Mercy Corps exists to
alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure,
productive and just communities.
Mercy Corps is looking
for a committed and dynamic individual to take up the following position:
Sub-Grants Coordinator, PROGRESS Programme -
Nairobi
Programme / Department
Summary: The PROGRESS
Sub-Grants Coordinator will play a critical role in the successful
implementation of a proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED
initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and
Disasters). Mercy Corps anticipates a programme award under BRACED to implement
the “Programme for Resilient Systems” (PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Kenya-based
F&A Manager will play a key role in implementation of the entire program.
General Position
Summary: The Sub-Grants
Coordinator oversees the inner workings of the PROGRESS Consortium partner
agreements and sub-grant resources to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps
systems, donor compliance requirements, and overall efficient grant management
with the aim of timely deliverables, milestones and value-for-money efforts.
Essential Job
Functions:
Program
Implementation:
- Oversee
and coordinate management of sub-grant agreements and financial management
of sub-grants
- Review
and track expenses and proper documentation as per Mercy Corps procedures
and donor requirements for record keeping and accountancy
- Responsible
for processing of sub-grants and issuance of payments, transfers and
transactions between PROGRESS consortium members as well as locally
engaged partners.
- Oversee
pre-award and post-award activities include asset control, timely
reporting and contract fulfilment to check against payment
- Work
with PROGRESS Finance and Administration Manager to track budget and
expenditures vis-à-vis sub-grant awards and ensure proper reporting,
documentation and overall deliverables are reviewed by Senior Management
and signed off on prior to issuance of payment.
- Ensure
consistency across sub-grantees on basic provisions and highlight issues
that could be viewed as bias or discrepancies.
- Provide
regular reports on progress, issues, recommendations that need to be
considered for operational adjustment
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting: Work with the PROGRESS Senior Management,
M&E and finance staff in Nairobi and home office to ensure that PROGRESS
deliverables are aligned with value-for-money objectives and that financial
milestones are proportionate to program milestones.
Staff Management, Professional Development and Team building:
- Create
a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of personnel
at all levels.
- Implement,
and ensure all staff are effectively using, the performance planning and
management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly
providing constructive feedback.
- Promote
accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct
supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same.
- Contribute
to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team
members into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations: Ensure that PROGRESS
financial systems are efficient and are based on smooth-running infrastructure
that facilitate timely and efficient program implementation. Provide regular
review of field operations to ensure cost-effectiveness and provide guidance on
improved operational practices for value-for-money.
Security: Work with field office management teams to establish financial
reporting and management systems that ensure the safety and security of
PROGRESS financial resources including cash assets and records.
Organizational Learning: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.
Supervisory Responsibility: None
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Finance and Administration Manager
Works Directly With: Kenya and Uganda Country Directors and
finance teams, Kenya and Uganda PROGRESS Programme Managers, Sub-Grants
Coordinator and Sub-Grants Officer, and technical and support staff from Mercy
Corps office in Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Bachelor’s
degree in relevant field, Master’s preferred
- Minimum
5 years’ experience with grant management, including pre- and post-award
management, financial analysis, budgeting and experience with DFID
compliance requirements.
- Excellent
organizational skills with close attention to detail
- Excellent
communication skills- oral and written.
- Must be
able to work in a cross-cultural environment with strong diplomacy and
negotiating skills.
Success Factors:
The successful
candidate will have the following characteristics:
- A
strong team player, with good communication and diplomatic skills.
- Proven
ability to work independently as part of a regional team and with
international professionals.
- Excellent
analytical and information management skills.
- Good
organizational skills and ability to work under stress and in austere
contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible
and creative in planning and problem solving.
- Attention
to detail, ability to follow procedures and meet deadlines and work
independently and cooperatively with team members.
- Proven
excellence maintaining professional internal and external relationships.
- A focus
on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are
pending approval of our PROGRESS program by the donor.
Programme Manager, PROGRESS Programme – Wajir
Programme / Department Summary: The PROGRESS Programme Manager will lead the
implementation of a proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED
initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and
Disasters). Mercy Corps anticipates a programme award under BRACED to implement
the “Programme for Resilient Systems” (PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Kenya-based Programme Manager
will play a key role in implementation.
General Position Summary: The Programme manager will provide
leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of the
PROGRESS in northern Kenya, managing staff and resources, and consortium
members, and to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables
on-time and within budget.
The Programme Manager will supervise
program staff in Wajir and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and
donor rules and regulations.
He/she will report to and work with
the Programme Director to engage in program representation to donors, relevant
government entities, partners, other implementers and external
stakeholders.
Managing the consortium-related
aspects of this project will be key in ensuring the success of the project.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation:
- Provide leadership and strategic vision of program
implementation, development and management.
- Ensure that program implementation is
responsive to government counterparts, communities and partners, and
aligned with Mercy Corps principles, values and strategic plan.
- Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy
Corps policies and procedures and relevant external rules and
regulations.
- Oversee performance of consortium
partners/sub-grantees.
- Conduct frequent field visits to all project
sites and maintain strong and productive relationships with various
partners and stakeholders at national, local and community levels.
Monitoring & Evaluation
(M&E) and Reporting:
- Facilitate the achievement of program targets
and objectives and lead efforts to design effective M&E systems.
- Oversee the scheduling and production of
formal and informal reports on all aspects of the program in a timely and
efficient manner.
- Ensure that M&E staff focus on assisting
programs to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing
program decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level.
Coordination and Representation:
- Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor,
NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the
Country Director.
- Coordinate activities with consortium
partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well
as with other Mercy Corps programs.
Staff Management, Professional
Development and Team building:
- Create a work atmosphere conducive to
professional growth and development of personnel at all levels.
- Implement, and ensure all staff are
effectively using, the performance planning and management system,
establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive
feedback.
