Mercy Corps is a global team of humanitarians working together on the front lines of today’s biggest crises to create a future of possibility, where everyone can prosper. In more than 40+ countries around the world, over 5,400+ team members work side by side with people living through poverty, disaster, violent conflict, and the acute impacts of climate change. We’re committed to creating global change through local impact — 84% of our team members are from the countries where they work.

We bring a comprehensive approach to every challenge, addressing problems from multiple angles. And we go beyond emergency aid, partnering with local governments, forward-thinking corporations, social entrepreneurs, and people living in fragile communities to develop bold solutions that make lasting change possible.

About Programs at Mercy Corps

The Programs function at Mercy Corps supports its mission and works with program impact, innovation, and influence teams. The Program Function is composed of headquarters and regional departments which are guided by Mercy Corps global strategy: Pathway to Possibility and works in close partnership with all other agency departments to deliver the highest quality programming and impactful results. The Program Team aligns closely with the Pathway to Possibility, and works to deliver on increased accountability, alignment, and fair and transparent resource allocation, while acting with its Core Behaviors of collaboration, curiosity, inclusion, and integrity at the forefront. The Programs function is a key steward of Mercy Corps’ strategic commitments and the integration of these commitments into programming, inclusive of: Climate Smart, Locally Led, Evidence Driven, Innovative and Creative, and Safe, Diverse and Inclusive.

Our comprehensive TRaQ Team is an integral part of the Program Department that supports country-led work to deliver measurable impact, leads agency thinking in key technical and program management areas, and ensures quality programing while maintaining agency visibility with key audiences. TRaQ’s goal is to equip our global programs with the most effective technical solutions and quality program management tools to tackle the world’s toughest challenges, while simultaneously building our global reputation and resources.

The TRaQ team has nine technical and cross-cutting thematic teams, Climate and Water Security, Economic Opportunity, Food Security, Peace and Governance, Global Resilience, Social Inclusion, Cash, Infrastructure, Training and Program Standards. This position will be part of the Climate and Water team. Each team has established goals and strategies that will guide the Senior Advisors work

The Position

Supporting agency priorities, the Climate and Water Security team is particularly focused on technical support in the areas of climate change adaptation and low carbon development, including disaster risk reduction; natural resource management and environmental conservation; and access to energy. The Senior Energy Advisor will play a pivotal role in Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit, focusing on the development of new businesses and guidance for the implementation of energy projects with a strong emphasis on innovative models for renewable energy access. This role will require in-depth knowledge of renewable energy markets and energy financing models and instruments. The Senior Energy Advisor will lead the charge in creating connections between energy access and access to finance while contributing to business model development, risk assessment, and stakeholder engagement.

The Senior Advisor will primarily focus on helping country teams strengthen their portfolio of low carbon development programming, through the integration of renewable energy. This will include integration of energy considerations in country strategies, developing concept notes, support donor engagement, and producing influencing research products. The Senior Advisor will also provide strong technical advice and training in areas related to access to energy and low carbon development, including: program design and development; program quality; network and representation at key sector forums; and lead strategic partnerships and contribute to strategic discussions (internally and externally).

The Senior Advisor provides technical support to Mercy Corps program teams in the Senior Advisor’s area of expertise. Support includes designing and developing programs, assessing and enhancing program quality, writing proposals for donors, providing training, developing humanitarian networks, maintaining current knowledge on industry best practices, disseminating information to internal and external partners, and representing Mercy Corps at key events. The Senior Advisor will also build the capacity of their peers and the organization.

Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM DESIGN AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

• Support country strategy refinement to integrate renewable energy as a catalyst for the Agency’s strategy, continually raising funds and collecting evidence in collaboration with country and regional teams.
• Write and review grant proposals and concept notes for donors including foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Research, analyze, and assess data to determine program needs, priorities, and Mercy Corps’ advantages for funding; Maintain knowledge of development strategies by governmental, academic, and non-profit groups.
• Collaborate with program, country, regional, and TRaQ teams on prepositioning and strategy development, and designing multi-sectoral programs that meet the outcomes and commitments in Mercy Corps’ 10-year strategy.
• Lead write complex, competitive proposals following Mercy Corps’ best practices in proposal development, team management, and the appropriate sectoral area.

