Director: Cash and Voucher Assistance

  • Contractor
  • Remote
  • TBD USD / Year
  • Mercy Corps profile




  • Job applications may no longer being accepted for this opportunity.


Mercy Corps

Location Open to any Mercy Corps Offices locations

Position Status Full-time, Exempt, Regular

Salary Level: US: HQ7: Minimum Starting Salary: US: Starting salary for this role will be $91,000 commensurate on experience, based on local benchmark for candidates outside of the United States

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, 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

Our Program Department supports field-led work that delivers measurable impact. Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU) is a key part of the Program Department. It houses subject matter experts whose mission is to help our global teams apply the most effective solutions to the world’s toughest challenges, while building our global reputation and resources to do so. We drive innovation, grow our portfolio, and foster learning internally and with external stakeholders so that we can make a bigger difference in the lives of people we work with. TSU Team members are well versed in global practices and abreast of sector specific trends. They represent Mercy Corps with donors and other strategic partners, and inform and influence both internal approaches and global understanding on how to move the needle on some of the most intractable humanitarian and development challenges of our time.

The Cash team supports programs across the globe to respond to emergencies, meet cash minimum standards and reduce risks, leverage social protection systems, and find pathways from cash to financial inclusion and market development. Special attention is placed on leveraging technology solutions to increase speed, reach and impact.

The Position

The Director is a high quality leader and expert in CVA, who brings both the technical and functional skills required to lead and supervise a best-in-class CVA team. They will lead our vision to embed digital cash with maximum efficiency, while continuing to support excellence in humanitarian cash response and development of sustainability models.

The Director will consolidate our quality delivery and profile in humanitarian action while driving our cash agenda beyond first phase response, developing an evidence base and testing models that link to market development, greater financial inclusion and social protection. Throughout, they will ensure research and learning brings clear “value add” in an evolving cash space and maintains MC’s influence and leadership. They will grow the portfolio and team through new “wins”, guided by strong vision and related technical guidance to ensure exceptional programming. The Director is a strong influencer both inside and outside the Agency with the ability to communicate Mercy Corps’ technical strengths and overall vision. They will be a member of the TSU Leadership team composed of other Directors and Senior Directors and work closely with other TSU teams on complex, multi-disciplinary programs. They will provide strategic leadership to a “matrixed” cash team that spans our humanitarian, program quality, technical support unit and Technology for Development (T4D) teams.

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGY & VISION

  • Set a distinctive strategic vision for Mercy Corps’ CVA programming in close coordination with country teams, our Humanitarian Leadership and Response Team and other agency departments. Continuously refine agency vision for CVA to reflect trends, learning and emerging capacities, and ensure CVA programming supports the Global Agency Strategy.
  • Integrate technological innovations throughout our vision and provide leadership for testing and applying innovation throughout our programs, including the use of digital currencies.
  • Develop strategic partnerships that will advance Mercy Corps’ work in that space, being with technical entities and networks, peer agencies, donors, or private sector.
  • Track internal and external trends with potential to inform agency decision-making and assure team readiness to adapt to changing conditions and expectations.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

  • Provide counsel on strategic funding opportunities through prepositioning, technical design processes, and development of multi-sectoral program strategies.
  • Explore and maximize new lines of revenue, especially relating to “big ideas”, multi-country or TSU-led initiatives. Emphasis will be on delivery of cash at scale, linking to social protection, and transitioning to market and economic recovery and financial inclusion.
  • Provide technical support to a portfolio of strategic programs including those in complex crisis environments.
  • Help improve and maintain standards of program delivery that comply with best practices, relevant regulations and requirements.
  • Guide teams to facilitate multi-team/multi country shared learning to standardize best practice, develop comparative advantages for new program development and advance strategic partnerships.
  • Ensure technical teams continued focus on priority monitoring, evaluation and the adherence to the Cash minimum standards.

MANAGEMENT

  • Fully embrace the Agency’s culture and values and actively work to achieve its goals relating to Gender, Diversity and Inclusion. Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
  • Contribute to the management and development of the global and regional technical Cash team and provide strong leadership to the team.
  • As a member of the TSU Leadership group, engage with other Directors regularly on collective programming, strategies and issues, work collectively to advance coherence across the Unit, and ensure communications flow in a timely manner.
  • Identify and manage a strong and regularly updated network of technical experts and consultants that can serve as an additional resource to be deployed for program support.