- Promote accountability by conducting staff
annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that
supervisory staff do the same.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts,
and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant
decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations: Coordinate with program and finance and
administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support
field activities including logistics (transport, warehousing and asset
management), procurement, security, administration and human resources. Propose
design of new local policies for greater efficiency and cost savings, as needed
and in accordance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
Security: Work
closely with the country teams’ security focal points to develop and maintain
systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its
work. Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis
and understanding of security management priorities.
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:
Direct supervision of: Country-level Project officers,
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Director based in Nairobi, Kenya
Works Directly With: Kenya Country Director, fellow Programme
Managers in both countries (where multiple programs operate), and technical and
support staff from Mercy Corps office in Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh,
Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- MA, MSc or equivalent in governance and public
policy, economic development or environmental policy or related field.
- At least five years of experience including
three years in a senior management position, including at a
regional/cross-country level.
- Previous experience with and strong
understanding of DFID rules, regulations and compliance issues
- Strong writing, communication, organization,
prioritization and negotiating skills.
- Strong management skills, with good
understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.
- Experience contributing to donor-funded
proposal processes including assessment, design, and writing
- Proven understanding of both urban and rural
livelihoods systems, climate change adaptation strategies, and resilience
programming;
- Experience implementing activities in Kenya,
especially northern Kenya/ ASALs – with a strong understanding of the
current political, economic, cultural and historical context. Knowledge of
and experience working in Karamoja preferred.
- Excellent quantitative skills required.
Financial accounting experience preferred.
- Experience in building and maintaining
strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner
agencies is preferred. This includes coordinating with government
authorities and counterparts.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to
follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Demonstrated success building, managing and
leading a team of professionals.
- Experience working in conflict environments is
preferred.
- Security management experience in remote and
insecure environments.
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have
the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All
the positions are pending approval of our PROGRESS program by the donor.
Programme Coordinator, PROGRESS Programme – Nairobi
Programme / Department Summary: The PROGRESS Programme Coordinator will work
in collaboration with the PROGRESS Programme Director, Programme Managers and
PROGRESS Consortium members in the implementation of a proposed multi-year
project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation
to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme
award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems” (PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Kenya-based Programme Coordinator
will play a key role in implementation.
Summary: The Programme Coordinator will work directly
with Programme Managers to support oversight of accountability and adherence to
Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations, and program milestones
and deliverables.
He/she will report to and work with
the Programme Director and engage in program representation to donors, relevant
government entities, partners, other implementers and external stakeholders.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation:
The Programme Coordinator will assist
in overall program management of PROGRESS program activities in both Kenya and
Uganda, as well as facilitation of communication and program documentation
within the PROGRESS Consortium through support to programme planning, strategy
development and communications between consortium members, program management
staff and external partners.
This role will also entail oversight
of the multi-country activities of PROGRESS to support the Programme Director
to ensure cross-country cohesion in resilience messaging, planning, monitoring,
evaluation and implementation.
The Programme Coordinator will also
support operations around the PROGRESS learning agenda within each of the
programme locations (Kenya and Uganda), and strategies for cross-country
learning.
As deputy to the Programme Director,
the Programme Coordinator will also be tasked with a shared representational
role at resilience events and fora in the region and information management as
it relates to resilience within Kenya and Uganda.
The Programme Coordinator will also
assist with oversight of the PROGRESS communications strategy and lead in
development of materials, presentations and other media in accordance with the
DFID compliance requirements for the global BRACED profile.
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting:
- Support Programme Managers in the achievement
of program targets and objectives and support efforts towards the design
effective M&E systems and operations.
- Facilitate the coordination, scheduling and
production of formal and informal reports and documentation and
communication of reports and learning materials.
Coordination and
Representation:
- Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor,
NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the
Programme Director. Attend key events, committee meetings, fora, seminars,
etc. as they relate to East Africa resilience.
- Coordinate activities with consortium
partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well
as with other Mercy Corps programs.
Staff Management, Professional
Development and Team building: Contribute
to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team and
consortium members into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations:
- Ensure close communication across
cross-country field teams and consortium members regarding program
activities and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality
implementation.
- Coordinate with program, finance, and
administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.
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: None.
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Director based in Nairobi, Kenya
Works Directly With: Kenya and Uganda Country Directors, Programme
Managers in both countries, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps
office in Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- MA, MSc or equivalent in governance, public
administration, environmental policy or related field.
- At least five years of experience including
three years in a senior management position, including at a
regional/cross-country level.
- Previous experience with and strong
understanding of DFID rules, regulations and compliance issues
- Strong writing, communication, organization,
prioritization and negotiating skills.
- Strong management skills, with good
understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.
- Experience contributing to donor-funded
proposal processes including assessment, design, and writing
- Proven understanding of both urban and rural
livelihoods systems, climate change adaptation strategies, public
administration and resilience programming;
- Experience implementing activities in Kenya,
especially northern Kenya/ ASALs – with a strong understanding of the
current political, economic, cultural and historical context.
- Knowledge of and experience working in
Karamoja preferred.
- Excellent quantitative skills required.
Financial accounting experience preferred.
- Experience in building and maintaining
strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner
agencies is preferred. This includes coordinating with government
authorities and counterparts.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to
follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Demonstrated success building, managing and
leading a team of professionals.
- Experience working in conflict environments is
preferred.
- Security management experience in remote and
insecure environments.
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have
the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All
the positions are pending approval of our PROGRESS program by the donor.
Natural Resources Management (NRM) Team
Leader, PROGRESS Programme – Wajir
Programme / Department Summary: The Natural Resources Management (NRM) Team
Leader will work in collaboration with the PROGRESS Programme Director,
Programme Managers and PROGRESS Consortium members in the implementation of a
proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building Resilience
and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme
award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems”
(PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Wajir-based NRM Team Leader will play
a key role in implementation.
General Position Summary: The NRM Team Leader will be responsible for
overseeing program activities aimed at strengthening the horizontal and
vertical linkages that support good governance of community assets and resources
derived from the natural environment, including the land and the naturally
occurring elements above and below it.
