Background 

The ER2 Centre of Excellence (Emergency Response and Employee Relations) sits within the Prosper Global People Team. It supports our workforce in more than 30 countries through employee relations case management, policy guidance, conflict resolution, HR investigations support and emergency HR response, working closely with regional and country People Teams and with the Ethics department. 

Prosper Global is going through a period of significant change, including our rebrand, organizational restructuring and portfolio reductions in several countries. This has increased the volume and complexity of employee relations matters across many jurisdictions, and the need for specialist expertise that can be mobilized quickly. 

Barely enough is not enough for anyone. Prosper Global is a humanitarian organization working alongside communities facing conflict, climate change, and economic hardship to meet urgent needs and create the conditions for lasting progress. Today's challenges demand new solutions, so we pair local knowledge with global resources to help communities build what's needed, test what's possible, and scale what's proven so that people everywhere can pursue a full life on their own terms. In 2026, we changed our name from Mercy Corps to Prosper Global, to reflect our belief that when every community can prosper, all of humanity moves forward. 

Purpose / Project Description 

Prosper Global is establishing a pool of pre-qualified international consultants who can be engaged on an as needed basis to provide specialist support in employee relations, HR investigations, and People Team training and curriculum design. 

Consultants may apply for one or more of the three areas below. Selected consultants will join the pool under a framework agreement. Each assignment will then be confirmed through a specific call off, setting out the scope, number of days, deliverables, timeline and reporting line. Joining the pool does not guarantee any minimum number of assignments. 

• Area 1: Employee relations advisory and case support 

• Area 2: HR investigations 

• Area 3: Training, capacity building and curriculum design 

The pool will be available to the People Team and to the Ethics department, which may also commission HR investigations through it. 

Consultant Objectives 

• Give Prosper Global rapid access to experienced, independent specialists when internal capacity is stretched or specific expertise is required. 

• Ensure employee relations matters and HR investigations are handled fairly, consistently, confidentially and in line with local labour law and Prosper Global policies. 

• Strengthen the capacity of regional and country People Teams and managers to manage employee relations matters themselves. 

Consultant Activities 

Depending on the area(s) for which they are selected and the needs of each assignment, the Consultant will: 

Area 1: Employee relations advisory and case support 

• Advise People Team practitioners and managers on complex employee relations cases, including performance management, disciplinary matters, grievances, workplace conflict, restructuring and separations. 

• Review case files and draft or review case documentation, including disciplinary letters, grievance outcomes and separation documents, in partnership with the Legal Team where required. 

• Provide employment law analysis across different jurisdictions and identify when local legal advice is needed. 

• Support case triage, risk assessment and the choice of the most appropriate resolution route, including informal resolution and mediation where suitable. 

• Record case actions in HR Acuity or the system indicated by Prosper Global, in line with confidentiality and data protection requirements. 

Area 2: HR investigations 

• Conduct workplace investigations into allegations of misconduct, such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse of authority and breaches of the Code of Conduct, as assigned by the People Team or the Ethics department. 

• For safeguarding related matters, including sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment, investigate only when commissioned by the Ethics department, following its investigation protocols and a survivor centred and trauma informed approach. 

• Prepare an investigation plan for each case, setting out the allegations, scope, evidence to gather, witnesses to interview, timeline and any risks to the people involved. 

• Interview complainants, subjects of complaint and witnesses, remotely or in person, using qualified interpreters where needed, and keep accurate records of each interview. 

• Collect, secure and store evidence in line with Prosper Global data protection requirements, maintaining a clear evidence log. 

• Apply procedural fairness at every stage: inform the subject of the allegations, give them a full opportunity to respond, and remain objective and impartial throughout. 

• Immediately report to the commissioning focal point any new allegation, safeguarding concern, risk of retaliation, or risk to the safety or wellbeing of anyone involved. 

• Write a clear investigation report setting out the allegations, the evidence and findings of fact on the balance of probabilities. Recommendations on disciplinary outcomes are made only when requested in the call off. 

