PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: Mercy Corps has been working in Mali since 2012 to provide timely humanitarian response and promote recovery and resilience of vulnerable and conflict-affected communities. We work closely with public and private partners to jointly address humanitarian and development needs, with a focus on timely humanitarian response, rebuilding livelihoods, increasing microfinance access, promoting opportunities for women and girls, and supporting peace-building and conflict resolution.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Youth Employment and Livelihoods Program Manager is a new position that will provide overall leadership, technical support, and strategic vision to Mercy Corps’ portfolio of youth employment and livelihoods programming in Mali, including management of our new youth livelihoods and migration program funded by the European Commission. The manager will work across Mercy Corps’ portfolio of youth employment and livelihoods programs to provide technical support and ensure that programs apply best practices, maximize synergies and apply a harmonized approach to employment and livelihoods activities. The manager will have a background supporting entrepreneurship, work readiness and private enterprise development, and will support the execution of quality entrepreneurship training and support services across the portfolio. The manager will supervise key staff (directly or indirectly) and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations, while working closely with Mercy Corps team members to build capacity and ensure achievement of program results. The manager will play a key role in the development of relevant proposals, and s/he will provide input to the overall Mercy Corps country strategy in Mali.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Program Management
- Provide overall strategic direction to Mercy Corps’ youth employment and livelihood programs to ensure that program deliverables are attained at high quality, and identify opportunities to innovate or adapt strategies to add value and increase overall impact.
- Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to measure desired impacts and inform program decision-making.
- Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps Program Management Initiative’s (PMI) minimum standards.
- Ensure effective coordination with program partners, including national NGO partners and government entities, and develop strategies to ensure capacity building and skill transfer to national stakeholders.
- Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance / buy-in.
- Conduct frequent field visits to all program sites, security permitting.
Technical Assistance
- Work with other Program Managers and field staff to design, implement and evaluate youth employment and livelihoods activities, promoting synergies, program learning, and coordination between programs using livelihoods and employment approaches.
- Implement and model Mercy Corps’ philosophy of social entrepreneurship and leverage Mercy Corps’ best practices.
- Increase staff capacity by designing and leading technical training sessions on youth employment and livelihoods and programming approaches for Mercy Corps staff and local partners and provide ongoing coaching and mentoring.
Vision, Leadership and Strategy
- Develop a clear vision and strategy for Mercy Corps’ youth employment and livelihoods programs, and support development of new programs in line with this strategy.
- Ensure that Mercy Corps’ youth employment and livelihoods strategy is clear and communicated to team members, local beneficiaries, donors, Government of Mali and other partners.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and aligned with Mercy Corps’ principles and values (Vision for Change).
- Collaborate with other related Mercy Corps programs to create synergies wherever possible.
Team Management
- Create a work atmosphere that promotes professional development of personnel at all levels.
- Establish performance expectations and regularly provide constructive feedback to staff.
- Contribute to team-building efforts across the Mercy Corps’ youth employment and livelihoods programs and encourage the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
- Facilitate training and management of staff, particularly national team members.
Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Support effective program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems for both internal and external use and ensure high quality input is obtained from team members.
- Use reporting results to monitor program success, measure impact, and calibrate program strategy accordingly.
- Ensure documentation of achievements and lessons learned and ensure best practices are captured and disseminated in quarterly and final program reports, and shared with internal and external stakeholders as appropriate.
Representation and Coordination
- Liaise with relevant stakeholders including government ministries and local extension agents, donor organizations, humanitarian clusters, local NGOs, project partners, private sector partners and community members to ensure support for and acceptance of Mercy Corps’ projects in relevant technical sectors.
Fiscal, Compliance Management and Accountability
- Collaborate with program, finance and administrative staff to ensure systems are in compliance with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
- As appropriate, coordinate and manage relevant program budget lines within approved spending levels and ensure compliance with all donor and Mercy Corps’ rules and regulations.
- 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.
- Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps policies as per internal/ external audit requirements.
- Ensure accurate and timely program financial reporting to donors and Mercy Corps’ headquarters.
Accountability to Beneficiaries: 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.
Organizational Learning: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Project team
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Mercy Corps Mali Deputy Country Director
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Mercy Corps Mali Program Mangers, Administration, Finance and Logistics departments. Also works directly with local national staff and relevant Mercy Corps headquarters units as necessary, including Mercy Corps’ Economic and Market Development Team, Youth and Adolescents Technical Advisors, Humanitarian Response Advisors, and program support and finance units.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- Masters degree in economics, business, international development, social sciences, international relations or other relevant field preferred.
- Minimum 5 years’ relevant professional experience implementing youth employment or livelihoods programs, preferably in insecure or transitional environments.
- Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills.
- Experience managing national staff.
- Experience working with and building the capacity of national partner organizations.
- Experience working with the private sector and building shared value partnerships.
- Familiarity and experience with EC and/or USAID regulations preferred.
- Must be able to work independently while being a strong team player.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The successful Program Manager will have the ability to multi-task, set priorities, and work under tight deadlines within a complex team. S/he will demonstrate strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate, assume leadership, and make solid decisions while working remotely from country leadership.
LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
The position is based in Bamako with travel to project areas, security permitting. Bamako is served by an international airport with daily flights to European and African destinations. Restaurants and shopping options are available but may be limited. Health care services exist but for more serious conditions, medevac to Dakar, Senegal or Europe may be required. There are international schools and Bamako is an accompanied family post.
While the city has been mostly secure, recent attacks against foreigners underscore the fluidity of the situation and may require expatriate staff to adhere to security policies, such as restrictions on movement.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
