Position Description Location Baghdad, Iraq Position Status Full-time

Current Team Member New position

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

Mercy Corps has worked across Iraq’s 18 governorates since 2003, implementing relief and development programming, more than a third of which has focused on the specific needs of refugees and displaced persons. Mercy Corps Iraq’s goal is to work with civil society, and public and private sector partners to meet immediate needs and reduce longer-term vulnerabilities of communities within Iraq. Mercy Corps Iraq focuses on (1) providing humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations to meet basic needs, maintain human dignity and facilitate self-empowerment; (2) supporting income-generating opportunities that transition individuals and households from financial dependency towards financial independence, while facilitating market-system approaches; (3) working with young females and young males to address their diverse needs, promoting leadership and linkages with civil society, as well as access to education, psychosocial support, and economic opportunities; and (4) promoting reconciliation and fostering trust

across community divisions by strengthening conflict management and prevention mechanisms and enhancing social cohesion.

General Position Summary

The Senior Program Officer position will responsible for implementing the activities in Anbar for Mercy Corps’ new two-year ACTIVATE (Advocacy Creates Transformational Influence Validating Action for the Environment) program in Iraq, funded by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Rule of Law (DRL).

The program will be implemented in three governorates in Iraq – Anbar, Baghdad, and Basra. The program recognizes that the effects of climate change combined with other influencing factors have the potential to lead to escalating socioeconomic grievances and increased risk of conflict. To better enable communities and government decision makers to collaboratively strengthen governance around environmental issues and reduce community tensions over natural resources, the ACTIVATE program will bring together communities, activists, and government decision-makers to work towards 1) reversing the cumulative impacts of decades of neglect of monitoring, planning, and governance of Iraq’s natural resources; 2) ameliorating the erosion of Iraqi ecosystems; and 3) address climate change. The Program Manager will be responsible in ensuring the program team in each governorate is implementing their respective activities on- scope, on-time, and on-budget, in line with the program’s objectives.

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The Senior Program Officer will supervise program staff /program officer in Anbar and key stakeholders to ensure high program performance and quality. The Senior Program Officer will also have representation duties to the relevant government entities, other implementers, and external stakeholders.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

• Supervise the ACTIVATE field staff and civil advocates day by day in Baghdad, ensuring all team members abide by a clearly delineated work plan that guides all team members each week, under the supervision of the Program Manager.
• Supervise the ACTIVATE MC- Program officer in Anbar, ensuring abide by a clearly delineated work plan that guides all team members each week, under the supervision of the Program Manager.
• Manage the day-to-day implementation of social projects, including technical and financial aspects with frequent progress reporting to the Program Manager
• Follow up with the local government to ensure proper handover of the social projects
• Ensure that the program technical trackers are up to date
• Regular site visits to areas of implementation to support MC staff and program participants in program implementations in Baghdad and Anbar
• Work together with local government to facilitate and coordinate the program activities implementations
• Submit monthly and weekly activities progress reports of program implementation to Program Manager
• Support the Program Manager in the documentation process for all program activities and correspondence files
• Work closely with Program Manager and MEL team to write the donor report(s)
• Maintain control of budget, budget vs. actuals and forecasting as per donor flexibility, in close partnership with Finance
• Prepare additional reports/presentations/statistics as
• Attend project related meetings and trainings.
• Abide by all security
• Disseminate and document success stories of program
• Conduct him/herself professionally and in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian
• Any other duties as assigned as directed by the Program Manager.

PROGRAM SUPPORT

• Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities (including logistics, procurement, security, administration, and human resources).
• Work closely with country-level security focal points to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of
• security management
• Maintain productive and strong working relationships with all program support

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: Program Officer in Anbar

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Manager

Works Directly With: Program support counterparts (program performance and quality, finance, operations, and human resources teams), program specific staff, operations and technical support unit team members.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, international relations, governance, or related
• 3 years+ of management experience in comparable positions – preferably as program manager for a comparable project or a lower-level position on a complex
• Knowledge and experience in subject matter relevant to ACTIVATE including but not limited to environmental/natural resources governance/management/science, civil society and community governance, institutional capacity building, local development and environmental organizing and
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with DRL policies, procedures, and approaches with regards to design, implementation, budgeting, monitoring and
• Technical experience leading system strengthening and institutionalization activities with government ministries, county-level organizations and officials and local
• Strong problem-solving skills and effective listening, negotiation and representation skills and the ability to work comfortably with an ethnically diverse staff in a sensitive
• Understanding of and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender and youth issues in system strengthening and institutionalization
• Strong staff management experience of similar size teams required, and record of strategic visioning, leadership, and good understanding of relevant cross-cultural
• Fluency in oral/written English is required; Arabic is highly
• Previous experience in Iraq or the region is strongly
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team

Living Conditions

The position is based in Baghdad, Iraq with frequent travel to Anbar. Personnel in this location are expected to follow all security protocols.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCES:

Successful candidates should meet the education and experience requirements in the position descriptions for the vacant positions. S/he must be self- motivated, creative, tolerant, and able to work in challenging, stressful environments and follow Mercy Corps procedures. S/he must respect diversity and gender equality at the workplace.

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability and transparency to its beneficiaries and to international standards guiding relief and development work.

Interested candidates should submit their CVs, references, and application letter to the email address: [email protected] Any Resume will be sent without mentioning the job applied for in the subject line will not be considered. Submission should include a copy of Iraqi national ID card and education certificates.

For full position description for the noted posts please visit websites NCCI and Linked in.

ALL APPLICATIONS/ CVs SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY January 26^th , 2023 at 16:00.

Mercy Corps will review CV’s and applications on a rolling basis (i.e., as applications are submitted). Potential Candidates for the post will be contacted for an interview and processed according to Mercy Corps Human Resources policies and procedures. As soon as qualified candidates are identified the positions will be closed automatically. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for potential interview. Any documents submitted will remain with Mercy Corps and will not be returned to candidates.

Female Candidates are encouraged to apply for the position of Senior Program Officer. Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global Impact.

Mercy Corps Iraq offers a variety of arrangements that enable women to excel in their careers. Mercy Corps Iraq ensures a safe and inclusive working environment for women and men through field security training and measures to provide secure working arrangements on-site and in the office.