The NRM Team Leader will lead the
PROGRESS processes for engaging communities, governments and private sector
actors in collective action plans that support household and community access
to and management natural, physical environment and the socio-ecological
systems supported by it.
This can include access to land and
water resources for both human consumption and livestock rangeland and
watering, plus innovative methods for land restoration and climate-smart
agriculture.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation:
- Engage with remote communities to establish
priorities for community-led natural resources management, and lead process
for developing community NRM plans
- Work in conjunction with local government to
advocate for community NRM needs and priorities, especially around
rangeland management for Wajir and water resources
- Identify pilot opportunities for community NRM
plan implementation and manage pilot projects and monitor for possibility
of scale up.
- Work within national and local government
strategic plans for resource management and advocate for cohesive
implementation of projects that demonstrates government responsiveness to
community processes.
- Identify opportunity areas for alternative
methods of climate-smart agriculture, such as northern Wajir in the
highlands.
- Work with Mercy Corps technical staff,
Consortium members such as University of Nairobi and local partners to
establish locally appropriate pilots.
- Work with private sector and line ministries
to address environmental harmful methods of extracting local natural
resources, such as lime, gums, resins, etc. and use Shared Learning
Dialogues as a forum for policy formulation around sustainable methods,
alternative energy mechanisms, and water management and conservation.
- Coordinate with counterpart agencies and
organizations involved in conservation, climate change adaptation for
information exchange, learning and optimizing efforts and resources.
- Engage pastoralists in inter-community
dialogue around access to land and water for livestock management.
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)
and Reporting:
- Support Programme Manager in the achievement
of program targets and objectives and support efforts towards the design
effective M&E systems and operations.
- Facilitate the coordination, scheduling and
production of formal and informal reports and documentation and
communication of reports and learning materials.
- Actively record, document and demonstrate all
aspects of governance activities for impact measurement and learning
purposes.
Coordination and
Representation:
- Represent
Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the
field, in close coordination with the Programme Director.
- Attend key events, committee meetings, fora,
seminars, etc. as they relate to resilience.
- Coordinate activities with consortium
partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well
as with other Mercy Corps programs.
Staff Management, Professional
Development and Team building: Contribute
to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team and
consortium members into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations:
- Ensure close communication across
cross-country field teams and consortium members regarding program
activities and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality
implementation.
- Coordinate with program, finance, and
administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.
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: NRM Officer, Community Mobilizer
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Manager
Works Directly With: Programme Manager, Team Leaders, Consortium
Members, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in Portland,
Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A Postgraduate (MSc and PhD) degree in a
related field of expertise (e.g. NRM, pastoral livestock management,
animal husbandry, water resources, irrigation, agro-economy, rural
development, conservation agriculture, environmental policy, etc.).
- Basic knowledge of various natural resource
disciplines, including air quality, water quality, geomorphic and
hydrologic processes, fire and vegetation management, fish and wildlife
management, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, conservation biology and
restoration ecology.
- Knowledge and experience in either livestock
and rangeland management, OR irrigation, water harvesting and water saving
methods in arid lands, OR economic feasibility in agriculture and rural
development;
- At least 8 years of technical and practical
work experience in one of the required fields;
- Experience and proven track record in rural
development and participatory methods (including participatory integrated
development plans)
- Experience with working with pastoral
societies, including dealing with gender issues and complex social
decision-making structures / conflicts.
- Knowledge of legal, institutional and/or
administrative aspects relevant to the topic / in the region
- Expertise in organizational analysis and
partner/project executing agency assessment.
- Expertise in conflict sensitive programme
design and monitoring.
- Experience in environment and climate change
assessments
- Ability to effectively communicate natural
resource information to diverse audiences through a variety of media
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have
the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are pending approval of our
PROGRESS program by the donor.
Market Systems Team Leader, PROGRESS Programme - Wajir
Programme / Department Summary: The Governance Team Leader will work in collaboration with the PROGRESS Programme Director, Programme Managers and PROGRESS Consortium members in the implementation of a proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme
award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems”
(PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Wajir-based Market Systems Team
Leader will play a key role in implementation.
General Position Summary: The Market Systems Team Leader is responsible
for leading the implementation of facilitation projects that make market
dynamics, actors, institutions and services accessible to households within the
PROGRESS focus areas.
These activities will work through
public sector enabling strategies and private sector actors, seeking to crowd
in provision rather than displace or replicate private actors with donor-funded
services.
Facilitation projects increasing
access to technical services, improving access to locally appropriate products,
developing agent input and aggregator networks, improving service offerings and
profitable provision of community animal health services, commercializing
access innovative energy products and methods, and expanding the role and
relationship of line Ministries in strategic prioritization of investment for
economic vitality that contributes to household and community resilience.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation:
- With support from the PROGRESS Programme
Manager and fellow sector-focused Team Leaders, carry out assessments in
the target geographic areas to assess current situation, economic
opportunities and resources, needs and potential programs as well as obstacles
that could be mitigated through PROGRESS engagement with public and
private sector actors;
- Recommend program priorities and explore,
evaluate and present new opportunities that leverage impact and/ or
complement core activities.
- Emphasize the role of, and opportunities for
women and girls in the economic realm in both rural roles and in the urban
sphere;
- Highlight market-based skills which are
emerging with urban growth and work with public, private and development
actors on efforts to match skills of people transitioning out of
pastoralism and urban poor for urban livelihoods and services;
- Introduce the program to relevant stakeholders
including local business owners, local representatives and community
members. Foster ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders and
forge links between market actors, producers, end users, etc.;
- Ensure an integrated approach to program
implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy
between the staff and different MC programs where relevant and feasible.
