Position
Title: Director of Program Quality and Learning
Primary
Location: Nairobi,
Kenya
Position
Status: Full-time,
regular, field-based
This position is contingent on funding and donor approval.
Program / Department Summary:This position is contingent on funding and donor approval.
The
Director of Program Quality and Learning (DPQL) will play a key leadership role
in the implementation of a proposed five-year $35 million program to mitigate
conflict and support peace in select Intergovernmental Authority on Development
(IGAD) member states.
This
USAID-funded program will build and strengthen local-level cross-border
conflict management mechanisms in the Horn of Africa – Kenya, Somalia, South
Sudan and Uganda.
The
program will support conflict management mechanisms that incorporate local
civil society groups and local governments, mentor local non-governmental
organizations to be able to address community-level conflict management, and
provide technical assistance to the regional conflict early warning and
response mechanism.
General Position Summary:
General Position Summary:
The
DPQL will provide technical oversight to the Peace III Learning and Program
Quality Unit, consisting of advisors in youth, gender, monitoring and learning,
trauma healing, and others.
The
DPQL will be a member of the senior management team based in Nairobi with
significant travel to field sites across the project area to ensure synthesized
approaches, technical innovation, and incorporation of program learning.
Essential Job Functions:
Program Quality Oversight
Essential Job Functions:
Program Quality Oversight
- Provide
leadership and strategic vision to selected technical components of the
PEACE III program, including workplan development, conflict and
stakeholder analysis, partnership selection and management, and overall
sector strategy.
- Provide direct
management oversight to the Peace III Learning and Program Quality
Technical Unit.
- Best practices,
standardization
- Dissemination of
lessons learned to internal and external stakeholders
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, including key evaluation
activities and learning briefs capturing key program learning for public
dissemination.
- Ensure that
M&E team members 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.
- Ensure that
M&E systems contribute to staff and management learning about program
implementation, progress, results and impacts.
- Encourage
systematic opportunities to use data for learning and improvement, and to
focus on learning lessons throughout the life of the program.
Technical
Unit Management
- In close
partnership with the COP, create a work atmosphere conducive to
professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
- Implement, and
ensure all team members 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.
Organizational
Learning
As
part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our
understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and
relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit
5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as
themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
Accountability to Beneficiaries
Mercy
Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability,
specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding
international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary
communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our
field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility:
Supervisory Responsibility:
Direct
supervision of:
Technical staff including advisors in youth, gender, Monitoring and Learning,
trauma healing, and other team members to be determined.
Reports Directly To: Chief of Party
Works Directly With: DCoP, Regional Cluster Leads, Mercy Corps and Pact HQ technical advisors, Country Directors.
Knowledge and Experience:
Reports Directly To: Chief of Party
Works Directly With: DCoP, Regional Cluster Leads, Mercy Corps and Pact HQ technical advisors, Country Directors.
Knowledge and Experience:
- BA/S Advanced
degree in peace-building and conflict management, social sciences,
international and MA preferred
- development,
political science, or other related field
- 5- 7 years of
relevant professional experience managing and implementing peace-building
and conflict management projects
- 2- 4 years of
relevant field or management experience of complex, multi-sector
programming. Previous experience working on USAID-funded programs
preferred.
- Previous
experience in East Africa and in-depth knowledge of current cross-border
issues and events in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and South Sudan
preferred.
- Demonstrated
ability to effectively manage staff working in multiple locations affected
by conflict
- Demonstrated
ability to work effectively with communities, civil society, local
government representatives and other stakeholders
- Demonstrated
expertise in one of the following technical areas: youth, gender,
trauma healing
- Demonstrated
ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in
writing
Success
Factors:
A
successful candidate will be conscientious, with excellent judgment.
S/he
will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory
leadership and tactful decisiveness to assist in the development and
implementation of the Peace III strategy.
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 large variety
of people who will be diverse culturally, economically and in social status –
as well as be sensitive to political and cultural nuance - 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
project personnel.
Living Conditions/Environmental Conditions:
Living Conditions/Environmental Conditions:
This
position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, with travel up to 30% to all
countries of implementation. Travel may be to areas which are insecure with
limited access to basic amenities.
Nairobi is an accompanied location suitable for spouse/partner and/or dependents. It is a major metropolitan center with world class healthcare and excellent education options.
Nairobi is an accompanied location suitable for spouse/partner and/or dependents. It is a major metropolitan center with world class healthcare and excellent education options.
Mercy
Corps provides expatriate staff with a housing allowance that covers rent,
utilities and security for comfortable accommodations in safe areas of the
city. Telephone and internet access is available and there are dozens of
excellent restaurants along with easy transport links to the rest of Africa and
Europe.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Interested applicants should apply directly at www.mercycorps.org/careers
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Interested applicants should apply directly at www.mercycorps.org/careers