Team Leader, Strategic Response & Global Emergencies (217789-927)

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps works in some of the most demanding and difficult countries and regions of the world. Our field leaders face significant challenges to implement effective, innovative programs. There is a recognized need for a unit within the Mercy Corps structure to meet the challenges of quality and management short-falls in all kinds of environments. The Strategic Response & Global Emergencies (SRGE) team, which is part of Program, is responsible for responding in the most critical and difficult environments and promoting high impact, quality programming through direct leadership interventions that require strategic follow-up at the executive level. The SRGE team responds in strategic countries and significant humanitarian events, or strategically significant start-up programs in which the organization cannot afford to fail. The team primarily focuses on leading and supporting emergency operations globally; directly supporting gaps in management of strategic countries and directing and managing the start-up of strategic programs. Due to the broad scope of its activities, the SRGE team works in a highly collaborative manner with the agency as a whole, particularly the field and program operations.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Team Leader is a full-time position of which will have an emergency-focus to the SRGE team approach in field deployments. This is a operational and field technical role within Mercy Corps that seeks to provided enhanced quality and accountability, supports on-the-ground field support to meet the needs of an emergency or programming aimed at reducing risk through integrated approaches involving nutrition, health, food security, protection and economic recovery. The Team Leader will be responsible for working closely with teams that are formed to meet the needs of emergency response or directly managing a team of field professionals to ensure that Mercy Corps is implementing high quality impactful programming with the necessary management structures to sustain those programs.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategy and Vision

• Vision, Leadership and Strategy. The Team Leader will be responsible for overseeing or supporting Mercy Corps’ response to humanitarian emergencies and political crises involving forming and supporting field teams with specified skills and supporting them with surge capacity as per field requests: requiring both an operational and programmatic emergency approach - leading, managing, representing and setting the strategic direction. The post holder will ensure that operational response implementation is in line with Mercy Corps policy and strategy and ensure projects reflect Mercy Corps' humanitarian commitments in fostering quality and accountability.

Program Operations

• Quality and Innovation in Program Development. Oversee emergency assessments and gathering of baseline data. Monitor the on the ground situation as it develops and utilize information for development of quality emergency response and recovery programming. Identify innovative opportunities based on needs, set priorities and lead the process of program implementation in collaboration with field program team members and Mercy Corps regional and headquarters staff.
• Program Management: As required when deployed, coordinate with program, finance and administrative staff to ensure systems are in compliance with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures. Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures. Implement and model Mercy Corps’ philosophy of social entrepreneurship.
• Emergency Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluation: Assist in development and coordinate the agency’s evaluation plan to document and communicate learning about agency emergency operations and programs.

Team Capacity Building

• Build Agency-wide and Regional Capacities: Assist in identifying gaps across the Mercy Corps globe where additional capacity building in emergencies and start-ups would strengthen our work. Assist the SRGE team in mentoring or tailored training activities that enhance field, POPs, TSU, other service support teams’ capacity to run strategic and emergency programs. Coordinate appropriate internal and external training opportunities and technical resources available to SRGE and non-SRGE staff, as needed and appropriate.

Representation

• Donor Relations: The Team Leader will have a significant role in developing strong relations with donors and partners on the ground. This will require periodic in person meetings, as well as attendance at major networking opportunities. Deepening the engagement with key emergency donors, specifically USAID, ECHO and private donors.
• Key Stakeholder Relations: An important part of program success in strategic countries is working in partnership with other organizations, governments and enterprises. The SRGE team will play a significant role in networking and developing relationships / institutional partnerships with colleagues, journalists and policy makers. Coordinate these efforts with the relevant internal stakeholders.
• Fostering Relationships: Coordinate and develop the necessary relations and systems to quickly identify and organize for response in coordination with other support and technical units in Mercy Corps. Work with the Program in countries where SRGE is deployed to identify problems and find corrective courses. Coordinate support from necessary service support units at the HQ and/or regional level.
• Humanitarian Networks: Developing and maintaining contacts with peer representatives within the humanitarian aid community and supporting dialogue in key issues related to humanitarian advocacy with MC’s public advocacy counterparts in the US and/or the United Kingdom.

Other

• Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
• Accountability: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Will vary with assignment.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Sr. Director, Strategic Response & Global Emergencies Team

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Executive Leadership, Operations Directors, Regional Program Directors, HQ-based Program Officers, Country Directors, Technical Support Teams, Finance, Recruitment, Human Resources, Mercy Corps Scotland

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• 7+ years field-based emergency and development experience in managing complex environments.
• Demonstrated skills in applicable emergency and livelihood-based assessment tools.
• Ability to lead teams, handle negotiations and facilitate planning processes, including delicate transitions.
• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines and in sparse working environments.
• Successful track-record in program design & proposal development in a wide variety of sectors & geographic locations
• Exceptional written and inter-personal communication skills required.
• Proven ability to work productively with a wide variety of stakeholders to run both participatory process and also meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products.
• Experience with a wide range of donors including institutional donors particularly USAID and EC. Familiarity with other donors a plus.
• Language skills in French, Spanish or Arabic preferred.
• Strong representation and relationship-building skills.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional leadership and diplomacy skills and be a superior communicator. S/he will have strong analytical skills, including causal design principles. The successful candidate will possess strong writing skills and a healthy competitive spirit and is able to work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment is essential. Lastly s/he will work independently, take initiative, and spend time in environments with significant restrictions to personal movement and some operating risks.

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The preferred location for this position is Washington DC but there is some flexibility. When traveling to field offices, strict adherence to Mercy Corps security policies and procedures will be required as will respect for local cultural norms and traditions. The Team Leader will be capable to deploy on short notice (72 hours) and lead a joint field-HQ response team to directly manage in strategic interventions. The position will require travel to the field up to 50% time including travel to some locations that may be insecure or austere, possibly up to 3 months deployment. 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. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Please apply directly at http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjob&jobid=217789&company_id=15927&version=1&jobboardid=479

Mercy Corps is an AA/EOE.