Consortium Manager/level Senior Manager – MYRP/Tazeez Program

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. Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives. Recognizing both the great potential and the complex challenges faced by the Middle East, since 1989 Mercy Corps has been implementing a range of humanitarian assistance and development programs tailored to the specific needs of the region and of those communities where we work. 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 current goal is to work with new and existing civil society, public and private sector partners to meet immediate and long-term needs by strengthening communities’ ability to rebuild amidst increasing crisis. Mercy Corps Iraq focuses on (1) a relief-to-resilience pathway to meet the needs of conflict- affected communities leveraging agency expertise in conflict management and civil society development (2) a humanitarian response that empowers conflict-affected populations to meet their own needs (3) partnering with conflict-affected adolescents to address their diverse needs, promoting leadership and linkages with civil society.

 

Program / Department Summary

The “Tazeez” Program (Enhancing Education for a New Generation) is a three-year program funded by Education Cannot Wait’s Multi-Year Resilience Programs (MYRP), where Mercy Corps will lead a consortium of two international NGOs (Mercy Corps and Save the Children) and two Iraqi NGOs (Public Aid Organization and Iraqi Alliance of Disability Organization). The aim of the consortium is to work through community structures to increase access to, and retention in, quality education and enhance protective and safe learning environments for all children. The target population for this program will be supported through an integrated mechanism that ensures safe access to inclusive education for pre-primary, primary, and secondary level learners, with the provision of inclusive and gender responsive teaching and learning materials, capable and skilled teachers, and by establishing enhanced community-based and institutional system efficiency in school governance, education continuity and quality.

The consortium partners are geographically spread in response to different needs, considering their specialized expertise and interventions. The program activities will be implemented in four governorates: Al-Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk, Kirkuk and Ninewa.

 

General Position Summary

The Consortium Manager is a strategic, creative and dynamic relationship builder. S/he is responsible for maintaining and strengthening connections with the donor, the Ministry of Education and all implementing partner leads, ensuring communication and feedback is channeled effectively between all parties to maximize the impact of the program.

This position will provide overall leadership, technical oversight, management, and strategic vision of the implementation of all partners’ activities for the Taazez program. This includes partner coordination and collaboration, capacity building of partners and staff, donor reporting, and technical support to various project stakeholders. The Consortium Manager should be an imaginative problem solver, pre-empting challenges or delays in partner implementation and working to find solutions before they arise.

The Consortium Manager will work directly with the Mercy Corps’ Director of Program Operations and Standards to ensure the successful implementation of Taazez Program’s work across the targeted locations. The Consortium Manager will be responsible for ensuring Mercy Corps and its partners implement their respective activities on- scope, on-time, and on-budget, in line with the program’s objectives. The Consortium Manager will work with the key consortium and program staff and ensure high program performance and quality. S/he will be responsible for ensuring strict adherence to internal Mercy Corps policies, procedures as well as donor rules and regulations. The position will require representation with peer organizations, local communities, local authorities, and donors, acting as a liaison with appropriate coordination bodies on education-related developments, as well as contributing high standard technical inputs for business development to ensure program quality for planned programs.

 

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Implement and strengthen the existing strategic partnerships with Ministry of Education (MoE), and Directorates of Education (DoEs).
• Organize, define the agenda, and chair the Taazez project technical working group.
• Ensure coordination with related MoE and DoE to improve the collaboration, partnership and sustainability of program activities.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders – including consortium partners, NGOs, government officials, clusters, UN agencies, and community-based organizations to enhance cooperation and coordination.
• Represent the Tazeez consortium to the donor(s), government actors, partners, and other key stakeholders.
• Ensure that information from coordination meetings is shared internally and with other sectors, as appropriate, looking for opportunities for innovation and collaboration where possible.
• Design and implement sustainability strategy for the program.

