Chief of Party – Africa various Locations
Dakar, Senegal
JOB DETAIL
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To create a better world, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps’ operations in West & Central Africa region consist of 9 countries including Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Central African Republic. This is a region with programming that covers all of Mercy Corps’ strategic pillars including food security, economic opportunities, water security, and peace and good governance. Mercy Corps’ programs in West Africa are undergoing both momentous humanitarian crises and significant development challenges that offer the opportunity to empower people to survive through crises, build better lives and transform their communities for good. Mercy Corps seeks candidates for Chief of Party (COP) positions to lead the implementation of a variety of integrated, in country or regional, complex programs implemented in partnership with local and international partners, and covering either of its core outcomes of food security, water security, economic opportunities and peacebuilding and good governance.
General Position Summary
The Chief of Party will provide overall leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of multi-year activities ranging from a total of $10m to $105 million. S/he will manage staff, resources and partnerships to ensure that the Activity meets its targets and deliverables on time and within budget. The COP will supervise Activity staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps’ policies and donor rules and regulations. S/he will be the primary representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and external stakeholders for the Activity.
Essential Job Responsibilities
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
Strategy & Vision
- Provide leadership and strategic vision in all aspects of Activity implementation, development and management. Ensure that Activity implementation is responsive to communities, and aligned with Mercy Corps’ principles, values and strategic plan.
- Outline and maintain a strategic plan for the implementation of program activities, including at program start-up finalizing target areas/interventions, methods of operation and means of evaluation.
Program Management
- Oversee Activity start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various country locations.
- Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work-plans, and ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems and adaptive management principles to reach desired impacts.
- Provide managerial and programmatic oversight to partners and sub-grantees.
- Document processes and achievements to ensure impact and best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting Activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
- Create and follow effective stakeholder engagement plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps country office, headquarters, donor, Government of country authorities, partner organizations and colleague agencies.
- Ensure integration of community approaches, gender and social inclusion sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
Human Resources, Safeguarding and Diversity
- Support Mercy Corps’ global and regional initiatives for human resources, including safeguarding and diversity, and talent development.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Manage and help with the recruitment, orientation, professional development and ongoing training of staff to ensure they are of the quality and technical capacity necessary to ensure the successful implementation of activities.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
Finance, Compliance & Risk Management
- In collaboration with the country program’s operations and finance departments, ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources and logistics needs of the Activity and that they are conducted within Mercy Corps’ policy and with the maximum benefit to communities.
- Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the Government of the country.
- Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.
Influence & Representation
- Represent Mercy Corps at Government, donor, NGO and other relevant events, in close coordination with the Country Director and Director of Programs.
- Ensure close coordination and information sharing with consortium partners, sub-grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
- Establish and maintain relationships with communities, partners and local government.
Security
- 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 the Activity is implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.
Supervisory Responsibility
Deputy CoP, Technical Director, M&E Lead, and Program Performance and Learning Director.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Director of Programs or Country Director
Works Directly With: Country Director, Activity team members, finance, administration and operations teams, HQ Regional Program Team, HQ Technical Support Unit and partner organizations
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 projects.
Knowledge and Experience / Qualification and Transferable Skills
- MA/S or equivalent experience in development studies, international relations, agriculture, nutrition, public health, business administration or other relevant field.
- At least 7 years of relevant international development experience (10 years+ with a Bachelor’s degree) with positions of progressively greater responsibilities, at least five years of which must be based in country programs.
- At least five years in a senior management role is required with experience managing integrated, multi-sectoral programs of a similar size and scope in developing countries facing complex, volatile, and uncertain contexts.
- Experience in managing consortiums and working with international, local or private sector partners.
- Proven success serving in a leadership role for a program addressing issues related to food security, water security, economic opportunities, peacebuilding and good governance, emergency response or climate and conflict.
- Understand and demonstrate commitment to the importance of gender equity and social inclusion in programming.
- Demonstrated experience in adaptive management and evidence and learning integration in complex programs highly encouraged.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations and partners.
- Experience managing program implementation, financial reporting, reporting procedures and systems.
- Demonstrated experience in recruiting and mentoring program staff and managing and building strong cohesive teams.
- Experience with USAID/BHA, FCDO, or European donors.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; French language skills highly preferred.
- Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications.
Success Factors
The successful COP will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. S/he 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. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring and interpersonal skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. 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 position would normally be based in the country capital with travels to field offices and requires up to 30% travel to field locations. The location may be accompanied or unaccompanied based on security assessment and Mercy Corps relevant policies.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of 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 MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
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. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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.
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])
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