Mercy Corps
Location Washington, DC, Portland, London, Edinburgh, The Hague
Position Status Full-Time, Regular
Salary Level: US: Minimum Starting Salary: $64K 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
Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU) is a key part of the Program Department. TSU subject-matter experts help set agency strategy and provide consultation – from assessment and design through project implementation and results measurement – to field offices worldwide, in some of the world’s toughest places. TSU team members lead research, foster organizational learning, represent Mercy Corps to external audiences, and develop partnerships. The TSU is also integral to global business development and revenue.
Within the TSU, the New Initiatives (NI) team is responsible for supporting and enhancing Program Development throughout the Mercy Corps world. The NI team leads the development of grant submissions to institutional donors and carries out initiatives that enhance agency competitiveness. Team members lead and support strategic, high-priority proposals by assisting country teams with pre-proposal positioning activities, assembling proposal teams, leading the proposal planning process. They will be conducting on-site participatory assessment and design work, writing, and editing technical proposals, reviewing proposals to assess clarity and competitiveness, and more. The team enhances agency competitiveness through the development of tools and processes to improve proposal quality across the agency. With all its activities, New Initiatives works in a highly collaborative manner with the agency as a whole.
The Position
The Sr. Program Development Officer (SPDO) will be a full-time member of the New Initiatives team. They will support strategic program development efforts by leading and/or supporting proposal development processes and writing, editing, and reviewing proposal documents. They will help enhance agency competitiveness by working with NI team members and other stakeholders to develop/improve tools and guidance on the proposal process and conducting a scan of institutional donors to target for diversification.
Essential Job Responsibilities
PROGRAM & PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT (APPROXIMATELY 75% TIME)
- Responsible for leading and supporting all aspects of the development of strategic proposals supported by the New Initiatives team. They will apply the agency’s best practices in proposal development efforts. Special emphasis is on supporting proposal development for large or highly strategic proposal opportunities and/or complex or multi-country efforts.
- Work with other TSU members on the design and writing of multi-sectoral programs that encompass elements of broader agency goals such as resilience, food security, and youth development.
CONTRIBUTE TO ACTIVITIES THAT RAISE OVERALL AGENCY STATE OF PRACTICE (APPROXIMATELY 20%)
- As a member of the NI team, the SPDO will support agency-wide initiatives that enable Mercy Corps to produce competitive submissions more efficiently (e.g. developing improved reference materials for proposal writers, contributing to efforts that capture learnings and results from our programs, and/or assisting with networking activities).
- Keep up to date on relevant donor strategies being developed or applied by significant governmental, academic, and non-profit groups. Work with Mercy Corps to determine how the agency can best work with and/or influence such materials.
Supervisory Responsibility:
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Sr. Director, New Initiatives
Works Directly With: all other TSU teams, HQ, and country 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.
Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills
- Bachelor’s degree required. M.A, M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in International Development, International Relations or related field is preferred.
- 5+ years of experience in International Development
- Successful track record in leading complex program designs and proposal development in a variety of sectors and geographic locations, experience with Food Security proposals preferred.
- Exceptional writing skills.
- Proven ability to work productively with a wide variety of stakeholders to run both a participatory process and also meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products.
- Native level spoken and written English required; writing samples will be requested of finalist candidates.
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
- Familiarity with major donors such as USAID and FCDO
- Fluency in English is required; knowledge of a foreign language preferred.
Success Factors
The SPDO will demonstrate a winning track record in program development, bring flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm to every project they undertake. The individual must have exceptional writing skills and the ability to multitask, set priorities, pay attention to detail, and work under tight deadlines within complex team environments. The PDM will have a love of writing, strong interpersonal skills, a healthy competitive spirit, and will take a lead role in building and maintaining external relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts. Being aware and sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is critical.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This position can be in any Mercy Corps headquarters location. The position requires travel at least 30% time to country offices 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, over weekends and/or evenings as required by the schedule, and in settings with limited infrastructure, food options, and living conditions.
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.