Please note this role requires work authorization and residency with Burkina Faso at the time of application
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.
Program/Department Summary
Mercy Corps has been working in Burkina Faso since 2016 and intervenes in the areas of youth employment / skills development, livestock research, social cohesion/peacebuilding/CVE, and Collaboration and Learning (CLA) for the improvement of development assistance. Mercy Corps’ Burkina Faso operations are part of an integrated country mission jointly with Niger, where much of the senior management is based. Current funding in Burkina Faso is $12 million+ over five years, and Mercy Corps has its country office in Ouagadougou and field presence in Kaya and soon Fada N’gourma, Gaoua, and Po. The current annual budget includes funding from USAID, PATRIP Foundation, and others.
For its expanding operations in Burkina Faso, Mercy Corps is recruiting a Team Leader who is directly responsible for official representation in the country, identifying new program opportunities, supervising ongoing implementation, and providing overall leadership to the operations/support functions in the country.
General Position Summary
The Team Leader officially represents Mercy Corps with government authorities, donors and partners, facilitates the coordination between all of Mercy Corps’ ongoing programs in Burkina Faso, and participates in all relevant coordination meetings and mechanisms. S/he supervises the different support departments (security, finance, operations, HR and administration) and supports the Country Director and Director of Programs in their fundraising and program development efforts, particularly with regards to humanitarian response. To this end, s/he oversees the different support/operations departments and the non-complex Program Managers. Combined with strong leadership, communication and relationship building, humanitarian programming experience and operational decision-making, this is an important management position within Mercy Corps, with supervisory and managerial responsibilities. The position is for Burkinabé nationals/candidates only.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY & VISION
- Communicate a clear vision of present and future program goals and strategies to Burkina Faso team members and external stakeholders;
- Contribute to strategy development and prioritize and organize actions and resources to achieve objectives set through those processes;
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Working closely with the program development team and the Director of Programs Niger & Burkina Faso, identify/elevate potential opportunities for new programming or funding in Burkina Faso.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Support the conceptualization, implementation and continual improvement of Mercy Corps Programs in Burkina Faso
- In coordination with program team members, lead program start-up, management, administration and closeout. Ensure implementation is on time, target and budget
- Support program development initiatives for Burkina Faso, including cross-border opportunities, field assessments, in particular with coordination, partnership development and representation during the program development process
- Provide leadership to increase coordination, collaboration, communication and harmonization of Mercy Corps programming and operations in Burkina Faso;
- Engage Burkina Faso program leadership (DOP, DCOPs, PMs) in ongoing context analysis that enables programs and teams to adapt to significant changes in the geopolitical/conflict environment;
- Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation inside the country.
- Integrate community approaches and gender sensitivity into all activities
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews;
- Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary;
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, leading this for the Burkina Faso team, helping team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
OPERATIONS & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
- Ensure adequate technical, analytical and administrative support for programs.
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
- Ensure the smooth running of the country office in Ouagadougou and any field offices in terms of having appropriate staff and systems are in place including providing any necessary training or guidance.
- Supervise Operations/Finance/HR & Admin teams to ensure optimal operational support for Mercy Corps programs and offices, in accordance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures, and provide any necessary training or guidance to operational staff.
- Ensure that all support staff are able to adhere to work plans, and that deliverables are completed as promised.
- Ensure effective and transparent use and documentation of financial resources by all staff in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
- Review and approve requests for purchase according to the delegation of limit of authority; track commitments and expenditure against budgets
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
- Represent Mercy Corps in all relevant NGO forums, cluster meetings, and other coordination meetings and forums;
- Represent Mercy Corps with formal and informal government structures and representatives, maintain and develop relevant and productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders;
- Maintain productive relationships with internal and external constituents such as private partners, local NGOs and civil society organizations and academic institutions;
- Explore, evaluate and present innovative funding opportunities that support program objectives;
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, governments and other stakeholders.
SECURITY
- Maintain oversight of access provisions to ensure Mercy Corps’ continued ability to access our most vulnerable and hard-to-reach beneficiaries;
- Assist Country Director and Operations & Security Manager in maintaining and advising on appropriate security systems and procedures, ensure that all team members are aware of, and adhere to these procedures.
- Ensure all team members understand and are compliant with Mercy Corps policies on safety and security, conflict of interest, and general conduct, in a manner, which is appropriate to an international NGO.
- Provide regular reports on program and administrative activities and the security situation, as well as incident reports, to Country Director as per determined communication schedule.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our program participants 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 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.
Supervisory Responsibility All heads of department, non-complex Program Managers, etc.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Niger and Burkina Faso Country Director
Works Directly With: Chiefs of Party, Deputy Chiefs of Party; Director of Programs, Operations & Security Manager, Finance & Compliance Manager, Sahel Security Advisor
Knowledge and Experience
- BA/S or equivalent in relevant field required, MA/S preferred;
- At least 5 years of leadership and management experience with an international NGO in humanitarian operations and previous work experience in other African countries and insecure environments essential;
- Substantial knowledge of the international humanitarian system, institutions and donors, and of compliance requirements, accountability frameworks and best practices; prior experience with funding from USAID, DFID/FCDO, ECHO, UN and other leading donors;
- Robust experience in developing, operationalizing, and implementing program strategies;
- Demonstrated experience in representation and negotiation resulting in securing significant new opportunities or partnerships for the organization;
- Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments;
- Highly-developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching;
- Solid operations management skills related to international, cross-functional teams;
- Experience of solving complex issues collegially, defining a clear way forward, and utilizing best practices in management to ensure shared success;
- Outstanding analytical and strategic thinking skills, with a focus on results and impact;
- Excellent spoken and written English skills required.
Success Factors
The successful candidate is a Burkinabé national that is a confident representative in public settings, able to speak up when needed to defend Mercy Corps’ positions and influence key stakeholders internally and externally to further and expand Mercy Corps goals in Burkina Faso. S/he has international work experience with an NGO, ideally in humanitarian settings. S/he has excellent information management skills, is a strategic thinker. S/he has an outstanding ability to design, implement and manage innovative programs that respond to current needs and reinforce the future program structure of Mercy Corps in Burkina Faso.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The Team Leader is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and requires work authorization and residency with Burkina Faso prior to application to the role.
The position requires regular travel to field locations in the country and sometimes to Niger. The team member must follow all security protocols at all times. 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.
Diversity is powerful. To achieve transformational change, we seek out team members with different origins, beliefs, backgrounds and ways of thinking. Diversity helps us unlock complexity.
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. 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.
More Information
- Job City Ouagadougou
