Mercy Corps
Position Description
Location: Abuja or Lagos State.
Position Status: Full-time, Regular.
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
Girls Improving Resilience through Livelihoods and Health (GIRL-H) is a three-year (Oct 2020 to Dec 2023), 10-million-dollar program being implemented in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria (Lagos and Kano) that seeks to improve the well-being of adolescent girls, boys and young women by increasing their access to skills and knowledge, health resources, formal education, and economic opportunities. GIRL-H also fostered an enabling environment by working with communities to transform unhealthy social norms and create opportunities for girls to access education and economic opportunities.
GIRL-H has secured a one-year bridge funding (Jan to Dec 2024) that will consolidate on the work done in the last three years. The program will focus on four key pillars including Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), Public Private Partnerships (PPP), Financial Inclusion (FI) and research and learning. Key to GIRL-H is a robust learning and research agenda that reaches across three countries to contribute to the evidence base on what works to secure access to opportunities for adolescent girls within the most marginalized communities and to better understand their contribution to household resilience. This evidence and learning will be shared to elevate Mercy Corps’ influence in the adolescent girl space and to bolster fundraising efforts to scale the model.
General Position Summary
The GIRL-H Program Manager will lead the successful implementation of the GIRL-H program in Nigeria and support the implementation across the two other target countries, driving innovation and learning to refine a replicable and evidence-based GIRL-H programming model, and will play a critical role in leading the PPP strategy with support of countries, regional and global teams that will prepare expansion efforts for Mercy Corps’ adolescent girl programming. The Program Manager is an integral part of the project management team of GIRL-H and works closely with the management, technical, and operations fields.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Program Management
- Lead program start-up (bridge) and implementation within Nigeria, including identification or retention of team members and local implementing partners.
- Manage and oversee program implementation in Nigeria, in cooperation with key program stakeholders, including local non-governmental organizations, state and local government officials, community-based organizations, other international agencies on the ground, and key donors.
- Lead engagement with local implementing partners within program locations in Nigeria.
- Collaborate with program, finance, and administrative staff to ensure systems comply with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures, including adherence to Mercy Corps program management minimum standards.
- Ensure program implementation are impactful, using effective M&E systems, meeting the approved targets, and remaining on budget and schedule.
- Increase Mercy Corps and partner organization staff capacity by designing and delivering technical training and coaching plans on topics related to building resilience and achieving gender-equitable program outcomes.
- Provide leadership and oversight in all aspects of program implementation, management, and evaluation within program locations in Nigeria.
- Establish and oversee effective program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems for both internal and external use and ensure high-quality input is obtained from team members.
- Ensure documentation of achievements and lessons learned to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated in monthly, quarterly, and final program reports.
- Lead in the development of local implementing partner’s institutional capacity in resource mobilization, both internally through community mobilization and sensitization and externally through proposal development to source additional funds for sustainability, and to strengthen community participation for sustainability and self-reliance.
- Strengthen Mercy Corps external engagement processes to broaden resource channels for new business opportunities.
Public-Private Partnership
- PPP focal Point
- Lead in the development of a PPP strategy
- Identify potential public and private sector partners across the three countries aligned with the program/organization’s goals and sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) where possible.
- Liaise and coordinate with public and private sector and other partners across countries.
Team Management
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
- 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-one and performance reviews.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Oversee program staff and partner performance and quality of program implementation and if security context allows, conduct frequent field visits to all program sites.
Strategy and Vision
- Collaborate with program leadership in the development of a clear vision and strategy for the program in Nigeria and ensure it is shared with all relevant program team members and key stakeholders.
- Play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster and/or improve strategic objectives of the program and the country office.
- Support refinement and expansion of GIRL-H programming, specifically through resource mobilization, proposal development, and technical assistance.
- Collaborate with other related Mercy Corps programs to create synergies wherever possible.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and aligned with Mercy Corps’ principles and values.
- Promote gender strategies across the country portfolio and adapt and improve them as needed.
- Engage support services and risk management resources to enable the program team to execute their respective strategic priorities.
- Collaborate with relevant team members regarding the measurement and analysis of key program performance and quality indicators and metrics to inform strategic decision-making processes.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
- Monitor adherence to the donor grant agreement as well as Mercy Corps and donor’s policies and procedures for procurement and compliance.
- Create and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor, and Mercy Corps’ needs.
- Work closely with financial and operational management to optimize resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely submission of reports to the donor.
RISK MANAGEMENT
- Engage and support program areas across the country to ensure that adequate risk management systems are in place.
- Collaborate with country and program leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.
- Participate in the internal audit (IA) process to track findings and ensure program compliance with IA findings and recommendations.
- Work closely with the country team security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
- Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
- Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO, and other relevant events, in close coordination with the Program Management Unit and country leadership.
- Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions.
- Coordinate activities with consortium partners, subgrantees, local government, and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
ORGANISATIONAL 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 to Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward 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.
- 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.
Supervisory Responsibility: Program and Communications Officer.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: GIRL-H Program Implementation Lead.
Works Directly with: Other GIRL-H Program Managers, finance/grants teams, MEL, program teams, Implementing Partners, and HR and Operations departments and regional teams.
Knowledge and Experience
- Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in International Development, Political Science, Gender Studies, Economics, Sociology or other relevant fields.
- 5-7 years of experience in gender and youth development work including experience developing and conducting gender training, gender/youth mainstreaming, and engaging in gender advocacy.
- Demonstrated ability to implement a program, manage a team and develop their capacities.
- Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis, and utilization of information from a broad range of sources to ensure effective integration of gender and youth concerns throughout the project’s duration. In-depth understanding of gender, age, and other socio-cultural factors in the context of livelihoods programming.
- Ability to foster commitment and build capacity among project staff and in-country actors around gender and youth integration.
- Strong public speaking and facilitation skills required.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
- Fluency in written and spoken English required.
Success Factor
The successful candidate will have an excellent team and interpersonal relationship skills, with demonstrated ability to work effectively in complex environments. S/he will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory leadership, and tactful decisiveness to assist in program implementation. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. S/he must have the confidence and humility to work effectively with a diverse group of people – as well as be sensitive to political and cultural nuance. S/he must be able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations while working as part of a team and coordinate with program personnel.
Living conditions/Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Lagos or Abuja, Nigeria with significant travels to communities within Lagos and Kano state where program is being implemented**.**
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 a 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, colour, 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 the 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 adhere to the 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.
Note
- Applicants should have their CVs and Cover Letters in one document addressing the position requirements.
- Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.