- Provide direct and ongoing field supervision
to provide quality advise and technical review in areas related to
economic development;
- Identify small business activities for seed
support through basic improvements or inputs;
- Identify value-addition opportunities that
strengthen economic opportunities, especially for rural women and urban
poor, in the livestock, poultry and other sectors as identified by local
government and independent studies and assessments; these will focus on
urbanizing areas of Wajir Town, Habaswein and Garissa Town particularly
for livestock, and climate-smart agriculture areas in northern Wajir that
promotes production and market links for agricultural produce;
- Identify opportunities within the long-term
plans of Wajir County that can be fostered through progress, such as
activating initiatives in the peri-urban livelihoods zone;
Collaboration / Networking
- Establish and maintain productive working
relationships with sub-county and district leaders and local government departments,
representing Mercy Corps in coordination meetings and soliciting their
participation in all activities where appropriate and as directed by the
line manager;
- Ensure close coordination and sharing of
information with relevant stakeholders such as local government
departments, NGO’s and local authorities, as appropriate and advised by
the line manager;
- Identify opportunities for social innovation
and enterprise that could be launched through catalytic investments from
PROGRESS, or public and private sector initiatives;
- Guide Shared Learning Dialogue series that are
thematically focused on enabling environment for market activity,
including long-term infrastructure strategy and prioritization and
identification of potential investors and innovators.
- Lead the planning of Wajir-based and
Nairobi-based learning events, exhibits, workshops that bring private and
public sector entities together to collectively review and discuss
technology developments and innovation and to examine private sector
approaches to household and community challenges that can be incubated
through public sector incentives;
- Engage with PROGRESS Consortium members such
as local civil society and the University of Nairobi around innovation and
best practices for new technologies in climate-smart practice, renewable
energy and energy saving methods;
Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Take primary responsibility for district data
gathering and documentation of program activities
- Comply to M&E systems that will be
established to measure program impacts and desired results
- Analyze project implementation strategies to
identify constraints to program success and provide timely
recommendations;
- Submit timely weekly, monthly, and quarterly
report that will be indicative of program progress during implementation.
- Where needed support external evaluations by
research partner Feinstein International Center and other organizations;
- Work with the M &E to ensure accurate and
timely flow of information from the field for entry in the database and
for preparation of PR materials
Coordination and Representation: Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor,
NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the
Programme Director. Attend key events, committee meetings, fora, seminars, etc.
as they relate to East Africa resilience. Coordinate activities with consortium
partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as
with other Mercy Corps programs.
Staff Management, Professional
Development and Team building: Contribute
to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team and
consortium members into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations: Ensure close communication across
cross-country field teams and consortium members regarding program activities
and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality implementation.
Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting
and problem solving.
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: Market Systems Officer
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Manager
Works Directly With: Programme Manager, Team Leaders, Consortium
Members, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in Portland,
Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A degree, preferably graduate level, in
Business Administration, Economics or Finance is required;
- Minimum of five to seven years working for a
formal financial institution with orientation to mass markets or within
the private sector is required;
- Excellent written and verbal communication
skills;
- Excellent computer skills, specifically in MS
Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to
complete tasks in a timely manner;
- Excellent teamwork abilities and interpersonal
skills;
- Familiarity with M&E, information,
communications and knowledge sharing technologies and use of innovative
approaches on digital financial services
- Superb networking and negotiation skills
required;
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills as
well as familiarity with financial accounting required;
- Demonstrated flexibility, creativity and
enthusiasm as well as a willingness to learn and to be continually
adaptive within a dynamic and often self-directed working environment
mandatory;
- Ability to focus on day-to-day tasks at hand
while also working towards longer-term objectives with an understanding
that these will change continuously
- Willingness to spend much time in the field
and work closely with program target groups.
- Female candidates are highly encouraged to
apply
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have
the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are pending approval of our
PROGRESS program by the donor.
Governance Team Leader, PROGRESS Programme – Wajir
Programme / Department Summary: The Governance Team Leader will work in collaboration with the PROGRESS Programme Director, Programme Managers and PROGRESS Consortium members in the implementation of a proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme
award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems”
(PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Wajir-based Governance Team
Leader will play a key role in implementation.
General Position Summary: The Governance Team Leader will be
responsible for overseeing program activities aimed at strengthening the
horizontal and vertical linkages of governance with the aim of community
development, advocacy and increased public sector support towards public
projects, plans and budgets that enhance resilience.
This includes leading community
mobilization and engagement efforts, promoting engagement of local government
departments, and advocating for strengthening of policies within the PROGRESS
practice areas (water resources management, livestock and rangeland management,
climate-smart agriculture, urban economic linkages).
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation:
- Providing research, review, advocacy,
coordination and support to policy formulation between remote communities
in Wajir, Wajir County Government departments, and national level
government counterparts,
- Coordinating and supervising the
implementation of sub program activities by leading local level Shared
Learning Dialogue sessions between the PROGRESS Team and practice area
line ministries. The SLDs will constitute a series of dialogue workshops
that engage both public and private sector actors around innovation and
learning for greater resilience.
- Facilitating technical coordination of
technical and financial, budget actors in interventions of the various
PROGRESS practice areas to respond to current government strategic plans
and community led initiatives.
- Maintain strong, up-to date understand of the
national and local-level policy environment, including donor initiatives
and funded activities and public budgeting processes, timelines and
prioritization.
- Foster enhanced communication and collective
planning across line ministries in a way that honors needs of communities
with a focus on gender-sensitive policy and budget planning.
- Identify women in positions of community and
local government leadership for targeted technical trainings.
- Lead the planning and coordination of targeted
learning events that emphasize public-sector innovation around
public-private ventures.
- Support coordination of large-scale
infrastructure projects and other elements of an enabling market
environment that local and national governments should consider when
attempting to invite private sector investment and market activity.
- Draw on technical resources from with Mercy
Corps and PROGRESS Consortium Partners including the University of Nairobi
to forge relationships with local government and civil society as a
technical resource.
- Strengthen the role of civil society by
promoting civic agency, advocacy and participatory planning with the
public sector and market actors.