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Provide energy access technologies and business models technical support to Mercy Corps’ teams globally, including those in complex crisis environments; Support effective interventions through integrated approaches and systems thinking.
• Strengthen partnerships at global, regional and country levels with technology companies, financial service providers, impact investors, institutional donors, foundations, research institutes, UN agencies, peer organizations, and host country governments.
• Maintain standards of program delivery through application of agency approaches and compliance with relevant regulations and requirements.
• Increase program capacity within Mercy Corps through developing and circulating tools such as training and workshops, manuals, case studies, webinars, and monitoring and evaluation tools; Collaborate withDirector to set and execute strategies addressing agency-wide program quality needs.

LEARNING AND IMPACT

• Provide in-country and remote training for Mercy Corps staff, partners, and programs with assistance on assessment, implementation, research, and evaluation.
• Build a strong community of practice across Mercy Corps in your technical area to strengthen program quality and build a community of technical experts.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Build Mercy Corps’ reputation as a critical influencer in access to energy and low carbon development in fragile contexts and grow our external visibility on relevant technical areas and lead external representation efforts.
• Represent Mercy Corps at academic events, conferences, media forums, and other events; Contribute to thought leadership in area of expertise.
• Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions; Present concepts and ideas to donors, partners, and peer organizations that influence them to drive innovation and positive change.

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP

● Demonstrate exceptional leadership by consistently delivering expectations and maintaining composure, even in challenging situations.

● Embrace a growth mindset, actively seek diverse perspectives, and welcome feedback to drive continuous improvement.

● Maintain the highest ethical standards, treating all individuals with respect and dignity.

● Demonstrate professionalism in all aspects of life, ensuring that your conduct reflects positively on Mercy Corps and does not compromise its mission or work.

● Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility

The position has supervisory responsibility over interns and/or volunteers. At times this position will have supervisory responsibilityover other team members when there is no Director on the team.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director of Energy Access

Works Directly With: all other TRaQ teams, HQ, Regional and Program 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 Qualification & Transferable Skills

• 5 to 7 years of experience required providing increasingly proficient technical support in the relevant field of expertise that includes:
  • Grant writing, research, and proposal development.
  • Leading all aspects of large and complex proposals and managing integrated grant writing teams.
  • Producing and publishing influential articles and blogs.
  • Combining strong theoretical and applied knowledge of the field of expertise using integrated approaches and applying systems thinking.
• Degree in energy engineering, climate finance, environmental policy or management, or other climate change-related specialties preferred.
• Practical field experience required, typically over the course of 2 years, that includes:
  • A temporary duration field assignment, longer-term field assignments, or living in a field location to work in a country or field office.
  • An emergency response assignment or other crisis response work demonstrating successfully adapting support and assistance methodologies to real-world complexities.
  • Managing and implementing successful programs.
  • Delivering Capacity Building curriculum or other processes for program teams.
• Familiarity with major donors such as USAID, FCDO, the EC and relevant foundations and corporations.
• Fluency in English is required; fluency in a foreign language preferred.

Success Factors

The Senior Advisor will have significant experience managing programs and adjusting technical theories to real world complexities. The individual should have the proven ability to influence donors, partners, and peer organizations toward innovative programs and best practices. Through their experience managing large or complex proposals, the individual will be able to coach other Mercy Corps staff on adjusting their methodology. The Senior Advisor must take a lead role in building and maintaining external relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts.

At Mercy Corps, we value team members who embrace curiosity, act with integrity, and foster an environment of inclusion and collaboration. Our successful team members work effectively in evolving and dynamic environments, prioritize clear communication, and build collaborative relationships across departments. They interact with all global team members with an inclusive approach and excel at multitasking, meeting deadlines, and processing information to support our changing program activities.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in UK or NL and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

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

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 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. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.