Senior Program Officer

Position Title:  Senior Program Officer  

Location: Mogadishu

Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Number of Positions: One

  About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.  In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.  Now, and for the future.

Program/ Department Summary Mercy Corps has been operating in Somalia since 2005. With a staff of over 100 people and programs operating throughout the country, Mercy Corps’ overall country goal is building a peaceful and prosperous Somalia where all people feel secure, are economically empowered, and are meaningfully engaged. Mercy Corps’ current portfolio in Somalia focuses on humanitarian response and resilience; inclusive economic growth; enhancing trust and accountability between communities and their government; and improving youth livelihood opportunities.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps seeks to hire a Senior Program Officer for its Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded multi-sectoral program-Somalia Early Recovery and Rural Resilience Initiative (SERRI). SERRI aims to enhance economic productivity and wellbeing in rural and peri-urban areas, improve capacity to respond to hazards, and reduce future humanitarian needs. The Senior Program Officer will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality program components/sectors (EMRS, WASH, Agriculture and DRD). The position includes developing tools for planning, assessment and intervention monitoring; building community participation into project design and implementation; ensuring design of high-quality interventions and their implementation designing training modules and delivering trainings for Mercy Corps’ staff and designing and supervising baseline and end line surveys (including KAP – Knowledge Attitude Practices). 

Essential Job Responsibilities Strategy & Vision

●        Review existing program strategies and approaches based on changing contexts.

●         Work with Deputy Program Manager to ensure linkages within all sector (WASH, EMRS, Agriculture, DRR)

●        Design viable strategies that are both respectful with the local culture and sensitive towards the population.

Team Management

●        Provide 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.

●        Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

Implementation and program coordination

●        Work with the MEAL Team to develop needs assessment tools and strategies, and train and supervise staff through field surveys and assessments.

●        Contribute to building the capacity of Mercy Corps staff, as well as project stakeholders.

●        Develop project work plans related to its sectors with the Program Team Lead.

●        Ensure the tracking, monitoring and quality reporting of all sectors and infrastructure interventions.

●        Complete budget pipeline planning, monitoring and monthly follow up in coordination with the Deputy Program manager.

●        Supervise and monitor the implementation of program activities, ensuring that all activities are compliant with the grant and Mercy Corps requirements.  Prepare subsequent reports.

●        Work with Deputy Program Manager to identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, and other stakeholders.

Program impact and PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

●        Prepare procurement plans based on project cycle for program sectors; ensure all PRs are accurately prepared and submitted on time.

●        Work with the MEL Unit to measure outcome indicators and outputs to determine the success of interventions. 

●        Draft bi-weekly, quarterly and interim donor reports for relevant activities under the guidance of the Program Team Lead.

●        Maintain and coordinate reporting and documentation of WASH and infrastructure activities.

●        Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

●        Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.

Design and planning

●        Participate in the technical assessments in coordination with other thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies.

●        Revise work plans in conjunction with POs under the oversight of the Deputy Program Manger.

●        Ensure provision of program quality in all aspects from design, planning, and implementation.

●        Contribute to the identification and design of additional opportunities for short, medium and long-term programming.

●        Contribute to the design of new proposals based on sectoral and general knowledge.

Security

●        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.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

●        Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: NONE Accountability

Reports Directly To: Deputy Program Manager

Works Directly with: Program Manager, POs, APOs, Reporting & Program Support Officer, Program Team Lead, Sector Leaders, MEL Unit, Finanace, HR and Operations

Knowledge and Experience

●        Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in livelihood, Agriculture, food security, community development Public Health or related field. Masters preferred.

●        5 years’ experience in implementing multi-sectoral programs with focus on recovery and resilience.

●        Experience in complex and complicated settings with time sensitive deliverables in unstable environments.

●        Demonstrated ability to manage and communicate effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

●        Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

●        Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.

●        Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.

●        Knowledge of participatory approaches and community sensitization and mobilization.

●        Good knowledge of program implementation, monitoring and evaluation techniques and practices.

●        Good knowledge and experience regarding gender mainstreaming.

●        Good computer applications skills.

●        Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.

●        Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.

●        Experience in planning and managing surveys.

●        Experience in developing and refining data collection tools.

●        Experience in managing and providing training to partners and target beneficiaries.

●        Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders including host governments, and national and international NGOs.

●        Excellent oral and written English skills required.

Success Factors:

The successful candidate will have good experience in maintaining partner relationships in complex environment. S/he will have an outstanding ability to contribute to the design of innovative and impactful programs.  S/he will have good analytical information management skills.

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 based on 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 the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the  Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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 professionally, respect local laws and customs, and always adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all the times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for this position and submit their applications (cover letter, updated CV, and contacts of 5 professional referees) through https://www.mercycorps.org/careers/national  only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Deadline for Applications: September 21, 2024 at 4PM