- Ensure that women and girls are actively
participating in community engagement processes and that issues affecting
women are brought in to the public realm when addressing the strategies
for government to support community-wide resilience.
- Provide support, oversight and technical
guidance to local Consortium Partners in Wajir tasked with community
engagement and advocacy.
- Liaise between PROGRESS Consortium, local
government counterparts, relief, aid and resilience agencies and
bi-lateral organizations such as UN agencies that support planning and
policy for development and management of natural resources and economic
development.
- Ensure that coordination linkages are drawn
between PROGRESS, DDR and Climate Change Adaption programs and that
climate-relevant information from these fora are integrated in to PROGRESS
community mobilization and engagement efforts.
Monitoring &
Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting:
- Support Programme Manager in the achievement
of program targets and objectives and support efforts towards the design
effective M&E systems and operations.
- Facilitate the coordination, scheduling and
production of formal and informal reports and documentation and
communication of reports and learning materials.
- Actively record, document and demonstrate all
aspects of governance activities for impact measurement and learning
purposes.
Coordination and
Representation:
- Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor,
NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the
Programme Director.
- Attend key events, committee meetings, fora,
seminars, etc. as they relate to East Africa resilience.
- Coordinate activities with consortium
partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well
as with other Mercy Corps programs.
Staff Management, Professional
Development and Team building: Contribute
to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team and
consortium members into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations: Ensure close communication across cross-country field teams and consortium members regarding program activities and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality implementation. Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.
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: Governance Officer, Community Mobilizer
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Director based in Nairobi, Kenya
Works Directly With: Programme Manager, Team Leaders, Consortium Members, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
Program Support Operations: Ensure close communication across cross-country field teams and consortium members regarding program activities and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality implementation. Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.
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: Governance Officer, Community Mobilizer
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Director based in Nairobi, Kenya
Works Directly With: Programme Manager, Team Leaders, Consortium Members, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Advanced University Degree (Masters) in public
administration, public policy, political science, or related field.
- At least five years of experience including
three years in a senior management position in relevant field.
- Previous experience with and strong
understanding of DFID rules, regulations and compliance issues
- Strong writing, communication, organization,
prioritization and negotiating skills.
- Strong management skills, with good
understanding of relevant cross-sector and cross-cultural issues.
- Experience contributing to donor-funded
proposal processes including assessment, design, and writing
- Proven understanding of both urban and rural
livelihoods systems, climate change adaptation strategies, public
administration and resilience programming;
- Demonstrated knowledge of the Kenyan political
context including devolution and recent constitutional changes and the
geo-political and socio-economic environment of northern Kenya in
particular.
- Demonstrated familiarity with Somali culture
preferred.
- Excellent analytical and written skills
required. Financial accounting experience preferred.
- Experience in building and maintaining
strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partners and
government agencies is required. This includes coordinating with local,
national authorities and international counterparts.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to
follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Demonstrated success building, managing and
leading a team of professionals.
- Experience working in conflict environments is
preferred.
- Security management experience in remote and
insecure environments.
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have the following characteristics:
The successful candidate will have the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are pending approval of our PROGRESS program by the donor.
Gender Specialist, Progress Programme – Wajir
Programme / Department Summary: The PROGRESS Gender Specialist will work in
collaboration with the PROGRESS Programme Director, Programme Managers and
PROGRESS Consortium members in the implementation of a proposed multi-year
project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building Resilience and Adaptation
to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme
award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems”
(PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Wajir-based Gender Specialist
will play a key role in implementation.
General Position Summary: The PROGRESS Gender Specialist will work
directly with the Programme Manager in Wajir and is responsible for the
PROGRESS gender strategy in the context of Wajir and Garissa.
The Gender Specialist will work
toward providing a framework of activities to guide gender integration
throughout the life of PROGRESS and across all technical sectors with the goal
of enhancing absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity for resilience of
women and augmenting access to assets, capital and decision-making processes.
The Gender Specialist will provide
direct support to the Wajir Programme Manager of PROGRESS to develop work plans
per sector/practice area with clear targets and timeframe to ensure a the
greatest possible gender integration into program planning, strategic
prioritization and sound implementation.
Programme emphasis will be on the
role of women in collective decision making around community and natural
resources, and the individual capacity for entrepreneurship and active market
engagement including value chain activities around livestock products in the
pastoralist context.
The Gender Specialist will also play
a key role in advising around advocacy, policy formulation and gender sensitive
budgeting with local and national government actors.
In addition the Gender Specialist
will ensure that PROGRESS team members and consortium partners are actively
programming and operating to a high-standard for gender integration into
projects for all sectors and practice areas including governance, market
systems, gender empowerment, and natural resource management with a focus in
water resources management, livestock and rangeland management, climate smart
agriculture, and urban issues.
Essential Job Functions:
Technical Capacity
- Coordinate closely, work with and the Wajir
Programme Manager, Wajir-based Practice-Area Team Leaders and partners to
promote gender integration in to the various sector-based activities of
PROGRESS.
- Develop training series on women leadership
and negotiation, including for the VSLA groups, and facilitating
community-platform debates;
- Development of tools as needed for
cross-cutting, cross-cutting integration of women in decision making
around household governance, community change, management of natural and
community resources, and advocacy for policy and budget formulation that
is geared towards innovative gendered approaches.
- Promote women leadership skills through VSLA
component, engaging men in decision making tools etc.
- In collaboration with the Mercy Corps
technical support units, set up gender-focused elements of the PROGRESS
monitoring system and work closely with M&E team to ensure sex and age
disaggregated data is collected and that gender analysis is applied.
- Conduct regular community consultations to
ensure programming remains gender sensitive and on-track.
- Provide technical support on gender
integration in various market facilitation activities in Wajir and Garissa
geared towards the augmentation of value-addition for livestock products,
small business development, and general capacity building for women in
pastoralist settings, women in urbanizing contexts, and women who are
transitioning between the two.
