Senior Program Officer
About Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact
Energy 4 Impact is Mercy
Corps’ energy access platform, working to improve the lives of millions across
the poorest and most fragile regions of the world through access to clean
energy. Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
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.
The Program
Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact is implementing a three-year program called Financial Inclusion for Clean Cooking Access in Rwanda and Sierra Leone (FICCARS). The program seeks to address the challenge of access to finance among women living in cities, particularly in urban informal settlements and slums in these two countries.
The Position
The Senior Program Officer
(SPO) will work with the FICCARS program team and implementing partners to
ensure quality delivery of program outputs in alignment with the program plan.
The SPO is primarily responsible for programmatic support to the Program Lead
in coordinating the implementation activities and delivery of outputs by the
program team and implementing partners as well as providing technical expertise
on gender and social inclusion (GESI).
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND PLANNING
- Work
closely with the program team and implementing partners to ensure
effective implementation of activities and delivery of quality outputs.
- Coordinating
program reporting by implementing partners, in particular tracking
reporting deadlines, ensuring adherence to reporting quality requirements,
and where needed, supporting them with report editing.
- Work
closely with the program team to build the capacity of implementing
partners in program implementation, GESI, and community engagement.
- Support
the Program Lead to document lessons and success on the program to inform
further programming.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- Track
activities and delivery of outputs by implementing partners to ensure
cohesiveness in program delivery.
- Provide
expertise in GESI in program activities in alignment with the Mercy Corps
GESI policy and guideline.
- Support
the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team to ensure effective
monitoring, evaluation and reporting of program activities and results.
This may include participating in MEL field activities and supporting
analysis and reporting of evaluations where needed.
- Support
the Program Lead with preparing interim and annual narrative reports to
the donor.
- Support
the Program Lead in ensuring the program is implemented in alignment with
Mercy Corp’s program standards.
- Coordinate
development and dissemination of knowledge products developed in the
program.
- Lead
co-ordination and planning of stakeholder workshops in the program. This
includes co-facilitating the events with the program team and implementing
partners.
- Oversee
the filing and management of program documents as per the Record Retention
policy.
- Support
engagement with key stakeholders in the public and private sector and
manage logs of engagements carried out throughout the program.
COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY
AND REPORTING
- Support
the program community accountability and reporting mechanism (CARM) focal
person in sensitizing community members on the feedback channels available
to them, including understanding how all feedback received is addressed.
- Submit
face to face feedback to the CARM focal person for processing.
- Collaborate
with the CARM focal person and the Ethics team in investigating and
closing CARM feedback loops.
RESEARCH AND LEARNING
- Coordinate
research and learning initiatives by the program team and implementing
partners to contribute to program’s learning and adaptation needs.
- Support
the MEL team and Program Lead in coordinating periodic learning and
reflective sessions to share monitoring data, lessons, and research
findings with program stakeholders, and leverage the outputs from these
sessions to improve the program.
- Support
the private sector implementing partners with designing and implementing
action research activities in the program.
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Program Lead
Works Directly With: the MEL team, the in-country implementation
partners, the Programme Performance and Quality (PaQ) team.
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
- BA/BS
or equivalent in gender studies, energy and/or environmental studies,
international development, economics, or other relevant. MA/S is
advantageous.
- 4
to 6 years’ experience in international development programs. Experience
implementing in Rwanda or Sierra Leone is advantageous. Experience
implementing programs in urban areas is also advantageous.
- Knowledge
and experience in implementing gender and social inclusion in development
programs.
- Demonstrated
ability to work with and communicate effectively with ethnically diverse
team members of varied work styles.
- Ability
to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
- Experience
working with local and national authorities, the private sector, and
non-government organizations.
- Experience
developing program reports for donors.
- Demonstrated
analytical skills and ability to synthesize data into a high-profile
narrative to inform decision making.
- Effective
verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and
prioritization skills.
- Demonstrated
flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
- Internationally
recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment
to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.
Success Factors
The successful Senior
Program Officer will have an outstanding ability to work with and coordinate
activities with different teams in the program, both internal and external.
S/he/they will also demonstrate the ability to effectively implement programs
within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact
in the region and will share the organization’s values. S/he/they will have
experience with GESI analyses and assessments in development programs,
including supporting implementing partners to incorporate GESI in their
activities. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong
commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing
environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in
all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in
Nairobi, Kenya and requires up to 15% travel to support in-country field
activities.
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.
How to Apply
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted
candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are highly encouraged to
apply.
Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the
recruitment process.
