GIRL H Deputy Project Manager
Description
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. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
Mercy Corps implements a
variety of programming throughout the Africa Region in response to the diverse
humanitarian and long-term development needs of the region and is committed to
delivering high quality, high impact programming that reaches communities or
individuals in need, wherever they are.
Mercy Corps began working
in Kenya in 2008 and has built a robust and diverse portfolio working to enable
Kenyans affected by poverty, resource scarcity and conflict to be healthy,
productive and to drive peace and development of their communities. To do this,
we deliver integrated programming to strengthen market and governance systems,
innovate urban youth employment opportunities, address the root causes of
conflict, and build the resilience of vulnerable populations – in particular
youth, women, adolescents and marginalized communities.
Program / Department Summary
Girls Improving Resilience
through Livelihoods (GIRL) is a three-year program to be implemented in Kenya,
Uganda and Nigeria that seeks to improve the well-being of young people aged
10-24 by increasing their access to skills and knowledge, health
resources, formal/informal education and livelihood opportunities GIRL
also fosters an enabling environment by working with communities to transform
unhealthy social norms and create opportunities for young people to access
opportunities that can impact positively on their welbeing. Key to GIRL is a
robust learning and research agenda that reaches across three countries to
contribute to the evidence base on what works to secure access to opportunities
for adolescent girls within the most marginalized communities and to better
understand their contribution to household resilience. This evidence and
learning will be shared to elevate Mercy Corps’ influence in the adolescent
girl space and to bolster fundraising efforts to scale the model.
General Position Summary
The Deputy Project Manager
will manage the successful implementation of the GIRL-H project in Kenya,
ensuring positive impact for all participants and driving innovation and
learning to refine replicable and evidence-based programming. As a result, the
Deputy Project Manager is responsible for leading intervention of GIRL-H,
including program start up, implementation ( key focus on transition of program
participants into viable livelihood pathways and providing mentoring support),
Program adaptation to suit con and close out. In conjunction with GIRL Program
Management unit and Country Leadership, the Deputy Project Manager will
operationalize a clear vision and strategy for the program in Kenya to ensure
that the program activities are impactful and remain on budget and schedule.
Essential Responsibilities
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- Lead
GIRL-H program implementation within the five counties (Turkana, Wajir,
Garissa, Marsabit and Isiolo) in Kenya, including identification of team
members and management of implementing partners.
- Manage
and oversee GIRL-H program implementation in Kenya, in collaboration with
key project stakeholders, including local non-governmental organizations,
local government officials, community-based organizations, other
international agencies on the ground, and key donors
- Lead
engagement with local implementing partners within Kenya.
- Lead
in the implementation of the advocacy strategy for GIRL-H Kenya program
- Collaborate
with program team, finance, and administrative staff to ensure systems
comply with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures, including
adherence to Mercy Corps program management minimum standards
- Ensure
program implementation is on time, target, and budget, using effective
M&E systems to reach desired impacts
- Develop
Mercy Corps and partner organization staff capacity by designing and
delivering technical training and coaching plans on topics related to
building resilience and achieving gender-equitable program outcomes
- Provide
leadership and oversight in all aspects of program implementation,
management, and evaluation within Kenya
- Establish
and oversee effective program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting
systems for both internal and external use and ensure high quality input
is obtained from team members
- Ensure
documentation of achievements and lessons learned to ensure best practices
are captured and disseminated in quarterly and final program reports
STRATEGY AND VISION
- Collaborate
with program leadership in the development of a clear vision and strategy for
the program in Kenya and ensure it is shared with all relevant program
team members and key stakeholders.
- Collaborate
with other related Mercy Corps programs to create synergies wherever
possible
- Ensure
that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and
aligned with Mercy Corps’ principles and values.