Activity Design
- Maximize program participation and increase
empowerment opportunities for currently marginalized groups
- Collect sex and age disaggregated data while
performing proactive and recurrent gender analysis.
- • Curriculum development for after school
programs to address girls and boys and women-focused group series to ensure
maximum participant engagement from the beginning of the program while
mitigating risk of exposure to gender based violence.
- Seek community recommendations on how to best
overcome identified challenges like engaging men in nutrition programming
to finding meaningful methods to include women in conflict management
interventions.
- Establish current awareness of the importance
of gender-sensitive programming among target participant groups including
traditional leaders, government officials, health workers and youth group
participants.
- Participate actively in the design of the
value-chain and small business development activities in rural Wajir
County, Wajir Town and Garissa town to ensure adequate gender integration
components.
Research & Learning Studies
- Design qualitative research from the Gender
Empowerment and Decision-making learning study.
- Work with the PROGRESS Consortium partners
focused on Monitoring and Evaluation and learning and advocacy partners to
support and conduct studies as well as learning events.
Gender Mainstreaming
- Support development and dissemination gender
research
- Develop/adapt gender mainstreaming training
for Mercy Corps Wajir Field Office, partners and PROGRESS consortium
members
- Provide gender technical reviews to program
proposals, program tools, internal and external communications as needed
- Provide direct support for gender advocacy in
policy formulation at the county and national levels, along with
gender-sensitive budgeting that considers opportunities and mitigates
risks to women in pastoralism and those who are transitioning out of
pastoralism.
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: Gender Officers / Community Mobilizers
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Manager
Works Directly With: Wajir Programme Manager and Team Leaders,
Consortium partners and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in
Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- 5 years of experience in design and
implementation of development programs, preferably with a gender focus
- Strong background in gender programming
approaches
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant subject, Masters
Degree preferred
- Experience conducting research and analysis on
gender issues, including leading focus groups or research on sensitive
issues
- Experience working in the sectors of sexual
and gender based violence, harmful traditional practices, the role of
women in community-led processes, especially around natural resource
management and other sensitive gender issues
- Experience in the ASALs and working with
pastoralist and Muslim-communities preferred
- Experience designing and adapting programmatic
tools to address gender issues or to promote positive gender outcomes
- Experience working on project monitoring and evaluation
- Experience with training and capacity building
of team members and partners
- Experience with the impact on women and girls
of inter-community conflict a plus
- Experience working in Kenya, especially
Northern Kenya
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have
the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are pending approval of our
PROGRESS program by the donor.
Finance and Administration Manager, PROGRESS Programme - Nairobi
Programme / Department Summary: The PROGRESS Finance and Administration
(F&A) Manager will play a critical role in the successful implementation of
a proposed multi-year project as part of DFID’s BRACED initiative (Building
Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters).
Mercy Corps anticipates a programme
award under BRACED to implement the “Programme for Resilient Systems”
(PROGRESS).
If awarded, PROGRESS
will be comprised of a multi-partner consortium poised to deliver a 36-month
initiative designed to build absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity
of more than 500,000 individual households in northern Kenya (Wajir and
Garissa) and northern Uganda (Karamoja).
The Kenya-based F&A Manager will
play a key role in implementation of the entire program.
General Position Summary: The F&A Manager will provide leadership in
management of the PROGRESS financial portfolio encompassing both Kenya and
Uganda, and including the accountancy and financial reporting for the Mercy
Corps PROGRESS field teams, as well as consortium partners.
The F&A Manager will ensure
regular review of program costs and operations to evaluate performance for
value for money and recommend adjustments.
The Finance and Administration
Manager will be responsible for programmatic compliance with Mercy Corps
standard operating procedures as well as compliance requirements with donor
rules and regulations.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Implementation: The F&A Manager works under the guidance
and supervision of the PROGRESS Programme Director and with direct interaction
with the PROGRESS Programme Managers, Consortium Members and the Mercy Corps
Home Office Finance Team.
The F&A Manager is expected to be
an integral part of the senior management team in-country and work closely with
the management, technical and operations field and country teams in Kenya and
Uganda.
- Support the PD in managing all financial
operations of the project, including accounting and reporting, cash
management, and budget management.
- Provide direct oversight of the PROGRESS
Grants Coordinator and finance team.
- Manage financial operations and financial
reporting of PROGRESS.
- Ensure that the project financial operations
are in compliance with all DFID and Mercy Corps policies and procedures
- Ensure monthly transactions are entered in the
General Ledger accurately and on timely basis
- Review and process procurements, vendor
invoices, consultant agreements for payment
- Be prepared to respond to any budgetary and
financial inquiries from the donor, consortium members and Mercy Corps
senior management within East Africa and home office in Edinburgh,
Scotland.
- Review semi-monthly payroll, ensuring direct
accurate transfer to employee’s checking accounts and remitting payroll
deduction to the correct government agencies.
- Process and oversee advances issued in the
Field Office for field activities and staff travel, ensuring proper
process for disbursement of funds, correct documentation and settlement of
advances in a timely manner that is in accordance with Mercy Corps
procedures.
- Manage the timely submission of the monthly
field office expenses to the home office
- Analyze and reconcile the banking account into
accounting system, following up outstanding items
- Prepare estimates of projected expenditures
and request financial resources from the home office.
- Assist in overall management and inventory
recording of all DFID property including procurement review and valuation.
- Provide financial advisory on overall
strategic program decisions.
- Work with Mercy Corps Senior Finance Directors
to conduct ad-hoc audit review of PROGRESS field operations
- Other financial and administrative tasks as
required and assigned by the PD
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)
and Reporting: Work with the
PROGRESS Senior Management, M&E and finance staff in Nairobi and home
office to ensure that PROGRESS deliverables are aligned with value-for-money
objectives and that financial milestones are proportionate to program milestones.
Staff Management, Professional
Development and Team building: Create
a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of personnel
at all levels. Implement, and ensure all staff are effectively using, the
performance planning and management system, establishing performance
expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback. Promote
accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct
supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same. Contribute to
country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team members
into relevant decision-making processes.
