GLOBAL PROGRAM MANAGER – GLOBAL PROGRAMS TEAM

Location Portland, OR or Washington DC

Position Status Full-time, Exempt

Minimum Starting Salary: $76k commensurate with experience, US work authorization required.

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

The Global Program Team supports the Mercy Corps mission and works with program impact, innovation and influence at its core. The Global Program Team reports to the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Programs and is composed of headquarters, regional and country-based teams. These teams are guided by our Mercy Corps Vision 2030: Pathway to Possibility, and work in close partnership with all other agency departments to deliver the highest quality and impactful results in programs and initiatives. The SVP directs the areas of Program Strategy, Growth, Performance and Quality to deliver the most effective, efficient use of program resources in all locations. These global efforts are prioritized by teams working across units focused on Program Strategy and Leadership; Program Operations; Humanitarian Leadership and Response; Technical Leadership and New Initiatives, as well as Regional and Country teams across the Mercy Corps world. The Global Program Leadership Team, led by the SVP of Programs, is accountable for the combined success of Programs overall, and shares our adaptive thinking, entrepreneurial spirit and community-focused solutions throughout the agency.

The Position

The Global Program Manager is a key member of the Global Programs department. Their primary role is to enable efficient and effective program administration through the design, management and promotion of streamlined processes, systems and initiatives, and programs. The Global Program Manager supports the SVP of Programs and Senior Director of Programs (Senior Director) by leading and/or tracking trends related to grant administration and flagging agency / program management risks as they arise. The Global Program Manager will help to inform and improve strategy delivery, as well as develop improved implementation practices and systematic learning practices across regions. The Global Program Manager will provide strategic guidance and technical program quality support to Mercy Corps’ growing portfolio of US headquarters-managed awards. Finally, the Global Program Manager will work closely with the Regional Program Team (RPT), providing coordination across regions, mentorship to team members, HQ focal point support, and elevating critical issues to the SVP and Senior Director.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

• Develop processes and templates to streamline program administration practices, build RPT alignment and capacity, improve regional administrative and process collaboration, maintain knowledge management and use program data to promote and foster learning.
• Develop, manage and maintain internal functions that supports more effective, efficient and consistent program administration functions
• Lead specific, time-bound projects that contribute to program administration effectiveness and quality.
• Manage access to agency registrations and ongoing maintenance on donor platforms such as USAID, Global Affairs Canada, etc and support the Programs Analyst in the business maintenance of these donor platforms.

INTERNAL REPRESENTATION

• Serve as liaison – a point of information and coordination – for internal and external groups to interact with Programs and the RPT. Proactively identify and undertake activities that will promote communication, cohesion and esprit de corps within Programs.
• Provide ongoing troubleshooting and issues management support to the Global Program Leadership Team.
• Participate in the interview process and selection for key positions as identified with the recruiting team.
• Provide orientation to new team members, including RPT, Country Directors, Director of Programs, Regional Directors as requested.
• Represent Programs at internal working groups, as assigned by the Senior Director.
• Prepare and present key presentations for both internal and external use.

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Provide strategic direction to HQ-managed awards, particularly assessing and recommending at the Go/No Go stage
• Ensure HQ-managed awards, and other programs as needed, understand and implement Program Management standards and adherence to donor compliance
• Coordinate closely with HQ-managed awards and Humanitarian Leadership and Response (HLR) and Program Performance and Quality (PaQ) team initiatives to stay abreast of and troubleshoot issues
• Lead special projects that enhance program quality and mitigate programmatic risks, alongside other functions.

STRATEGY

• Serve as a key contributor and coordinator for the development and implementation of the Mercy Corps Vision 2030–Pathway to Possibility–and Program Approach as well as annual planning processes
• Provide backstop support to strategic roles at HQ, regional and country support levels.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Supervise the Global Program Officer and PAQ Manager – HQMA, supporting with designing processes for allocating their level of effort and managing realistic work plans.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility

Global Program Officer, PAQ Manager – HQMA

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Director of Programs

Works Directly With: SVP of Programs and the Global Programs Department; Program Leadership Team, particularly Regional Directors; Regional Program Team; Country Directors;other HQ departments (programs and non-programs)

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 Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/S in relevant field required; MA preferred
• 5+ years experience with implementing development and humanitarian programming at an NGO or non-profit setting, with experience working internationally strongly preferred
• Strong understanding and experience with program and grants management, including proposal development processes, donor relationships and start up and closeout of programs
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and provide project management support.
• Demonstrated ability to complete quantitative and qualitative analysis. Demonstrated proficiency in identifying, organizing, analyzing, systematizing, visualizing and summarizing disparate sources of data.
• Project Management experience, with proven ability to lead multiple projects at once.
• Team management experience, with ability to lead teams effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport and work effectively across HQ departments as well as regional and field teams. Experience successfully guiding, coaching, orienting and/or training colleagues to adapt and use new or updated business processes and/or systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to synthesize and communicate information in a clear manner.
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-functionally.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite as well as proven business correspondence writing and editing skills is necessary.
• Proven experience maintaining confidentiality.

Success Factors

The Global Program Manager is experienced working across departments and with country-based teams, is an expert liaison with critical agency counterparts in regional, country and headquarters offices, and is practiced at managing complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders. They are experienced in team leadership and adept at proactively building relationships with other departments and across regions to support program administration alignment and consistent use of processes throughout the agency. They are a systems thinker and solution-oriented and use their clear, concise communication skills to bring relevant information into decision-making processes. The Global Program Manager must be a detail-oriented multi-tasker who is able to communicate clearly and work under pressure. They are a problem solver who is adept in successfully dealing with issues of complexity, and manage several projects simultaneously, as well as manage short-term and consultant resources that deliver successful outcomes. The Manager must demonstrate the ability to understand and follow agency procedures, meet deadlines, and work both independently and as part of a diverse global team. Exposure to and interest in international development issues is important, and an understanding of Mercy Corps and the complex challenges faced by teams is critical. Experience working in a Mercy Corps country location is highly beneficial. A robust sense of humor is greatly appreciated.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Washington D.C. or Portland, OR and is expected to deploy up to 25% of the time – sometimes on short notice – to insecure areas with limited access to medical facilities and amenities.

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.