Position Description
Location: Maiduguri, Borno 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. Mercy Corps Nigeria was established in 2012. The Nigeria team is headquartered in Abuja with offices throughout Nigeria delivering multi-sectoral life-saving humanitarian support, early recovery, and development programs. Specific sectoral work includes girls’ education and financial inclusion, community peacebuilding, market-based livelihoods, and a multi-sector humanitarian response. With the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient and secure, Mercy Corps Nigeria focuses on the root causes of conflict, governance, humanitarian needs, and market systems development. Working with a diverse funding base, Mercy Corps empowers people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. We stand with Nigeria to find and access opportunities, and to be part of lasting and meaningful transformation in the country.
Program/Department Summary
The Serving Underserved Needs in Marte (SUN) program will provide timely, lifesaving, multi-sectoral assistance to meet the critical needs of conflict and other shock-affected vulnerable populations in Marte, in partnership with Mon Club International (MCI). The Action will ensure basic food and nutritional needs are met during lean season through e-vouchers, access to fuel efficient stoves, adequate shelter, safe water and sufficient sanitation including basic hygiene items. Supplemental nutrition assistance (SNA) will be provided as a preventive measure and participants with previous farming/gardening experience and safe access to land will receive basic agriculture inputs to further enhance their food security. WASH activities, strengthened by hygiene messaging, will include repairs to existing boreholes and water points along with O&M support. Household latrines will be rehabilitated or constructed. To improve general level sanitation and environmental health, the community will be engaged through CFW in digging or unblocking drainage channels. Shelter improvement support and NFIs will support HHs living in substandard conditions. Protection will be mainstreamed through training community structures and participants on PSEA, DNH, PFA, and setting up and running a participatory reporting mechanism will strengthen local capacity to mitigate protection risks. All activities will be delivered in a safe, inclusive, informed and climate sensitive manner.
General Position Summary
The Program Manager (PM) will provide overall leadership, technical oversight, management and strategic vision of the program while managing staff and resources to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables on-time, on-scope and within budget. The PM will supervise key program staff and ensure high program quality. The PM will be responsible for ensuring strict adherence to internal Mercy Corps policies and procedures as well as donor rules and regulations. The PM will manage the partnership and represent it to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and external stakeholders with support from the Humanitarian & Sustainable Solutions Director (HSSD). The PM will work closely with the HSSD, the program team and support departments to ensure effective program coordination and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance and accountability.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
- Provide leadership and strategic vision in all aspects of the program’s development, implementation, and management.
- Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and impact.
- Ensure high quality of the program through innovation, active pursuit of lessons learned, adaptability to changing dynamics, and integration of related programming for increased impact.
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Support evaluation assessments and analysis to identify areas for program improvement.
Program Management
- Manage all operations and activities related to the program according to the work plan, project document and implementation strategy. Develop program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting and distribution process.
- Lead the team in implementation of the program, ensuring implementation is on time, target, and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts. Oversee ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations. Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide. Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct; Gender, Diversity and Inclusion guiding documents; Core Humanitarian Principles and Do No Harm.
- Closely coordinate and share information with the various sectors of the program and program staff, including food assistance, cash, shelter, WASH, protection and general program support with regular program meetings and activity plans.
- Coordinate closely with other Program Leads, relevant administrative and finance staff to ensure proper logistics, administration, human resources and transport needs of the project are conducted within MC policy and with the maximum benefit to the project.
- Provide direct and ongoing supervision and managerial support to relevant program staff.
- Build the team’s capacity ensuring that there are fluent communication channels, that the reporting schedule is timely met.
- Maintain regular communication and coordination with MCI to ensure leveraging the organization’s technical expertise and connections in NE Nigeria.
- Oversee MCI’s performance and monitoring the sub-agreement for compliance with Mercy Corps policies and procedures as well as donor/government/external rules and regulations.
- Participate and facilitate coordination and collaboration with other agencies.
- Ensure establishment and maintenance of relationships with communities, and local government in the target locations.
- In collaboration with the M&E team, ensure monitoring, evaluation and analysis are integrated into program design and implementation to promote adaptive management and a culture of constant program improvement.
- Other duties as assigned.
Team Management
- Hire, orient and supervise new team members as necessary.
- Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence and cultivate resilience and well-being under challenging situations.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
- Implement performance planning and management systems.
- Consolidate work plans for each target LGA into one program-level work plan. Ensure timely delivery of activities.
Finance & Compliance Management
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to programming.
- Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures. Track expenditure of activities carried out in the field.
- Proactively develop and implement budget scenarios at key program implementation stages to ensure timely spending of funds in accordance with donor requirements. Forecast expenditure surpluses and deficits to enable adjustments to be made to the project in a timely fashion.
- 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 all internal and external reports are produced to donor and Mercy Corps standards.
Influence & Representation
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with the community, government and other stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets are met and donor obligations are met.
- Represent Mercy Corps to government, donors, NGOs and other relevant events at national and regional level.
- Demonstrate flexibility, resilience, and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
- Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
- Coordinate activities with partners, sub-grantees, government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps global staff.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
- Work closely with Mercy Corps Nigeria country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its implementation process.
Organizational 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.
Supervisory Responsibility
The manager will supervise 2 Assistants.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Humanitarian & Sustainable Solutions Director
Works Directly With: Other Program Leads, Other Program Staff, MEL Staff, Procurement, Logistics and Finance.
Knowledge and Experience
- BA/S or equivalent in development or humanitarian-related field is required, MA/S is preferred.
- A minimum of 5 years of management experience in progressively responsible positions, including at least 3+ years working in a humanitarian response.
- Experience managing multi-sector programs required. Expertise in at least one of the following areas preferred: program management, agriculture, nutrition, food assistance, WASH, shelter, protection.
- Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English required, including report development, writing and editing.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to develop strong, collaborative relationships. Able to represent the organization to a broad range of stakeholders including government officials, community leaders, and local and international partner organizations.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, work independently, show initiative and work cooperatively with team members.
- Previous experience working on ECHO-funded programs preferred.
- Experience working in Northeast Nigeria preferred.
- Fluency in English; fluency in Hausa/Kanuri or other local languages is required.
Success Factor
A successful candidate will have the ability to work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with a capacity to spark innovative approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. S/he will have proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results, with an ability and willingness to remain mobile for short-term and/or long-term as necessary within the region, based on programmatic needs. An ability to work independently and as part of a team, with curiosity and a desire and ability to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and a great sense of humor.
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.
As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org**
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.
- Note that Mercy Corps upholds a strict policy against accepting any form of bribe in our recruitment process. We prioritize fairness and transparency in our selection process.
- By applying for this position, I attest that I have never violated a sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or human trafficking policy and that I have never been disciplined for violating an employer’s code of conduct.