Program Support Operations: Ensure that PROGRESS financial systems are
efficient and are based on smooth-running infrastructure that facilitate timely
and efficient program implementation. Provide regular review of field
operations to ensure cost-effectiveness and provide guidance on improved
operational practices for value-for-money.
Security: Work with field office management teams to
establish financial reporting and management systems that ensure the safety and
security of PROGRESS financial resources including cash assets and records.
Organizational Learning: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide
Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for
spending 5% of their time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning
activities.
Supervisory Responsibility: Direct supervision of Sub-Grants Coordinator
and Sub-Grants Officer.
Accountability: 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.
Reports Directly To: Programme Director based in Nairobi, Kenya
Works Directly With: Kenya and Uganda Country Directors and finance
teams, Kenya and Uganda PROGRESS Programme Managers, Sub-Grants Coordinator and
Sub-Grants Officer, and technical and support staff from Mercy Corps office in
Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Master’s Degree (desirable) in Accounting,
Business Administration, or other relevant field
- Professional accounting certification highly
preferred
- At least eight (8) years of professional
experience managing financial and administrative aspects of large
international development projects, preferably DFID-funded projects
- Significant experience managing and
supervising financial and administrative personnel
- Commitment to excellence in financial systems
and management, and commitment to identifying and combatting fraud and
corruption, and ability to train staff in the same
- Computer fluency including QuickBooks and
Microsoft applications
- Strong analytical and computer skills, with
emphasis on budget and financial analysis
- Fluency in the English Language, excellent
communications and interpersonal skills
Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have
the following characteristics:
- A strong team player, with good communication
and diplomatic skills.
- Proven ability to work independently as part
of a regional team and with international professionals.
- Excellent analytical and information
management skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to work
under stress and in austere contexts of remote locations.
- Flexible and creative in planning and problem
solving.
- Attention to detail, ability to follow
procedures and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively
with team members.
- Proven excellence maintaining professional
internal and external relationships.
- A focus on building staff capacity.
NB: All the positions are pending
approval of our PROGRESS program by the donor.
Capacity Building Specialist, YYC Central Program (Thika)
Program / Department Summary: Mercy Corps’ goal in Kenya is to strengthen
and sustain capabilities of Kenyan society and stakeholders to be agents of
positive change in their communities.
It achieves this goal through three
objectives:
1) Strengthened ability of local,
district, and regional structures to manage conflict and become managers of
democracy;
2) Empowered Kenyan youth to achieve
a greater voice in national reform and create new livelihood opportunities and
3) More resilient drought affected
populations in North Eastern Kenya.
The Yes Youth Can
(YYC) program is a multi-year USAID-funded program that focuses on building
youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed institutional arrangements and
capabilities at both national and county levels.
Mercy Corps implements two of USAID’s
regional YYC programs—one in the Rift Valley and one in Central region.
In partnership with the County Bungee
Forums and SACCOs, Mercy Corps works to achieve the following four objectives:
1) Mobilize youth and form youth
representation structures at the village and county level;
2) Support youth to exercise a
greater voice in local and national affairs;
3) Increase youth productivity,
employment opportunities, and income; and
4) Increase young women’s access to
social, political, and economic opportunities.
Entering its fourth and final year of
implementation, Mercy Corps has reached 1.9 million youth in Rift and Central
regions and supported the development of over 11,000 bunges (youth
parliaments).
General Position Summary: The Capacity Building Specialist will be
responsible for ensuring that mobilization of village youth bunges, capacity
building program and training programs for youth structures, county forums and
county secretariats set up, grants implementation and project closure are
implemented in an effective and efficient manner.
S/he will work closely with the
Program Manager to liaise with relevant authorities and other organizations to
ensure the implementation of quality programs in Central region.
Essential Job Functions:
- Provide ongoing technical support at the
county level and advice to Mercy Corps and County Boards. Liaise with and
support key program staff to ensure that the Yes Youth can program is
running effectively, making best use of project resources at the county
level and effectively providing helpful advice and services to the village
bunges.
- Assess and develop County Boards’
organizational capacities to successfully implement Yes Youth Can County
Board work plans and follow up with their strengthening plans.
- Coordinate with County Bards with mobilization
and training of youths and support to the village bunges with a focus on
civic engagement, livelihood development and other positive social change
activities.
- Work with the Program Manger and County Board
executive to set up county secretariat including equipment set up and
training of the officials.
- Provide support in increasing young women
participation in the program and increased access to opportunities as per
program objective.
- Plan, monitor and measure impact of program
activities in the field, keeping Program Manager informed at all times
- Prepare accurate and timely monitoring and
field reports, coordinate and collect monthly quarterly County board
reports and other project documentation as required.
- Attend coordination and partner meetings with
county boards and stakeholders and coordinate activities with all involved
stakeholders.
- Coordinate the procurement processes of all
the program activities in the counties of responsibilities ensuring timely
paperwork and adherence to procurement procedures.
- Stay abreast of project developments and needs
and communicate the same to the Program Manager & COP
- Supervise 2 Field Officers as well as the
County Presidents as they execute the County work plans giving mentorship
and coaching at all times.
- Conduct himself/herself both professionally
and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to
not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
- Other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibility: Field Officers
Accountability
- Reports Directly To: Program Manager
- Works Directly With: Administration/ Logistics
Officer, Gender and training specialist, M&E officer, Finance Officer
and County Board.