- Engage
support services and risk management resources to enable the program team
to execute their respective strategic priorities
- Collaborate
with relevant team members regarding the measurement and analysis of key
program performance and quality indicators and metrics to inform strategic
decision making
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Develop
the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist
with career development
- Assist
team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance
& reach objectives
- Promote
accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback
informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews
- Create
and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive
to achieve excellence
- Oversee
program staff and partner performance and quality of program
implementation and if security context allows, conduct frequent field
visits to all program sites
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
- Monitor
adherence to the donor grant agreement as well as Mercy Corps’ and donor’s
policies and procedures for procurement and compliance
- Create
and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial
resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor
and Mercy Corps’ needs
- Work
closely with financial and operational management to optimize resources
through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely
submission of reports to the donor
HUMAN RESOURCES, SAFEGUARDING AND DIVERSITY
- Support
Mercy Corps initiatives for human resources, including safeguarding and
diversity, and talent development
- Collaborate
with the people team to promote staff access to high quality learning
opportunities, with a special emphasis on national team member development
- Assist
with the on-boarding of team members, ensuring they are set up for success
and familiar with agency systems, procedures, and protocols
COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY
- Ensure
Mercy Corps’ Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) is
operationalized, in line with the relevant CARM policy, within the
programs.
- Identify
a CARM focal point for each program s/he manages.
- Develop
a CARM sensitization plan and ensure activities are incorporated into the
program activity plan.
- Proactively
inform all program stakeholders about the CARM feedback channels.
RISK MANAGEMENT
- Engage
and support program areas across the counties to ensure that adequate risk
management systems are in place
- Collaborate
with country and program leadership to support preparedness and response
to major disruptive events
- Participate
in the internal audit (IA) process to track findings and ensure program
compliance with IA findings and recommendations
- Work
closely with the country team security focal point to develop and maintain
systems that promote the safety and security of all team members
- Ensure
that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and
understanding of security
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
- Represent
Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events, in close
coordination with other program leads and teams
- Maintain
active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including
government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and
related institutions
- Coordinate
activities with consortium partners, subgrantees, local government and
other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs
SECURITY
- In
collaboration with the Operations Director and Regional Security Advisor
monitor security developments and report to Mercy Corps Senior Management
as per the Mercy Corps Kenya security procedures and protocols.
- Ensure
compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country
leadership.
- Proactively
ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of
policies.
Supervisory Responsibility
- GIRL-H
Officers (Turkana, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, Isiolo) and SRH Officer in
Marsabit.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: GIRL-H PMU Manager technically with administrative lines to
the Kenya Director of Programs and Head of office
Works Directly With: GIRL Program Management Unit (PMU) Manager and MEL Manager,
Director of Operations, Program Managers, local partner organizations, support
staff (Finance, HR and Operations), Director of Programs
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members
are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our
program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to
international standards guiding international relief and development work. We
are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design,
monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Degree
and equivalent experience in international development or relevant social
sciences
- 5-7
years’ experience in gender and youth development work especially safe
space approach, and livelihood programs for young people.
-
Demonstrated capacity in women empowerment programs with experience
in value chain approaches strongly preferred.
- Extensive
program management experience especially on program start-up and close out
required
- Experience
in proposal development and fund raising for youth focused programs.
Private sector partnership experience is a plus.
- Experience
in report writing strongly preferred.
- Experience
managing a high performing team required.
- Demonstrated
capacity to lead the collection and analysis and utilization of
information from a broad range of sources to ensure effective integration
of gender and youth concerns throughout the project’s duration.
- Ability
to foster commitment and build capacity among project staff and in-country
actors around gender and youth integration.
- Strong
public speaking and facilitation skills required.
- Proficiency
with Microsoft Office.
- Fluency
in written and spoken English required
- Fluency
in written and spoken Kiswahili preferred
Success Factors
The successful candidate
will have excellent team and interpersonal relationship skills, with
demonstrated ability to work effectively in complex environments. S/he will
combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory
leadership, and tactful decisiveness to assist in program
implementation. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and
simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. S/he must
have the confidence and humility to work effectively with a diverse group of
people – as well as be sensitive to political and cultural nuance. S/he must be
able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and
fast- ‐ changing situations while working as part of a team and
coordinate with program personnel.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in
one of the GIRL H counties ( Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit and Isiolo) with travels
to the other locations.
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.
How to Apply
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted
candidates will be contacted.
Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment
process.