Senior Strategic Partnerships Officer (EC) – Brussels, Belgium

Location: Brussels, Belgium – flexible working environement

Position Status: Full-time, permanent

Salary: starting salary € 57,196- commensurate based on professional experience.

Closing date: please submit applications before May 21st

Valid unrestricted work authorisation for the country is required at the time of application for this position.

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.

Department Summary

The Strategic Partnerships Team in Europe leads on the development and delivery of donor engagement strategies and plans, focusing on priority donors across Europe. EC has been a key partner of Mercy Corps since 1994. Under our new global strategy and the European Strategic Plan, we are looking to deepen and expand our relationship with the EC as a donor and policy maker.

The Position

The Senior Strategic Partnerships Officer (EC) is a key member of our Strategic Partnerships team, responsible for providing comprehensive support to growing our portfolio of funding with the EC. The role will ensure Mercy Corps’ teams have the accurate and up-to-date information on EC’s guidelines and standards for programmes, and will support proposal development efforts, working closely with country and regional teams to develop successful applications for EC funding.

Essential Responsibilities

DONOR INTELLIGENCE:

· Monitor and analyse relevant trends and developments related to EC funding and provide advice to Regional Programme Teams (RPT) and Country Offices on opportunities to prioritise and pursue.

· Coordinate with the RPT to participate in donor briefings in Brussels and country offices.

· Monitor funding calls and share information and call briefs with the relevant teams.

PROJECT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT:

· Develop protocols for effective information sharing and communication on EC funding opportunities across the organisation.

· Collaborate with the RPT, country teams and Technical Support Unit (TSU) to contribute to the development of project proposals, ensuring alignment with EC priorities and guidelines. Support could include reviewing compliance to the ECHO eSF and other EC guidelines, advice on technical resources / themes (such as cash), visibility, etc.

· Provide support and expertise to country and regional offices on EC programme standards and guidelines.

· Coordinate internal selection processes for global EC calls.

· Maintain EC pipeline/portfolio overview.

REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION:

· Participate in coordination mechanisms with peer organisations and networks, such as the VOICE Humanitarian Partnership Watch Group.

· Represent MC in dialogues with EC on regulatory frameworks, programme briefings, and partnership development.

· Planning, organising, and hosting visits/visitors – coordinating with other RPT, Strategic Institutional Partnerships (SIP), Policy & Advocacy, scheduling meetings, briefing notes, prep meetings with the teams, accompanying visitors to meetings.

· Maintain collaborative relationships with existing partner organisations and explore potential new partnerships in coordination with country offices where relevant.

LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:

· Contribute to the development of capacity-building and knowledge sharing initiatives to strengthen the skills and knowledge of project teams.

· Develop or maintain/update tools, platforms, and internal workflows for efficient donor compliance. This includes maintaining donor pages, updating and publishing internal guidance tools.

· Contribute to the documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and success stories from EC-funded projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director of EU Relations

Works Directly With: SIP Team, P&A team, RPT

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 or Master’s degree in international development, humanitarian assistance, or a related field.

· Extensive experience working with EC programming and solid knowledge of its guidelines and requirements.

· Strong understanding of ECHO and INTPA structures, funding priorities, and regulatory frameworks.

· Proven ability to build and nurture partnerships, with excellent networking and relationship-building skills.

· Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to convey complex issues effectively.

· Fluency in English; proficiency in French an asset.

· Experience working in an international, multicultural environment, with field experience from humanitarian operations as a plus.

· Prior experience in an INGO, UN agency, or the European Commission is advantageous.

· Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position requires up to 20% travel to other European locations.

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, 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 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 e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment. Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.