Chief of Party, Food for Education

This position is contingent on donor funding and approval.

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.

USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program / Mercy Corps Liberia

Mercy Corps started operations in Liberia in 2002 in response to the humanitarian crisis brought on by the two Liberian civil wars which took place from 1989-1997and 1999-2003. Since then, Mercy Corps’ interventions have evolved based on the context and needs of Liberian people. Based on the changing needs, Mercy Corps Liberia has implemented programs in renewable energy, food security, agricultural livelihoods, financial inclusion, nutrition, water and sanitation, infrastructure, and in youth economic empowerment.

Mercy Corps is seeking an experienced and dynamic Chief of Party (CoP) to lead a $10-35 million USDA-funded McGovern-Dole Food for Education (FFE) program in Liberia. McGovern-Dole uses U.S.-donated and programming focuses on two main results: 1) Improved literacy of school-age children and 2) Increased use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices.

The Position

The CoP will have overall responsibility for successful delivery of the five-year USDA McGovern-Dole FFE program. They will provide overall leadership, management, and strategic vision for the implementation of the anticipated program, ensuring that the program meets its targets and deliverables on time and within budget. The CoP will supervise all program staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps’ policies as well as all donor rules and regulations. The CoP will be the primary representative for the program with USDA and other donors, government entities, and all other partners and stakeholders. The FFE program in Liberia is expected to be five years, with a start date around October 1, 2026. 

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

●        Lead the development of an overall vision and strategy for the FFE program by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve program objectives and impact, shared with the program team, partners, and key stakeholders.

●        Play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster and/or improve strategic objectives of the program.

●        Foster a culture of collaborating, learning, and adapting for effective implementation throughout the project lifecycle.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Oversee program management and administration for the duration of the program. Provide strategic guidance, oversight, and quality assurance for all activities, outputs. and deliverables. 

• Assume overall responsibility for the effective implementation of work plans and ensure delivery is on time, within budget, meets donor and stakeholder expectations, and is contractually compliant. Ensure work plans and strategies align with government and donor frameworks and priorities in food security, nutrition, health, social protection, literacy and primary education, ensuring coherence with government policies and development agendas.

●        Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.

●        Ensure program strategies and activities represent global good practice in food security, nutrition, and education.

●        Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration, finance, and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.

●        Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
 

REPRESENTATION, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

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

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

●        Maintain good working relationships with the donor, the host country government and local leaders, partner agencies, and other key stakeholders.

●        Facilitate learning and integration of Mercy Corps’ lessons learned and best practices on school meals programming, in addition to broader food security and nutrition initiatives and the program’s other technical areas for internal and external stakeholders.

●        Develop and maintain working relationships and coordinate with relevant international and local agencies active in the food security, nutrition and education sectors, including donors, other implementing organizations, local authorities and local partners, including representing Mercy Corps at local and national coordination meetings.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Oversee recruitment and onboarding of the program staff, including expatriates, national staff, and consultants.  

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

• Supervise and manage all staff to ensure day-to-day activities are implemented in a coordinated fashion according to schedule, budget, and quality.  

• Supervise and manage all project partnerships to ensure effective coordination.  

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of staff roles, and assist with career development. 

• Provide team members with information, tools, and resources to improve performance and reach objectives. 

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

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

●        Responsible for the management of the overall program budget.

●        Regularly monitor expenditure to ensure each team and partner adheres to their respective approved budgets.

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

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

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

Program Team: Deputy Chief of Party, Technical Experts, MEL lead, Accountability lead

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Mercy Corps Liberia Country Director

Works Directly With: Deputy CoP, technical leads, finance and operations teams, HQ award management team, HQ technical support, evidence, and program quality team, and consortium partners

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

●        Minimum of 10 years’ of senior leadership experience on projects of similar scope and scale. Previous experience as Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, or Team Lead for a large donor-funded development program in Liberia will be preferable.

●        University degree in a relevant discipline (education, public health, etc.).

●        Technical experience and understanding of school meals programming, education, child nutrition, and food security. Experience in the management of USDA school feeding programs is preferred.

●        Experience working on programs pertaining to commodities management, proven track record working with a range of government and community actors and managing teams in multiple offices and locations.

●        Effective personnel management, coordination, and decision-making skills, with proven ability to be accountable for all components of the program.

●        Strong understanding of US government compliance issues.

●        Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

●        Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Success Factors

The successful CoP will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. They will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative programs within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps in the region. They will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff 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 position is based in Monrovia, Liberia and it requires up to 40% travel to support the program, which may include travel to locations where freedom of movement and 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

Team Efficiency and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different 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.

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]).