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.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps has worked in Palestine since 1986 and currently operates across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Mercy Corps works to empower Palestinians to meet their basic needs and overcome the effects of the humanitarian crises, as well as contribute to improving economic opportunities in the long term to become more self-sufficient and civically engaged, to live with greater dignity and create a brighter future. We believe women and youth are vital stakeholders in this vision and we prioritize programming that empowers and enables them to be leaders in their communities. The Palestine program currently has a total budget of USD $45 million, representing 10 active grants funded by USAID, BHA, ECHO, Global Affairs Canada, SIDA, and others. The country portfolio focuses on humanitarian response with a view to aligning with the nexus by integrating sustainable development and durable solutions approaches, as well as longer term development programs focusing on Palestinian youth to ensure lasting impact.
Mercy Corps is seeking a Chief of Party (CoP) to lead implementation of the five-year USAID-funded Pioneers-Raedat Activity. The proposed program will contribute to women’s empowerment in the West Bank and Gaza by increasing women's access to leadership opportunities and enhancing the enabling environment to be more receptive for women's participation in civic, political, and economic decision making. This will be achieved through 1) enhancing women’s representation and leadership capabilities; 2) improving equitable and safe enabling environments for women; and 3) increasing the adoption of inclusive social norms and workplace rights.
The Position
The CoP will provide overall leadership, management, coordination, and strategic vision to the implementation of the Pioneers-Raedat Activity, to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables on-time and within budget, while modeling and nurturing equitable processes and systems. The CoP will serve as the primary program representative to USAID, partners, other implementers, and key stakeholders. They will supervise program staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations, as well as the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of all products and interventions generated under the Activity.
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND VISION
- Lead the development of a vision and strategy for the program shared with the program team and key stakeholders.
- Provide overall technical and administrative leadership and expertise. Responsible for administering and managing the implementation of the activity and has the overall responsibility for assuring that all assistance provided is technically sound and appropriate to meet activity objectives.
- Play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster and/or improve strategic objectives of the program and the country office.
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Foster a culture of collaborating, learning, and adapting for program effectiveness throughout the program lifecycle
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- Oversee program startup, management, and administration. Lead overall program implementation; setting up team structures, office structure, CARM, safeguarding, and MEL systems.
- Ensure program implementation is on time, target, and budget, using effective M&E systems to track desired impacts.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan, while applying adaptive management principles.
- Confirm program participants are effectively targeted according to transparent criteria.
- Lead effective management, communication, and coordination among consortium members in a manner that is collaborative in sharing decision-making among all members.
- Develop partnership frameworks, partner agreements/Memorandum of Understandings that detail the program’s collaborative approach to partnership, and oversee partner capacity strengthening.
- Introduce the program to key local stakeholders, ensuring necessary approvals, buy-in, and collaboration as required.
- Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Certify all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and program participant accountability standards.
- Ensure program strategies and activities represent global good practice in gender equity and social inclusion, creating transformational changes in gender and social norms by strengthening the enabling environment and institutional capacity, and addressing structural barriers for women.
- Supervise and/or review the work of program consultants.
- Supervise procurement, logistics, security, administration, and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.
- Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
REPRESENTATION
- Represent Mercy Corps at donor, NGO, and other relevant forums in close coordination with the Country Director and country leadership.
- Coordinate program activities with consortium partners, subgrantees, and other implementers as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
- Serve as an active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote best practices.
- Responsible for all aspects of coordination and communication, including with other donors, the civil society sector, and other potential implementing partners.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
- Provide leadership, resources and coaching to assist managers and team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance and 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.
SECURITY