This is a 3 months role with intention to extend up to 12 months contingent on funding
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 operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 200 people working in North and South Kivu, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in North Kivu and South Kivu. Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to: 1) Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development. Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo. With funding from humanitarian donors including OFDA and UN-donors, the humanitarian portfolio continues to expand in order to provide multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency CASH & NFI to displaced and host populations. Mercy Corps plans to scale up and expand its humanitarian response to reach more beneficiaries with additional and varied assistance in a wider geographic area. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender sensitive manner.
General Position Summary
The Emergency Cash Officer is responsible for assisting in the coordination and implementation of emergency Cash and NFI interventions. The Emergency Cash Officer will assist The Cash & NFI Manager in the creation of technical tools, new methodologies for implementation, supervision of interventions, and the development of new programs and proposals. Monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting, and building the program management (including M&E, communication, financial management and reporting) skills of key national team members will also be essential responsibilities.
The Emergency Cash Officer is an effective communicator able to work with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common objectives. S/he will be will demonstrate strong interest in Cash and Markets programming, as well as management. S/he will demonstrate strong knowledge of security protocols and processes and be willing to spend long periods of time in possibly insecure deep filed locations with basic accommodation and limited access to internet, phone reception.
Essential Job Responsibilities
PROGRAM AND TECHNICAL
- Assist in coordination of the program with internal and external actors, delivering assistance to the most vulnerable and using program capacity effectively.
- The development of detailed implementation plans, maintaining rapid response capacity, and monitoring program delivery in line with Mercy Corps minimum standards for Cash.
- Monitor and assist in the delivery of donor requirements.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities, authorities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan (such as Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards).
- Assist in the creation and delivery of trainings for national staff, in collaboration with the Cash Advisor.
- Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective MEL systems to achieve the desired impact.
- Assist with the creation of new approaches and methodologies for Cash programming in DRC
- Assist in the development of technical tools and training programs.
- Assist in the development of new and innovative programming, including proposal writing, budget creation, implementation planning, set up, and delivery.
- Assist team in accurate and timely reporting of CASH & NFI activities, in accordance with Mercy Corps and donor requirements.
FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL
- Collaborate and communicate with finance, procurement, logistics, HR and admin teams in an effective and inclusive way, ensuring CASH & NFI program planning is participatory of support departments.
- Monitor procurement and logistic planning, ensuring CASH & NFI goods/services meet specifications and are procured/delivered to field sites in a timely way.
- Ensure effective and transparent use and documentation of financial resources by all staff in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
- In collaboration with operations teams, monitor CASH & NFI asset and stock management.
- Assist in monitoring the program budgets, including tacking of program spending, financial obligations, and projected spending.
- Ensure that incoming staff have all the necessary equipment and proper induction schedule.
SECURITY
- Ensure compliance with field security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
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.
Reports to: Cash and NFI Manager
Works Directly With: Emergency Grants Manager, CASH Technical Advisor, KCRI Manager, RRMP Manager, Protection Advisor, Emergency M&E Manager & Officer, Emergency Finance Manager and Support staff.
Knowledge and Experience
- Masters or equivalent in humanitarian affairs, development, Nutrition, International affairs or other relevant field.
- 1 year of international relief and development program management experience, in CASH and NFI preferred.
- Livelihoods and market rehabilitation experience/knowledge, strongly desired.
- Established ability to communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.
- Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
- Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a program to achieve stated results and objectives.
- Experience with proposal development and donor reporting. Experience with ECHO, UNICEF, SDC or USAID desired.
- Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
- Excellent oral and written English and French skills required.
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
- Previous experience in insecure environments. HEAT training desired.
- Willingness to spend long periods of time in possibly insecure deep field positions with basic accommodation, bucket showers, and little to no access to internet, cell reception, required.
- Data management and analysis skills, desired.
- Knowledge of the DRC context, desired. **
Success Factors**
The successful Emergency Cash Officer will have experience/knowledge with cash related programs, previous field experience in insecure environments, and a creative and innovative mindset regarding emergency cash programming. S/he will demonstrate a strong interest in project management, emergency response programming, and market rehabilitation in crisis. Prioritizing, problem solving, ability to seize opportunities, and attention to detail are essential qualities of the Emergency Cash Officer. The most successful Mercy Corps staff 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 Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This position is an unaccompanied position. Shared housing will be provided in Goma according to Mercy Corps DRC housing policy. Goma is a provincial capital of over 700,000 inhabitants. Travel may be required up to 60% of the time to program areas within North and South Kivu. Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.
While security is quite stable in Goma, North and South Kivu continue to be an arena of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps’ sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.
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.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
More Information
- Job City Goma