REPRESENTATION, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

  • Strengthen Mercy Corps’ profile and representation through expert interaction with external stakeholders, partner agencies, donors and other networks/groups in the area of CVA such as Grand Bargain, the Collaborative Cash Delivery network (CCD) and the CALP Network.
  • Position Mercy Corps as a thought leader in the sector, particularly around high quality CVA programming in humanitarian settings; the role technology can play in furthering our impact; the use of cash in economic recovery and as a stepping stone towards longer-term development gains; the integration of social protection; and leadership in consortia management and delivery of cash at scale.
  • Leverage Mercy Corps’ position as a leader in humanitarian technology solutions to enable coordination across agencies in complex, fluid environments where effective data analysis can enable accelerated, coordinated, joint responses.
  • Develop and execute a strategy for robust thought leadership in CVA. Build a vibrant community of practice that drives the agency’s high-quality practice and learning to a leadership and influence position in the sector, ensuring that external experts are engaged to enrich our agency-level knowledge.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility

The position has supervisory responsibility over 2-4 Advisors and Sr Advisors and other staff members and consultants as needed.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Sr Director Economic Growth

Works Directly With: TSU leadership; HLR leadership; other members of the Program Team including the Senior VP of Program; Regional Directors and teams, Country Directors and teams, and others.

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 Qualifications & Transferable Skills

  • M.S./M.Sc. or equivalent or above experience in a relevant technical field is required
  • Demonstrated expertise in CVA programming at scale to help marginalized communities meet their immediate needs, support local markets, and build the foundations for resilience. This experience should include some of the following – knowledge of cash consortia and ongoing cash policy debates in humanitarian and social protection spheres; strong knowledge of core CVA transfer skills and requirements, such as market analysis and targeting approach; data privacy; and digital cash delivery methods among others.
  • At least 10 years experience in international development with a strong focus on cash and voucher programming, including:
  • Working overseas and managing Humanitarian and CVA projects.
  • Strong understanding of both humanitarian and development work, including how they interrelate, as well as a deep understanding of conflict dynamics.
  • Experience in remote monitoring and learning in reduced access contexts.
  • Strongly established professional networks and partnerships with key actors in the sector to increase scale and impact.
  • Building solid working relationships with donors, peer agencies, corporations, and foundations. Demonstrated representation and donor cultivation skills.
  • Deep understanding of international humanitarian architecture and latest humanitarian themes and trends, including trends in cash.
  • Familiarity with the evolving application of digital currencies to advance basic needs and financial inclusion a plus.
  • Strong background in leveraging technology, implementing programs with data or digital payments components, in highly fragile contexts.
  • Proven leadership, self-motivation, and strong interpersonal skills. Experience leading matrixed teams in non-hierarchical settings; and working with teams of diverse backgrounds.
  • Exceptionally strong verbal and written communications and organizational skills required.
  • Ability to lead teams, handle negotiations and facilitate planning processes.
  • Program development expertise, using resilience thinking and integrated sector approaches. Experience producing and presenting policy and donor relevant research or other briefs.
  • Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines and in sparse working environments.
  • Willingness and ability to travel to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
  • Familiarity with major donors, e.g. USAID, FCDO, the EU and relevant foundations and corporations.
  • Fluency in English required; fluency in foreign languages (especially French or Arabic), strongly preferred.

Success Factors

The successful director must be a self-starter who demonstrates leadership in communications, program and partnership development, and team coordination. Multi-tasking with proven ability to manage competing priorities, follow procedures, and meet deadlines is required. The Director develops a vision and manages a team to have an impact in the lives of the communities with whom we work through best-in-class program quality, an outcome-focused CVA strategy as well as forward-looking thought leadership. The Director leads and nurtures individual team member development and works effectively with different work styles. The position must communicate and work with a variety of external groups including private sector partners, peer agencies, academic institutions, and donors. The Director is flexible and creative in planning and problem solving, and has a proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative and be accountable for results. They have the vision and drive to lead initiatives in the agency that demonstrate understanding for the larger picture while remaining focused on and able to handle the details. The individual must have a high proficiency for working in a variety of cultural, political and religious environments and must be able to travel and work successfully in austere environments and maintain composure in stressful situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is located in one of Mercy Corps’ offices. The position requires travel at least 30% time to the field where living conditions may be exceptionally rugged or be in volatile environments where security protocols will need to be followed. Team members must be ready to deploy to field environments on short notice in response to any emergency or crisis. When in the field the team member must be able to work in remote settings and over weekends and/or evenings as required by the schedule.

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.

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. Any offers of employment or continued employment are dependent on the successful completion of the screens which include, but are not limited to our Background Check and Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme processes,

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.

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

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.

How to apply

Apply here


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