 

Support for Program Implementation

• Work with the Director of Program Operations and Standards to ensure the successful implementation of the Consortium, ensuring coherence of activities across all consortium partners.
• Coordinate and supervise effectively the activities implemented by Taazez consortium partners, mentoring staff in the design and implementation of the Consortium’s activities.
• Provide technical support to Mercy Corps and its partners and ensure that activities are consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic objectives; and comply with donor regulations and policies.
• Facilitate planning meetings and support Consortium partners and program teams to develop work plans and budget accurate forecasts for the components of the program.
• Oversee all aspects of design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and ensure documentation system in place for all activities implemented including meeting minutes, photos, case studies as well as progress reports and archived according to internal/donor requirements, in close coordination with the Consortium MEL Coordinator.
• Oversee all aspects of gender, equity and social inclusion mainstreamed into the project.
• Ensure all program management minimum standards are met (including risk management, issues management and change management), including those for complex programs.
• Responsible for Financial & Compliance Management, troubleshooting problems that implementing partners may have to ensure program implementation remains on track.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations and Mercy Corps policies.
• Manage the consortium budget to ensure that spending is donor-compliant and program-effective.

 

Team Management

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Strengthen collaboration and connection between implementing partners, supporting team members to work towards one cohesive vision.
• Build the capacity of partners and team members in relevant technical and management competencies, deepening understanding of their roles and assisting with career development and ensure that they receive necessary inductions / training.
• Assist partners and team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance &
• reach objectives.
• Ensure all team members are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations, and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

 

Accountability / Reporting

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards 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.
• Ensure all internal control procedures are adhered to and that necessary measures are put in place to ensure high standards of accountability and compliance.
• Ensure findings from endline surveys, evaluations, and internal and external audits are used to improve programs.
• Ensure all internal / donor / partner / external reports are produced at a high level of quality, as required.
• Security
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

 

Organizational Learning

In line with our dedication to fostering continuous organizational growth and recognizing the enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, and community relevance that learning-oriented entities exhibit, we anticipate all team members to allocate 5% of their working hours to engage in learning initiatives that both enrich Mercy Corps and contribute to their personal development.

 

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. Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

 

Supervisory Responsibility: Mercy Corps Tazeez Program Manager, Technical supervision of Consortium MEL Coordinator, oversight of partner PM’s

Accountability: Accountable to position description, MC HR Manual

Reports Directly To: Director of Program Operations and Standards

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

External Contacts: Ministry of Education staff, NGOs, Donors, and local communities.

Qualifications & Preferred Skills

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field, OR equivalent work experience
• Fluency in English and Arabic (reading, writing, speaking) is required.
• At least 5 years’ experience managing partnerships, leading working groups or other coordination mechanisms.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving skills and effective listening, negotiation and representation skills and the ability to work comfortably with an ethnically diverse staff in a sensitive environment.
• Understanding of and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender and youth issues in system strengthening and institutionalization programming.
• Dynamic relationship builder, with effective communication skills and able to adapt these for a range of stakeholders.
• Experience in Education, PSS, and protection programs preferred.
• High level computer and internet skills are required.
• Strong multi-tasking, organizational, prioritization skills are necessary.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.
• Excellent writing and reporting skills.
• Existing relationships with local government, NGO and community leaders is highly preferred.
• Commitment to working with vulnerable groups in need regardless of race, religion, or gender.

 

Success Factors

The successful Consortium Manager will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining and strengthening donor, government, and partner relationships. S/he will have the ability to develop, implement and manage programs in challenging, insecure, constantly changing environments. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building, individual staff development and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. S/he will have the vision to transition a humanitarian portfolio to a recovery and development context, with the ability to fundraise to grow the portfolio. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

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 difficult, stressful environments and follow Mercy Corps procedures. S/he must respect diversity and gender equality at the workplace.

Interested candidates should submit their CVs to the email address mcerbilhr@gmail.com before the deadline indicated below.

Please indicate on the subject of the email the title of the position you are applying for, for full position description for the noted posts, please visit websites NCCI and F-Job.

 

ALL APPLICATIONS/ CVs SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY January 23rd, 2024, 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.

 

• This role is only open to Iraqi citizens and individuals who have the legal right to work in Iraq.
• Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer. Females are highly encouraged to apply.