Knowledge and Experience:
- University degree, preferably in community
development, economic development, youth development or related field;
- 2-3 years’ experience working with NGOs on
peacebuilding, economic development and youth based programs;
- Commitment to working with youth and
vulnerable groups in need, regardless of race, tribe, religion or gender;
- Ability to take initiative and act
independently when appropriate or necessary;
- Willing to work in the field with very nascent
youth structures with low capacity
- Ability to organize events and evaluate
program plans
- Understanding of working with local partners;
- Good spoken and written English;
- Good knowledge of MS Office software such as
excel, word, and Access;
Success Factors:
- Hard working and committed to the promotion of
Youth Empowerment & Peace in Kenya;
- Strong organizational and communication
skills;
- Must be able to work independently while being
a strong team player;
- Ability to deliver high quality work in timely
manner;
- Strong interpersonal skills
Communications Officer, YYC Rift Valley Program (Eldoret)
Program / Department Summary: Mercy Corps’ goal in Kenya is to strengthen
and sustain capabilities of Kenyan society and stakeholders to be agents of
positive change in their communities.
It achieves this goal through three
objectives:
1) Strengthened ability of local,
district, and regional structures to manage conflict and become managers of
democracy;
2) Empowered Kenyan youth to achieve
a greater voice in national reform and create new livelihood opportunities and
3) More resilient drought affected
populations in Northeastern Kenya.
The Yes Youth Can
(YYC) program is a multi-year USAID-funded program that focuses on building
youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed institutional arrangements and
capabilities at both national and county levels.
Mercy Corps implements two of USAID’s
regional YYC programs—one in the Rift Valley and one in Central region.
In partnership with the County Bungee
Forums and SACCOs, Mercy Corps works to achieve the following four objectives:
- Mobilize youth and form youth representation
structures at the village and county level;
- Support youth to exercise a greater voice in
local and national affairs;
- Increase youth productivity, employment
opportunities, and income; and
- Increase young women’s access to social,
political, and economic opportunities.
Entering its fourth and final year of
implementation, Mercy Corps has reached 1.9 million youth in Rift and Central
regions and supported the development of over 11,000 bunges (youth
parliaments).
General Position Summary: The Communications Officer will be based in Eldoret with frequent travel to Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Nakuru, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot Counties in Rift Valley as required.
General Position Summary: The Communications Officer will be based in Eldoret with frequent travel to Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Nakuru, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia and West Pokot Counties in Rift Valley as required.
In collaboration with the Chief of Party, Program Manager and Field Officers to understand the mission, vision and activities of YYC Regional and create effective communications materials.
Similarly collect and compile information about the YYC Regional program for dissemination to program beneficiaries, stakeholders, the government, CSOs and donors as per the instructions of the Chief of Party.
Essential Job Functions:
- Provide consistent, reliable, and meaningful
communication to various stakeholders in audience-appropriate language and
medium
- Work with the management team to develop and
implement a communications strategy within the budgeted framework.
- Provide advice on crafting of relevant program
messages and promoting them through established media channels and through
direct communications with clients and partners.
- Ensure proper and correct messaging of the YYC
Initiative by all staff from the bottom up
- Communicate to various stakeholders with
appropriate frequency and timing
- Produce program compelling news releases and
newsletters in liaison with Chief of Party and Country Director.
- Maintain and further develop our Yes Youth Can
website and online presence including the youth social media.
- Leverage bunges’ Facebook sites and social
media to collect information and stories.
- Oversee and supervise printing and design of
publicity materials for YYC- Rift Valley.
- Keep attuned to the changes and updates needed
on the website and other youth communication channels like Face book, Wwitter
etc.
- Draft stories and case studies of individuals
and projects to be used in various communications materials.
- Coordinate closely with Monitoring and
Evaluation Staff to collective track and collect YYC’s story and impact.
- Participate in planning films and videos on
YYC Regional programs as well as formatting & editing Quarterly and
Annual reports.
- Train a cohort of Youth from Bunges and Boards
to be able to document and write their stories and share them.
- Compile the weekly report from the program managers
and submit to the Chief of Party.
- Undertake any other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Roles: None
Reports Directly To: Program Manager
Works Directly With: Program Managers, Program Officers, Specialists, and Field Officers
Reports Directly To: Program Manager
Works Directly With: Program Managers, Program Officers, Specialists, and Field Officers
Education, Knowledge and Experience:
- The Communications Officer should have an
educational background in public relations, journalism or marketing, but
experience and demonstrated skill set will also be taken into
consideration.
- Must have a Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree in Arts
or Communications or other relevant degree.
- Experience and skills from previous employment
are a plus.
- Must have good organizational, management and
communications skills. In addition, must be able to develop communications
strategies, and negotiate and collaborate with partners and outside teams
such as printer, web team, film makers etc.
- Proven ability to work with different computer
and software programs and packages and summarize information in different
media.
- Ability to work effectively as part of team in
a cross-cultural and politically sensitive setting.
- Professional communicator who can recognize a
story and tell it in a compelling way to media, in newsletters, videos and
online
- Demonstrated passion and a commitment to
changing lives of others (especially youth) for the better and inspires
others in that passion and commitment.
- Strong writing and presentation skills.
- Computer skills beyond e-mail and word
processing. Some graphic design and publication design skills are
necessary.
- Should be able to write interesting text to be
used on the website, email newsletter, face book and other online
communications.
- Writing must be grammatically correct and in
good standard English
- Should be a dynamic team player and a
collaborator with strong networking and negotiation skills.
- Must be ready to comply and live up to and in
accordance with Mercy Corps Kenya ideals and values.
- Must have demonstrable good relational skills.
Success Factors
- Excellent communication and team-building
techniques
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced,
multi-tasking environment
- Demonstrated strong understanding of cultural
and social environment in Central Province & Rift Valley.
- Willingness and ability to work effectively
with a wide variety of people
- Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate
with other project personnel
- Strong computer and organizational skills
- Proactive, creative and problem-solver.
How to Apply
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before October 10th, 2014 at 4.00 p.m. containing a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org.
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit on or before October 10th, 2014 at 4.00 p.m. containing a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org.
The email subject line must clearly
show the job title and location they are applying for. Applications without the
right subject heading will be automatically disqualified.
Please do not attach any
certificates.
(ONLY Qualified and selected candidates for the interview will be contacted)
NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.