Emergency Program Manager, Partnerships

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.

Program / Department Summary

The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in over 5M people fleeing the country and many millions more displaced within Ukraine. There are many more who are unable to safely leave their homes. The circumstances and populations are constantly evolving with the conflict. Mercy Corps has reopened its registration and presence in Ukraine as well as offices to support people in neighboring Poland and Romania. This includes partnership models, cash, information provision and other emergency response activities in a very fluid environment. Partnerships with Romanian organizations are expected to be a key Mercy Corps approach, which leverages the skills of diverse civil society groups to provide much-needed assistance to Ukrainian refugees. As Mercy Corps’ partnership model for information access might be new to many Romanian organizations, we will need to adapt and create practical orientation sessions, training, and coaching models to onboard our partners to our processes, formats, and program management standards. In addition, we will want to support organizations with monitoring, evaluation, and accountability in order for us to demonstrate our impact and account for responsible use of funding.

General Position Summary

The Emergency Program Manager for Partnerships will ensure the development of inclusive and equitable partnerships between Mercy Corps and local partners to achieve response program objectives. This role will support assessment efforts to identify and engage local partnerships, inform partnership strategy, ensure representation of those impacted by the crisis in our shared response, and develop capacity sharing programs to support humanitarian response capacities.

The Emergency Program Manager for Partnerships is an effective communicator and relationship manager, able to actively listen and build trust among partners and meaningfully engage partners in the design, implementation and evaluation of the response programs.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Co-create a strategic vision for developing equitable partnerships with partners engaged in the response.
• Develop a capacity sharing program to ensure partners can launch and deliver an effective humanitarian response in their partnership with Mercy Corps.
• Help ensure integration of partners’ activities with those led by Mercy Corps for a more holistic and effective response.

Program Management

• Ensure meaningful partner engagement in the design, implementation, and maintenance of response projects.
• 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.
• With sub-grants manager, support Partners to achieve success in achieving financial obligations and donor standards.
• Capacity sharing and adherence to all safeguarding and ethics standards as well as the use of Community Accountability and Feedback Mechanisms (CARM).
• Use and ensure Partner support on adherence to humanitarian principles and standards.
• Ensure the capacity sharing program for Partners is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donors and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria, and that feedback mechanisms are in place.
• Support partners’ MoUs and contracts & oversee induction/training for program partners.

Influence & Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Exhibit an awareness of their own strengths and development needs.

Security

• Ensure Partners receive support with security procedures and policies
• Contribute to creating a secure environment for Partners.

Supervisory Responsibility

The Emergency Program Manager – Partnerships will supervise the tow partnership officers

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Romania Team Leader

Works Directly With: Program Managers and Partners in the Ukraine, Poland and Romania, Sub-Grants Manager and Sub-awards, finance and compliance teams.

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.

Knowledge and Experience

• 3 to 5 years of experience in managing programs in emergency contexts
• A proven track record building meaningful, equitable partnerships with local actors, ideally in an emergency response/ humanitarian context.
• BA/BS or equivalent in International Relations, International Development or other relevant field
• Excellent oral and written English skills required and a proficiency in Ukrainian, Polish or Romanian is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in the Region preferred
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Technical competencies:

• Demonstrated participatory approaches, and facilitation and training skillsExperience in Project Management and feedback and accountability mechanisms
• Experience in working with local civil society organizations and programs with civil society capacity sharing
• Familiarity or direct experience with humanitarian programming

Functional competencies

• Experience developing interactive capacity sharing initiatives for local partners
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communications skills
• Can oversee capacity sharing program budget, project cash flow and expenditures
• Experience with diversity, equity and inclusion strategies
• Can ensure feedback from partners, crisis-affected people and local stakeholders is incorporated in program design, implementation and learning
• Can ensure local partners operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies

Leadership competencies

• Proven commitment to equitable and inclusive partnerships
• Creates an environment where alternative and diverse viewpoints are welcomed
• Managing diverse teams in a stressful environment and different geographical locations

Success Factors

The successful Local Partnerships Manager will combine exceptional communication and relationship building skills with proven experience in developing strong partnerships. The Manager will have past experience in developing, facilitating and evaluating capacity sharing programs. They will have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and participatory approaches. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, and thrive in an evolving and changing environment while taking care of self and others.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Romania. This role is unaccompanied. Accommodations are being defined and access to services – medical, electricity, water, etc is in place but may change depending on the situation. This position requires est 50% travel within Romania and potentially to the countries of the Ukrainian response. Given the emergency context, this position requires exceptional work schedules, including evenings and weekends.Given the emergency context, this position requires exceptional work schedules, including evenings and weekends.

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. 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.