• Declare any actual or potential conflict of interest before accepting an assignment. A consultant who has investigated a case does not advise on its employee relations handling. 

Area 3: Training, capacity building and curriculum design 

• Assess training needs for People Team practitioners, managers and country leadership, drawing on case trends where available. 

• Design or update training curricula, modules, toolkits and anonymized case studies on employee relations, case management and HR investigations. 

• Deliver training remotely or in person, in English and, where possible, in French, Arabic or Spanish, including Train the Trainer sessions. 

• Evaluate training and recommend improvements. 

All assignments 

• Attend an inception meeting and agree the workplan with the assignment focal point. 

• Provide short progress updates at the frequency agreed in the call off. 

• Maintain strict confidentiality at all times and follow Prosper Global policies, including the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding and Data Protection policies. 

Consultant Deliverables 

The Consultant will deliver, as specified in each call off: 

• Inception note: a short workplan confirming scope, approach, timeline and the number of days, within 3 working days of the call off. 

• Employee relations assignments: written advice notes, reviewed or drafted case documentation, and a short case summary on closure. 

• Investigation assignments: an investigation plan, interview records, an evidence log, and a final investigation report in the Prosper Global template, with the full evidence file handed over securely on completion. 

• Training assignments: a training needs summary, the training design and materials, delivery of the sessions, and a short evaluation report. 

• End of assignment: a brief handover note, including anonymized lessons learned to inform policy and training. 

Timeframe / Schedule 

The pool will be established for an initial period of two years from [start date], renewable subject to review. Assignments will be called off as needs arise and are expected to range from a few days to around 30 days each. 

Indicative turnaround times, unless otherwise agreed in the call off: urgent employee relations advice within 2 working days; investigation reports within 30 working days of the call off; training materials at least 10 working days before delivery. 

Interested consultants should submit, by [closing date], a CV, a short cover letter stating the area(s) they are applying for and their languages, their daily rate in USD, and two references. Consultants applying for Area 2 should also include a short anonymized summary of an investigation they have led. 

The Consultant Will Report to 

Jennifer Joullie-Cabrera, Senior Director, Organizational Resilience and Innovation, People Team, or the focal point named in each call off. For investigations commissioned by the Ethics department, the Consultant will report to the Senior Director, Safeguarding and Global HR Investigations, or their delegate. 

The Consultant Will Work Closely With 

• Senior HR Advisor US and the ER2 COE team 

• Regional and Country People Teams 

• Ethics department 

• Legal Team 

Required Experience and Skills 

All consultants 

• Minimum 7 to 10 years of relevant experience in employee relations, HR investigations or HR learning and development, including at least some of it in an international NGO, UN agency or humanitarian context. 

• Demonstrated experience applying employment law in more than one jurisdiction, and the judgement to know when local legal advice is required. 

• Excellent written English. Professional fluency in French, Arabic or Spanish is a strong advantage. 

• Proven discretion in handling highly confidential and sensitive information. 

• Ability to work remotely across time zones and, when required, to travel to insecure or hardship locations. HEAT training, or willingness to complete it, is required for travel to high risk locations. 

• Willingness to undergo background and reference checks, including through the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 

Area 1: Employee relations 

• Extensive experience managing complex employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, performance and separation matters, across different countries. 

• Experience drafting case documentation and working alongside legal counsel. 

Area 2: HR investigations 

• A proven track record of leading workplace investigations from planning to final report, with sound knowledge of procedural fairness, evidence handling and the balance of probabilities standard. 

• Recognized investigation training or certification, for example CHS Alliance investigation training or equivalent. 

• Experience investigating harassment, sexual harassment or safeguarding related allegations using survivor centred and trauma informed approaches is strongly preferred. 

• Ability to write clear, well evidenced and objective investigation reports. 

Area 3: Training and curriculum design 

• Experience designing curricula and training materials based on adult learning principles. 

• Strong facilitation skills, in person and remotely, with diverse and multicultural audiences. 

Team Engagement 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 

Prosper Global is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law. 

Safeguarding and Ethics 

Prosper Global 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 Prosper Global 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.