitians, Venezuelans, Colombians, Ecuadorians and other migrants moving north from South America, through the Darien Gap into Panama, and northward towards the US border. Supporting longer term economic development, job creation, violence prevention focused on youth in urban areas, and other development interventions supporting origin communities are also priorities for Mercy Corps.
In line with Mercy Corps’ global and country-level Pathway to Possibility (P2P) strategies, the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regional team is in the process of refining its regional strategy to advance P2P’s strategic outcome areas - food security, water security, economic opportunities, and peace and governance – by establishing new operations, partnerships, alliances and programs across Central America in a way that addresses the shifting socio-economic, political, and governance environment, and effectively meets community needs and donor priorities.
The Position
The Program Development and Reporting Manager (PDRM) is responsible for leading proposal development efforts and supporting program quality for the Guatemala program, as well as Mercy Corps’ expanding portfolio in Central America. This involves leading the process of developing proposal narratives and relevant attachments and coordinating inputs from all other staff relevant to the initiative at the field and global levels. The PDRM also maintains working relationships with donors, cluster leads, consortium members and institutions at the field level. The Manager also identifies partners for partnership and implementation of programs and ensure further expansion of the Mercy Corps’ work. They will work collaboratively with the LAC Regional Program Team (RPT), Finance and Compliance Teams, Guatemala country team, and other Global staff, as necessary. They will support the country team’s thought leadership, advocacy, and communications agendas as appropriate.
Essential Responsibilities
PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
- Interface with Mercy Corps regional and global teams, including Regional Senior Business Development Advisor, to keep abreast of donor strategic priorities, specific requirements, and deadlines.
- Participate in the strategic evaluation process for new funding opportunities.
- Play a leading role in grant proposal kick-off meetings to ensure that all grant information, including deadlines, donor priorities and requirements, are communicated and understood by partner teams.
- Support proposal development processes, including drafting and producing high quality concept notes and proposals that support strategic programming goals and ensuring funding proposals are submitted in a timely manner.
- Coordinate funding opportunities, mobilize support from relevant Mercy Corps technical teams, and facilitate program design discussions and reviews to design sound technical proposal ideas.
- Facilitate administrative elements of the proposal development process, including Issues Letters, PAL/PML processes, and other relevant internal or donor requests, as necessary.
- In partnership with Central America Director and LAC regional leadership, support the development of the MC Central America fundraising strategy.
- Facilitate training, learning opportunities and/or tools to country team members to develop an enriched organizational culture that is knowledgeable of business development and key donors (e.g. BHA) to support the country team’s overall goals and vision.
REPORTING
- Develop and maintain a tracker for all grants, donor requirements, rules and regulations, internal and external deadlines; ensure official grant documents are files according to record retention policies.
- In partnership with country program teams, contribute to the development and/or review of all donor reports, ensuring high-quality content and written copy.
- Work closely with country and global Finance and global Compliance team to ensure programming and reporting compliance with donor and internal policies (including PM@MC minimum standards).
- Liaise with LAC RPT and Corporations, Foundations and Trusts team (CFT) to facilitate donor requests (e.g. required program adaptations) and other initiatives that require donor approval within the parameters of the award.
PROGRAM QUALITY
- Maintain an online grant filing system, reporting and compliance tracker (ensuring compliance with PM@MC minimum standards), risk register, and other program management tools
- Socialize tools and promote adherence to them through regular bilateral discussions with country and regional teams (RPT, Compliance, MEL, Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) focal points, Finance, Operations) to ensure that performance is tracked effectively, risks and issues are flagged, and corrective action is taken as appropriate.
- Maintain close bilateral partnership with country team members to ensure an open line of communication, troubleshoot agency-specific concerns, and provide other key guidance to ensure program management and harmonization.
- Ensure that programs are executed in alignment with the donor agreement and the applicable donor regulations, staying abreast of changes in regulatory environment related to donor/grant compliance, updating partnership process, tools, policies and procedures, as necessary.
OPERATIONAL STARTUP
- As appropriate (in discussion and agreement with Regional Director and Mercy Corps legal counsel), serve as a representative for Mercy Corps in spaces that advance MC’s goal of establishing a presence in Honduras/El Salvador
- Provide regular updates to Mercy Corps staff about registration status, in collaboration with local counsel, as appropriate
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
None.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Central America Director
Works Directly With: Guatemala Program and Finance teams; LAC Senior Business Development Advisor; LAC Technical Director; CFT; LAC Deputy Regional Director for Programs; LAC RPT; International Finance; Grants Compliance and Support Unit; Global New Initiatives
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.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree or equivalent in a field related to Humanitarian or International Development or relevant fields is preferred.
- 5+ years of international experience in program management, implementation, and/or coordination, with extensive experience in program reporting, budget management, workplanning, and/or new business development.
- Professional experience in Central America required.
- Proven ability to work cooperatively with internal and external stakeholders, and to play a leadership role in convening groups.
- Extensive experience with implementing programs funded by, and/or developing winning proposals for US Government donors (including USAID, USAID/BHA, Department of State/PRM) required; ECHO, EC, SIDA, UN agencies, and other US and European institutional donors a plus.
- Experience with monitoring and evaluation, adaptive management, and other learning efforts preferred.
- Excellent writing and communications skills required.
- Fluency in written and oral Spanish and English is required.
Success Factors
The Program Development and Reporting Manager is a detail-oriented, excellent communicator, who is supportive, ambitious, and solutions-oriented. They are highly motivated to not only support high quality programming of an existing portfolio, but to play a critical role in expanding Mercy Corps’ existing portfolio within Guatemala and in the broader Central America region. The PDRM is self-driven and able to support a diverse program portfolio with limited support and direction, and can effectively prioritize tasks and manage a variety of assignments concurrently. They can build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to mobilize resources and achieve common objectives.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Honduras, El Salvador, or Guatemala, and it requires up to 40% travel to support programs and expanding operations in all three locations; which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.
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 elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.