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 exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by building secure, productive and just communities. In Tunisia, Mali and Uganda, Mercy Corps is working to build entrepreneurial eco-system, partnering with business incubators and other key stakeholders to nurture start-ups which have a social dimension or target the bottom of the pyramid.
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps is seeking candidates for the Programme Manager (PM) who will manage and lead the implementation of an anticipated three-year programme for Tunisia, Mali and Uganda. The PM will lead project oversight, managing for results and heading the technical, administrative, operational, and logistical management of the project. The PM will also have direct oversight of M&E functions. Additionally, the PM will support and manage high-priority communications and outreach with external partners who are critical to our work (mentors, investors, and donors), as well as other tasks as needed. The PM will liaise closely with country leads in Mali and Uganda to ensure a single cohesive programme.
Essential Job Responsibilities
TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP
- Provide leadership and strategic vision to the technical components of the program including business ecosystem development, partnership selection and management, and overall sector strategy.
- Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations.
- Oversee performance of consortium partners and sub-grantees.
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Lead the development of a program-wide framework to guide coordination and integrated implementation.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
- Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
- Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work- plans, and ensure the delivery of the same.
- Lead the introduction of the program with Government stakeholders, ensuring necessary approvals and collaboration as required.
- Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established criteria.
- Integrate community and bottom of the pyramid approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
- Provide managerial and programmatic oversight to partners and sub-grantee(s).
- Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
- Produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities.
- Oversee efforts to design effective M&E systems for the program, and linkages with internal M&E systems.
- Create and follow effective stakeholder management plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps Tunisa, Mali and Uganda, partner organizations, Mercy Corps headquarters, the donor, Government authorities, and colleague agencies.
- Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites – spend up to 40% of time in the field .
PROGRAM SUPPORT OPERATIONS
- Coordinate with program, finance and administration/logistics staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics, procurement, security, administration and human resources.
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
- Facilitate the achievement of performance-based targets and outcomes and lead efforts to design effective, proactive, and iterative M&E systems following the program’s logical framework and results chain measurement.
- Oversee the scope of work, deliverables and overall quality of work of any internal or external evaluation or research partners.
- Oversee the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports on all aspects of the program in a timely and efficient manner.
- Ensure program data and analysis is used for learning by holding and leading semi-annual program workshops with all program partners.
- Document achievements/impact of innovative program components of the program.
- Ensure that M&E and all team members together focus on assisting the program to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing program analysis and decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level
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.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND MENTORING
- Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
- Build the capacity of local partners
- Implement, and ensure all staff are effectively using, the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision making processes
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COORDINATION
- Active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote the use of best practices.
- Strengthen linkages with other internal resources, including the LMS, Digital Library, Hub, and Connect, to enhance organizational learning where relevant to M&E.
- Maintain close working relationships with companies, investor networks, business incubators and counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, and local NGOs and associations.
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: National and international team members working on the program, as well as partnerships with international and national program partners. The number of direct and indirect reports is to be determined.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Tunisia Country Director
Works Directly With: Deputy Regional Director, Program teams, partners. Coordinate with headquarters MEL team, headquarters technical support unit
Knowledge and Experience
- BA/S or equivalent required, ideally in fields such as business, economics, entrepreneurship, technology
- 2-4 years of experience in a fast-paced and demanding work environment, such as a management consulting firm, bank, tech company, social business, online startup; or other directly applicable experience overseeing fast paced operations and communications
- Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues
- Excellent English and French communication skills required;
- Ideally have experience drafting compelling written/online communications for advocacy and/or fundraising
- Previous experience collecting and/or analyzing data using spreadsheets
- Previous work experience in North, West or East Africa preferred; may be substituted with experience in other frontier markets or resource constrained environments
- Previous experience working with private sector actors to support incubators, accelerators, and investors including direct relationship cultivation and management desirable
- An existing network of start- up business players is desirable (incubators, investors, finance providers
- Experience with Open Lab, Living Lab, Fab Lab, bottom of the pyramid and design centered thinking approaches desirable
- Attention to detail, and ideally have familiarity planning trips, complex events, and/or hosting a wide variety of visitors.
Success Factors:
The ideal candidate is familiar with and interested in technology and entrepreneurship, and eager to have positive social impact in a challenging, but inspiring place. You are a proactive, natural problem solver always thinking several steps ahead, and try every possible solution before raising any issue with your boss. You have strong emotional intelligence and love building relationships. You are highly perceptive and exercise good judgement in uniquely complex political and social situations that involve diverse stakeholders. You are flexible and quick to adapt to new challenging situations. You do not flinch at power outages or border crossing delays. A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team 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.
Living /Environmental Conditions:
The position will be based Tunis and will require frequent travel (up to 40%) to Mali and Uganda.
The location is accompanied. Housing accommodation is provided with freedom of movement beyond the house/office contingent to national moderate level of security measure. Amenities in field sites may be more basic.
Tunis is the capital city of Tunisia with a significant international community presence and many western amenities. Tunis has excellent educational and medical facilities. Tunisia is facing social and economic challenges, while performing its democratic transition. In 2015, three terrorist attacks took place in several locations and security is a growing concern in Tunisia like in many African and Middle East & North African (MENA) countries.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
PI99371778
More Information
- Job City Tunis
